Samsung Executive Reveals Plans to Expand Samsung Pay

In a conversation with ZDNet, Injong Rhee, the executive VP and head of enterprise business at Samsung’s mobile business, provided an in-depth look at the group’s plan to bring Samsung Pay to mainstream markets.

“Just wait a year. To replace the wallet completely, perhaps, is too big a dream, and it probably won’t come to that,” said Rhee.

“Rather, it is a competition with the plastic card. More and more, all the plastic cards — gift cards, membership cards and the like — will go inside mobile. Our wallets will get thinner. Samsung Pay and wallets will complement each other, and this will create new value, and become a tool that makes ecommerce much easier.”

The Samsung executive clarified that the company is gearing up to expand its payments services in the US. Many local carriers were skeptic about the new app, suggesting that it was too late to enter a space currently dominated by Apple Pay and Android Pay. Rhee emphasized that high consumer adoption rates forced its US partners to reconsider the service.

To date, the tech giant has welcomed over 1 million Samsung Pay subscribers and has processed over $88 million in transaction volume.

This month, a timely update will integrate the app with gift cards, membership cards, and in-app purchases. The panel will also receive a makeover, allowing users to view all of their registered cards on a single screen.

Rhee revealed that non-flagship devices are likely to receive Samsung Pay in the coming months. When asked about expansion to other Android devices, like the Google’s Nexus 6P or Motorola’s Moto X Pure Edition, she highlighted that the company has considered it. But for now the brand is focusing on deploying the service and perfecting the app’s features to match the needs of its customers.