New York - Samsung is buying mobile-payment startup LoopPay as the Korean phone maker steps up its rivalry with Apple and its payment system on iPhones.
LoopPay works by reproducing the signals from a credit card's magnetic swipe as users tap a LoopPay device next to a retailer's card reader. That means LoopPay should work with most retailers' existing payment terminals.
Most other mobile-payment systems, including Apple Pay, require newer terminals with wireless chips called near-field communication, or NFC.
Samsung Electronics Company’s agreement to buy LoopPay strengthens speculation that Samsung plans to include mobile-payment technology in its next major phone, which is expected to be announced March 1 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
The companies didn't disclose financial terms or say when the transaction will close.
Sapa-AP