America First Credit Union of Riverdale, Utah, is launching both Android Pay and Samsung Pay, the two most prominent mobile wallet options for Android smartphones.
Android Pay is Google's Near Field Communication-based mobile wallet, and operates on all Android handsets. Samsung Pay is specific to Samsung devices, and differentiates itself by supporting both NFC and Magnetic Secure Transmission contactless payments. The latter, which simulates the swipe of a magstripe card, is unique to Samsung and comes from the tech giant's ownership of
America First already supports Apple Pay, and said the addition of both Android wallets is meant to extend a contactless mobile payment option to the entire membership base. Apple Pay operates only on Apple devices, a limitation that prompted some companies (such as
“With the expansion of Android and Samsung Pay at America First, we’re opening up the opportunity for contactless payments for our member base, allowing them to pay for items with their mobile devices in a fast, easy and secure way," said Rich Syme, executive vice president at America First Credit Union, in a Dec. 17 press release.
