Samsung teams with PayPal for Galaxy S5 fingerprint payments

Samsung has finally announced details for its long-awaited Galaxy S5 flagship phone, and one of the big new features being introduced is the device’s built-in fingerprint sensor.

The use of a fingerprint scanner as a security measure on a mobile device isn’t new – Apple’s iPhone 5s was released with the technology late last year. But Samsung has one-upped its main rival by partnering with global payments service PayPal, to use fingerprint authentication to allow users to buy goods and make payments via their mobile.

Both Samsung and PayPal are promising that the introduction of fingerprint identification will provide an easier and safer method of protecting a user’s identity and account details, and eliminate the security risks associated with password protection.

How it works

Samsung is confident that customers will love the ‘secure and seamless’ mobile shopping experience that the new feature will provide. Instead of keeping track of logins and passwords, S5 owners will only need to swipe their finger across the screen to authorise payments from their PayPal account.

A user’s personal PayPal account information won’t be stored on the S5; instead, what's known as 'FIDO Ready software' installed in the handset will securely transmit information between the fingerprint scanner and PayPal’s cloud service.

This information consists of a unique encrypted key, which is used by PayPal to verify a customer’s identification and account details solely from their fingerprint.

As a member of the FIDO (Fast Identity Online) Alliance, PayPal is committed to implementing technology that reduces the problematic reliance on passwords to authenticate users in online transactions and services. PayPal’s collaboration with Samsung is the first use of FIDO identification in a mobile device.

PayPal’s fingerprint authentication service will go live in April in 26 global markets, including the US, UK and Australia. Your move Apple.

Tara Donnelly

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