PayPal Releases Apps for Samsung's New Gadgets

PayPal is continuing to support Samsung's new phones and wearable products with features that make use of device-specific hardware such as the Note 4 smartphone's fingerprint reader.

The PayPal fingerprint authentication feature on the Samsung Note 4 is available in 27 markets globally. PayPal also supports fingerprint authentication on Samsung's Galaxy Tab S tablet and Galaxy S5 smartphone.

PayPal will also support the new Gear S smartwatch. It already has apps for Samsung's Gear 2 and Gear Fit smartwatches, which allow users to check in at PayPal merchants and complete transactions at their stores. PayPal also has an app for Android Wear smartwatches.

"By giving more people the option to login with their fingerprint to pay with PayPal, we're continuing to expand our efforts with the Fast Identity Online Alliance to move more of the industry beyond passwords," Joel Yarbrough, senior director of partnerships and global solutions at PayPal, said in a Sept. 3 blog post.

PayPal and its Braintree unit are also testing One Touch payments, which enable consumers to enter their credentials one time and then make single-click payments from within the apps of participating merchants.