Skip to Content loading...

Not a member yet?

Listerhill Credit Union is a nonprofit financial cooperative improving lives in our community.

If you live in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, or Tennessee, you are eligible to become a member. Depending on your individual eligibility, we may require membership into an approved association at no cost to you.

You can also qualify for membership by being a family member of a current or potential Listerhill member.

With only $5, you can join Listerhill today and start taking advantage of a lifetime membership.

Apple Pay Stock

Apple Wallet, Samsung Wallet & Google Wallet: Why They're Safer Than The Card

Left your wallet at home? No worries; you can still pay for those purchases! Just use your phone, right? We've all heard about Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay, but is paying from your phone truly safe?

Editorial Note: Articles published are intended to provide general information and educational content related to personal finance, banking, and credit union services. While we strive to ensure the accuracy and reliability of the information presented, it should not be considered as financial advice and may be revised as needed.

Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay and other mobile wallets are revolutionizing the checkout experience by blending two developments in payment infrastructure to save you time: near-field communication (NFC) and token encryption.

Approximately one-third of all payment terminals nationwide have been updated to accept Apple Pay. However, it only works on phones equipped with the necessary NFC equipment. If you already have an iPhone 6 or a newer iPhone, though, all you need is the preinstalled Passport app. There are simple, on-screen instructions for adding a debit or credit card. You can even add your Listerhill Credit Union debit or credit card!

Samsung Pay is structured similarly, but only works on select Samsung Android devices. However, Samsung has incorporated magnetic secure transmission (MST) technology as well. Hold a phone against a payment terminal and it will emit a signal that simulates the magnetic strip on a debit or credit card.

In terms of convenience, this means you can use Samsung Pay on almost any payment terminal in the country. The only situation where Samsung Pay won’t work is when you need to insert your card into a slot, such as at a gas station. Otherwise, though, you’re free to use this payment method even if the merchant hasn’t updated their equipment.

Both payment methods use a process called “tokenization” for maximum security. In the simplest terms, tokenization is the use of a non-secure piece of data to stand in for a secure one. It’s like arcade tokens. The secure data is the quarter, which you exchange at a machine for a token. That token then tells the arcade machines you have a quarter (or credit) to play. The game machine never sees the actual quarter, but accepts the token that stands in its place.

Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay work the same way. When you make a payment with one of these services, the app creates a token – a random series of numbers – that corresponds to your account, along with a one-time security key. It transmits that data to the payment terminal, which sends that token to the “token vault,” a secure database that links these tokens to the actual accounts. If the security key is correct, the token vault will transmit a charge directly to the linked cards and return a verification of funds to the payment terminal. Since the token vault is hosted at the payment processor, the point-of-sale terminal never sees your card information.

This is different from a swiped or keyed transaction. Ordinarily, the terminal reads your credit or debit card information directly and transmits it to the payment processor, which then sends it to your financial institution. This means your card’s information is stored in three different places, any of which could be the site of a data breach.

With tokenization, your information is seen only by the payment processor and your financial institution. That’s fewer points of failure along the information chain and there is less vulnerability for your sensitive data.

This also means that Apple, Samsung, or Google have no idea what purchases you’re making. For fans of internet privacy, this is heartening news.

There are other layers of security involved in these services. To use Apple Pay, you’ll need to use TouchID, FaceID or input your PIN. For Samsung Pay, you’ll have to authenticate your fingerprint, input a PIN or confirm an iris scan. If your phone gets swiped, a thief will have a hard time using it to go on a shopping spree. In contrast, if a criminal grabs your actual wallet, they can do enormous amounts of damage to your finances and credit score before you even realize it’s gone.

Whether you’re a die-hard Apple fan or a staunch Samsung supporter, mobile wallets are an efficient, secure way to pay. Open the app, link your Listerhill card, and start leaving your wallet at home!


SOURCES:

http://www.theverge.com/2016/12/6/13864376/35-percent-apple-pay-us-merchants

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokenization_(data_security)

http://appleinsider.com/articles/14/10/20/how-apple-designed-apple-pay-to-avoid-the-pitfalls-of-traditional-payment-systems

http://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2016/12/22/the-promise-and-challenges-of-biometrics/#21c6fc044202

https://www.idropnews.com/iphone-7-vs-google-pixel/iphone-7-vs-google-pixel-apple-pay-android-pay-comparison/28596/

https://www.sans.org/reading-room/whitepapers/casestudies/case-study-home-depot-data-breach-36367

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/apple-pay-vs-samsung-pay-vs-google-pay-which-mobile-payment-system-is-best/

default icon for Solution Finder Intro
What can we help you with? *
default icon for Checking For Mature Members
What are you borrowing for?
default icon for Checking For Mature Members
Vehicle Options
default icon for Checking For Mature Members
Home Options
default icon for Carrolls
What are you saving for?
default icon for Carrolls
How old are your kids?
default icon for Cord
Which of these banking options are you interested in?
default icon for Cord
How old are you (or your child)?
default icon for Cord
How old are you?
default icon for Cord
What kind of account are you looking for?
search popup background

What are you looking for?

Common Links

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What happens when federally insured credit unions merge?

    If a member has accounts in credit union A and credit union B, and credit union A merges into credit union B, accounts of credit union A continue to be insured separately from the share deposits of credit union B for six months after the date of the merger or, in the case of a share certificate, the earliest maturity date after the six-month period. In the case of a share certificate that matures within the six-month grace period that is renewed at the same dollar amount, either with or without accrued dividends having been added to the principal amount, and for the same term as the original share certificate, the separate insurance applies to the renewed share certificate until the first maturity date after the six-month period. A share certificate that matures within the six-month grace period that is renewed on any other basis, or that is not renewed, is separately insured only until the end of the six-month grace period.

  • What happens if a federally insured credit union is liquidated?

    The NCUA would either transfer the insured member's account to another federally insured credit union or give the federally insured member a check equal to their insured account balance. This includes the principal and posted dividends through the date of the credit union's liquidation, up to the insurance limit.

  • If a credit union is liquidated, what is the timeframe for payout of the funds that are insured if the credit union cannot be acquired by another credit union?

    Federal law requires the NCUA to make payments of insured accounts "as soon as possible" upon the failure of a federally insured credit union. While every credit union failure is unique, there are standard policies and procedures that the NCUA follows in making share insurance payments. Historically, insured funds are available to members within just a few days after the closure of an insured credit union.

  • What happens to members with uninsured shares?

    Members who have uninsured shares may recover a portion of their uninsured shares, but there is no guarantee that they will recover any more than the insured amount. The amount of uninsured shares they may receive, if any, is based on the recovery of the failed credit union's assets. Depending on the quality and value of these assets, it may take several years to conclude recovery on all the assets. As recoveries are made, uninsured account holders may receive periodic payments on their uninsured shares claim.

  • What happens to my direct deposits if a federally insured credit union is liquidated?

    If a liquidated credit union is acquired by another federally insured credit union, all direct deposits, including Social Security checks or paychecks delivered electronically, will be automatically deposited into your account at the assuming credit union. If the NCUA cannot find an acquirer for the liquidated credit union, the NCUA will advise members to make new arrangements.