Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge users can now use the official TD Canada Trust or CIBC app, or UGO Wallet, to pay at tap-friendly terminals.
The change was implemented in the past couple of weeks for all apps, the latter of which is co-owned by TD Bank Group and PC Financial.
But why the delay, from the time the S6 was released in April until now? The phones come certified for mobile payments, with the correct specifications necessary for both NFC-based SIM cards and remote authentication. But after that time, Samsung must work with both the carriers (Rogers, Bell, Telus and their flanker brands) as well as the bands to implement the schema, which takes time. Samsung’s devices are often certified faster than its rivals’ – the HTC One M9 is still incompatible with all banks’ mobile payment services.
Desjardins, a smaller financial institution, also supports the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, in addition to TD and CIBC. It’s unclear when Scotiabank and RBC will update their compatibility list, nor when the comparatively early adopter banks will pick up support for the new Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and S6 edge+.
Earlier this month, UGO Wallet released an update that allows customers to add gift and loyalty cards and redeem points at certain merchants.
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