Samsung Announces 'Innovative' Debit Card Launching this Summer

[duanepatrick]

At least Samsung is trying...

 

[ct2k7]

Completely valid. My only guess is the banks are more holding that up than Apple. I’m sure they want those services out there just as much as the users.

Apple has to partner with an EU bank for it to happen.

Looking at Apple Card, this is Marcus’ first foray into credit cards, and they haven’t even got checking yet (though that’s for next year).

If Apple were to offer Apple Card in Europe, it’d need to partner with EU/European banks as Marcus doesn’t seem to be in a hurry to offer cards in Europe or even expand their European operations significantly.

 

[alexandr]

Thankfully credit card systems aren't set up to get any transactional level data. So what you're asking for is impossible, unless you want to block out say, Home Depot or Michaels.

oh, i'm not asking for this, i was making a joke)
no credit/debit card's gonna make keep me from making stupid purchases

 

[subjonas]

I would pay Apple to create a customizable finance management app that that automatically logs Apple Pay transactions. I use a third party app right now that keeps track of all my accounts and transactions, even gift card/rewards balances and cash. It’s been a Godsend to have all my transactions already sorted come tax time, and to have notes to remind me about questions I had on past transactions, and to always know how much I have in each account regardless of what has cleared, as well as to have a personal record that I can use to check the accuracy of other organization’s records and vice versa. But obviously a third party app can’t access my Apple Pay transactions. Entering in each transaction is super quick but it would be even better if it was automatic seeing as more and more of my purchases are being made with Apple Pay.

 

[Abazigal]

So if you see the point of a phone/watch as being to make PAYMENT easier, not to make CREDIT easier, going with a debit card opens you up to a lot more of the world. And yes, it is just a virtual wallet holding your virtual dollars. So what? That's what most people want. It's certainly how *I* use my credit card, as a payment card that I pay off religiously every month.

I pay off my credit card bills every month as well.

Here in Singapore, we have an app called Grab, which is a company that does ride-sharing, food delivery, and (recently) has a mobile wallet that lets you make payments via QR code. However, take-up rate is low, and if not for their rewards system, I don't think many people would bother with it, because having to open an app to scan a code is much more time-consuming than simply using contactless payment from your phone's lock screen directly (or even your Apple Watch).

However, I see value in the system allowing merchants to accept non-cash payments without having to manage an array of credit card scanners. Anyone can just print out a QR-code and past it at the counter and let the customers pay on their own. This makes sense in countries without a strong credit-card infrastructure (like China, which is how WeChat took off, because the country largely missed the credit card revolution). Conversely, this makes no sense in a country like the US, where credit cards are commonplace, and the fees are offset by the increased volume of transaction they supposedly enable.

And for me, it seems to defeat the point of using a credit card to top up another mobile wallet just so I can then make purchases from said wallet, instead of just using a credit card to pay for the purchase in the first place. In the beginning, there was the ability to double up on rewards, but the banks soon plugged that hole by changing their rewards system such that cash top-ups would not qualify for rewards.

Granted, Singapore is not the whole world, and there probably are many other developing countries where credit cards are rare and a mobile wallet solution could really take off. It's possible that companies like Samsung and Google are targeting these emerging economies where their cheaper android phones enjoy greater market share and it would be easier for them to push a mobile payment solution through their own software. The same way Apple makes it extremely easy for US consumers to apply for the Apple Card via the wallet app.

Else, I am not really seeing what Samsung can value-add at this point.

 

[wood1208]

Samsung, me too won't work in every category you copy. In corona virus environment, I use Apple Pay everywhere for contactless money payment/exchange. For me Apple card and Apple Pay is good.

 

[FriendlyMackle]

I understand why Apple and Samsung are playing this game, but I don't understand what is in it for consumers.
1. I have a debit card via my credit union. I never use it.
2. I have a Visa card ($0/yr) from my credit union. I never use it.
3. I have a Visa card (costs me $95/yr) that rewards me with Avios which are useful/worthwhile for international travel.
4. I have a MasterCard ($0/yr) which I have in case the Visa system is not working. I seldom use it.
5. Venmo works for "cash" transactions.

I use 'cash back' credit cards which have no annual fee. So the cash back is limited, but it's a few hundred dollars per year.
As long as you make certain to NOT run a balance. Which is the only way I would recommend using a credit card. And that's how I use all of mine.

Just with my Amazon Prime Rewards (Visa) card in the last month, I've 'earned' $60 back, which I can either have deposited in my bank account or spend on Amazon.

 

[4sallypat]

As a start make it contactless unlike the Apple card and bring back mask friendly iris scanning authentication.

Huh ?

Apple card is contactless.

My iPhone's digital wallet contains the card and it does not touch the POS payment reader, I just wave it past without contact and payment is made.

Love how contactless payments are with the Apple Card especially now with the pandemic...

As for the mask friendly scanning, I changed my facial recognition to scan my masked face....