Octopus inks Samsung deal to push NFC payments

Hong Kong smartcard provider Octopus announced a deal with Samsung to integrate its app into Samsung Pay, increasing the use cases for both payment systems in the country. Octopus – through its card and app – is already widely used across Hong Kong for a range of online and offline payments, including travel services through a physical card and person-to-person cash transfer on its app. Following the deal, announced today (11 December), Octopus users with Samsung handsets will also be able to make NFC-based retail payments using their Octopus accounts – a move hailed by the card company as making mobile payment “more comprehensive than ever” and “spurring progress towards becoming a smart city”.