Samsung Pay Launches in Morocco Through Mastercard Partnership

In Short

Mastercard partnered with Samsung to introduce Samsung Pay in Morocco. Eligible Mastercard cardholders at participating banks can make contactless payments using compatible Samsung smartphones and smartwatches.

What Happened: How Samsung Pay Works In Morocco

Samsung Pay in Morocco lets users pay without carrying a physical bank card for supported transactions. The service works at merchants that accept supported contactless payments.

Mastercard said the service is powered by its tokenization technology, which replaces sensitive card information with a unique digital token to protect payment credentials during transactions. (Tokenization is like swapping your real card number for a temporary stand-in that is used to process the payment.)

The companies said Samsung Pay uses Mastercard Digital Enablement Service (MDES). Through MDES, Samsung Pay adds tokenization alongside authentication and risk-based security measures.

Mastercard said the launch builds on its efforts to expand digital payment infrastructure in Morocco by working with banks and technology companies. Mastercard also linked the move to its global target of tokenizing 100% of online transactions by 2030.

Mohamed Benomar, Country Manager of North West Africa at Mastercard, said supporting Samsung Pay in Morocco is “another important step in expanding access to secure digital payment experiences” underpinned by MDES.

Hongseok Lee, President, Samsung Electronics Maghreb Arab, said the launch is part of Samsung’s commitment to providing Galaxy users with payment options that are “simple, secure, and genuinely useful in everyday life.”

Why It Matters: More Contactless Payment Options For Banks And Shoppers

For consumers in Morocco, the Samsung Pay launch adds another way to pay in-person using a phone or smartwatch, as long as their bank participates and their device is compatible.

For participating banks, the companies positioned Samsung Pay as an additional digital payment option they can offer customers as mobile-based transactions become more integrated into everyday commerce.

Mastercard and Samsung also said they plan to unveil a joint campaign in Morocco to encourage adoption.