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Singapore Consumers Spoilt For Choice Over Digital Wallets: Android Pay, Samsung Pay or Apple Pay?

Fizah Hatman
Updated

This article was originally on GET.com at: Singapore Consumers Spoilt For Choice Over Digital Wallets: Android Pay, Samsung Pay or Apple Pay?

It has not been two weeks since the launch of Samsung Pay in Singapore and another player has come into the picture. Android Pay, Google's mobile payment and digital wallet service, has just launched in Singapore today making us the first country in Asia to have this service.

As you might already know, these digital wallets including Apple Pay and Samsung Pay allow you to make transactions at retail stores with your credit card and debit card through your mobile device instead of presenting your physical card.

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To use Android Pay, you have to own a MasterCard or Visa credit or debit cards issued by these 5 major banks in Singapore: DBS, POSB, OCBC, UOB and Standard Chartered.

Other than similar features with Samsung Pay and Apple Pay, like requiring an initial authentication to add a credit card and also using the Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, there are four key differences that make Android Pay stand out from its e-wallet counterparts:

1. Unlike Apple Pay and Samsung Pay, where the devices that can support the services are limited to newer phone models, Android Pay allows any NFC Android phones running on KitKat 4.4 operating system or later to use the service. These include the Samsung Galaxy S4 or other Android phones like the LG G3. Users who have both Android Pay and Samsung Pay service in their device could choose either one as a default platform for their payments.

2. Android Pay allows you to store an unlimited number of cards, compared to Samsung Pay which only allows a maximum of 10 cards and Apple Pay, 8 cards.

3. You can also store gift cards, loyalty cards and special offers on your device with Android Pay, something you can't do on the other two platforms. Soon, Android Pay will also support rewards programmes like NTUC Link's Plus! and CapitaLand's Capitastar.

4. Unlike Apple Pay and Samsung Pay which require fingerprint or PIN authentication for individual transactions, Android Pay users can skip on that. However, as a security measure, Android Pay users would be prompted to enter their passwords upon every fourth transaction.

One interesting feature to look out for on Android Pay is its ability to allow for in-app purchases, similar to that of Apple Pay's. This will allow you to pay for things within the app and save you the trouble of having to key in your credit card details. So far, Google has announced that Android Pay will integrate this feature with apps like Uber, Grab, Zalora, Deliveroo, Singapore Airlines and Shopee later this year.

Android Pay was launched in the United States in September last year and in the United Kingdom last month. The service is also expected to launch soon in Australia.

While Citibank cardholders will have to sit this one out and continue using Samsung Pay, there are so many other cards that you could consider for Android Pay, to get more for your money.

For example, if you prefer DBS or POSB cards, you could consider the POSB Everyday Card, which allows you to get a 5% cashback when you're shopping for groceries at Sheng Shiong. You can also benefit from up to 20.1% savings on petrol at SPC. DBS Black Visa Card allows you to earn 5% cashback on a category of your choice whether they're clothes, shoes or watches when you spend a total of $700 in the same month.

If you're considering an OCBC credit card, OCBC 365 Credit Card is a great card to earn cashback with, as long as you spend at least $600 in a month. When paying for dining on the weekend locally, you can earn up to 6% cashback. For your daily grocery shopping at supermarkets in Singapore, you get to earn 3% cashback.

UOB One Card is a great offers up to 5% cash rebate on all your expenditure and allows you to save up to 22.8% when you spend Caltex and 24% at SPC. Plus, with a UOB card you won't be limited to the $100 cap on your transactions.

A good Standard Chartered card you can consider is MANHATTAN World MasterCard, which allows you to earn up to 3% cashback when you spend in Singapore or overseas. That means you can use Android Pay both locally and overseas.

What do you think? Share your comments with us below!

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