Personal payment cards issued by the Royal Bank of Canada are now supported by Samsung’s mobile payment system, Samsung Pay, the company announced today.
The partnership is part of a broader expansion by Samsung into the region, joining existing partnerships with other Canadian banks such as Scotiabank, Visa Canada, Interac Debit, and the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC).
Samsung’s further move into the region comes as more Canadians are embracing mobile payments, especially rewards: 74% of mobile payers in the country would like to see mobile wallets integrated with reward programs, according to a 2016 study on the matter cited by Samsung.
Paul Brannen, COO and executive vice president for Samsung Electronics, Canada, said in today’s release:
We’re excited to work with RBC, a valued and longstanding partner, in delivering an exclusive, industry-leading mobile payment experience through Samsung Pay. Samsung Pay provides real-life benefits to Canadians, ensuring the cards they need are easily available on their smartphone.
RBC currently manages assets around $1 trillion USD. Canadian users can now use Samsung Pay to make purchases “almost anywhere” they can swipe their RBC payment card, as stated by today’s release.