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Does Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Support MST Payments?

No, the Galaxy Watch 5 does not support MST (Magnetic Secure Transmission) payments. Samsung removed MST starting with the Galaxy Watch 4, so the Watch 5 supports NFC contactless payments only through Samsung Pay and Google Pay.


What Was MST?

MST was Samsung's proprietary payment technology that emulated a magnetic stripe card swipe.

  • How it worked: Generated a magnetic signal that old card readers detected as a card swipe
  • Advantage: Could pay at virtually any terminal, even without NFC support
  • Last Samsung watch with MST: Galaxy Watch 3 (2020)

Why Samsung Removed MST

Several factors led to MST's discontinuation.

  • NFC adoption: Over 95% of US terminals now support contactless payments
  • Global standardization: NFC is the worldwide payment standard
  • Space savings: Removing the MST coil allowed for a larger battery
  • Cost reduction: MST hardware added manufacturing expense
  • Low usage: Most users preferred NFC where available

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated contactless payment adoption, making MST increasingly unnecessary.


What You Get Instead

The Galaxy Watch 5 supports NFC payments through Samsung Pay and Google Pay.

Setting Up Payments:

  1. Open Samsung Pay on your watch
  2. Tap Add card and scan or enter card details
  3. Verify with your bank
  4. Set up a PIN for watch payments

Making Payments:

  1. Wake the watch screen
  2. Swipe up or press the Samsung Pay shortcut
  3. Enter your PIN
  4. Hold watch near the NFC terminal
  5. Watch vibrates when payment succeeds

Where NFC Works

NFC payments work at the vast majority of modern terminals.

Compatible:

  • Terminals with the contactless symbol (📱)
  • Any terminal accepting Apple Pay or Google Pay
  • Most retail stores, restaurants, and grocery stores
  • Vending machines and public transit with NFC
  • Gas stations (at counter; pump availability varies)

Not Compatible:

  • Old magnetic stripe-only readers
  • Very old POS systems without contactless
  • Some small businesses with outdated equipment

NFC vs MST Trade-offs

FeatureMST (Old Watches)NFC (Watch 5)
Old terminalsWorksDoesn't work
Modern terminalsWorksWorks
Global acceptanceLimitedUniversal
SecurityGoodExcellent
SpeedModerateFast

For 95%+ of users, NFC works everywhere they need to pay.


If You Need MST Compatibility

For rare situations where a terminal lacks NFC:

  • Carry one physical card as backup
  • Pay inside at gas stations (counters usually have NFC even when pumps don't)
  • Use your phone if it's an older Samsung with MST (Galaxy S20/S21 series)

MST is legacy technology being phased out. Visa plans to eliminate magnetic stripes entirely by 2027.


See Also: What's New in Galaxy Watch 5|Galaxy Watch 5 vs Galaxy Watch 4