On February 3, 2025, Samsung Electronics introduced American Express card support in its Samsung Wallet for international transactions.

Effective from February 4, 2025, American Express cardholders can now use Samsung Wallet when making overseas payments. This addition complements the wallet’s existing support for Mastercard and Visa, enhancing its international payment landscape.

NFC Payments and Market Expansion

With American Express card integration, users can now make contactless payments at NFC-enabled merchant locations worldwide using their Samsung Wallet. This feature eliminates the need for physical cards when traveling or purchasing internationally.

This partnership aligns with Samsung Electronics’ broader strategy to expand Samsung Wallet’s global payment acceptance network and assert a stronger presence in markets outside South Korea. The collaboration particularly targets users of premium card products, where American Express has significant engagement in corporate and travel-related spending segments.

A spokesperson from the digital wallet team at Samsung Electronics’ MX division emphasized that the integration aims to enhance international functionality within Samsung Wallet and provide more payment options for those using premium card services.

Operating as a digital payment platform, Samsung Wallet stores payment credentials and facilitates contactless transactions through NFC technology integrated into Samsung mobile devices. This service competes with other mobile wallet platforms where the infrastructure for contactless payments is established by merchants and payment networks.

The addition of American Express to Samsung Wallet underscores ongoing industry trends in expanding embedded payment services and forging alliances with major credit card networks, as these entities collectively dominate international card-based payment volumes.