Westpac partners with Samsung following dispute with Apple
Australian bank Westpac has partnered with Samsung to offer millions of the bank’s Mastercard and Visa cardholders access to the Samsung Pay mobile payments service. The move comes shortly after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission denied Westpac and three other banks' application to negotiate with Apple for access to its near-field communications technology and enable their own digital wallets.
Australia’s Westpac has announced a partnership with Samsung to offer Samsung Pay mobile payments to millions of the bank’s Mastercard and Visa cardholders.



The announcement comes just weeks after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) denied authorisation to Westpac and three other Australian banks to collectively bargain with Apple and boycott Apple Pay.



The banks had sought authorisation to negotiate with Apple for access to the near field communication (NFC) controller in iPhones, and ‘reasonable access terms’ to the App Store.



This access would enable the banks to offer their own integrated digital wallets to iPhone customers in competition with Apple’s mobile wallet and bypassing Apple Pay. However the ACCC rejected the banks’ proposals, citing competition concerns and claiming that “the likely benefits from the proposed conduct outweigh the likely detriments”.



Samsung Pay is available to Westpac debit and credit card holders from this week, and can be used at thousands of retail outlets across Australia wherever NFC payments are accepted.



George Frazis, chief executive consumer bank at Westpac Group, said: “On many devices, our customers can now use either Westpac Tap and Pay, Android Pay or Samsung Pay to make contactless payments, and we’re delighted to be the first Australian-owned bank to offer this choice.”



Richard Fink, vice president of the mobile division at Samsung Australia, added: “We know Australians use their smartphones every day to enjoy content, stay connected and organise their lives. Partnering with Westpac will bring the security and convenience of Samsung Pay to millions of Australians.”

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