Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay abroad: adding a Thai card, tap to pay and a backup plan

Can a credit card be used with Apple Pay abroad

Apple Pay uses contactless technology on iPhone or Apple Watch. Once you add a supported card, you can tap at readers abroad where the shop has a contactless terminal on the same card network. Thai banks differ in support, so check your own bank's site or app.

• Check on your bank's official page whether your bank and card type support Apple Pay.
• Add the card at home, with internet and OTP access, not at the destination.
• Set up your passcode, Face ID or Touch ID, as they authorise payments.

Can a credit card be used with Google Pay abroad

Google Pay on Android follows a similar principle: add the card, then tap at a contactless reader. Cautions: your phone needs NFC and must meet Google's security requirements, for example not being modified or unlocked at system level, and Thai support varies by bank and card.

• Check that the phone has NFC and that it is switched on, in the device settings.
• If the phone fails the security check, adding a card may not work; consult Google's and the manufacturer's official information.
• A card tokenised in a bank's own app is different from one added to Google Pay. Be clear which you are using.

Samsung Pay abroad: how it works

Samsung Pay works only on Samsung devices, and the service and supported banks vary by region and model. Some older models supported a technology that worked with magnetic-stripe readers, which you should not assume on every model. Check Samsung's official information for your model and country.

• If you use Samsung Pay in Thailand, check whether it still works at your destination, as the service and payment methods differ.
• Standard contactless readers usually work, but that does not mean every shop accepts it.
• If unsure, keep a physical card or another phone wallet as backup.

Adding a Thai credit card to a phone wallet: the general steps

1. 1Check that your bank and card are supportedLook on the bank's official site or app, because the supported banks and card types can change.
2. 2Update the system and wallet appUse a supported OS and wallet app version, from official sources.
3. 3Add the card and verify with your bankEnter or scan the card per the wallet's steps. Your bank may send an OTP or ask for confirmation in its own app. Do it while you have signal and the number that receives OTPs.
4. 4Set a default card and test itTry a small payment in Thailand before you go to confirm the alert appears and the terminal works.
5. 5Review lock and location settingsTurn on the screen lock and the device-finding service, and know how to remove or suspend cards remotely if the phone is lost. See the lost phone guide.

Tap to pay abroad: shops, transit and how to check at the till

Tap-to-pay abroad works where a shop has a contactless reader and accepts your card's network. Habits vary by country: in some places nearly every shop accepts taps, while others still favour cash or local QR codes. See the card-in-country guides and the QR payment guide.

If a shop does not take contactless, ask whether it accepts insert or swipe, and whether there is another way to pay. Do not guess from the sign on the door alone.

Fees, exchange rates and DCC when paying by phone

Paying with Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay is just a way of presenting the card. It does not by itself change fees or exchange rates, which normally follow the terms of the card you added. Whether conversion happens at the terminal (DCC) or by your bank is a separate question: read the terminal screen and your issuer's terms. We state no figures.

• Check whether the terminal offers baht or local currency and compare with your card terms. See the DCC guide.
• After paying, check the transaction in the bank app matches what you actually spent.
• Some items may show as pending first. See the double-charge and pending guide.

Backup plan: dead battery, lost phone or a shop that does not accept it

Relying on one phone for maps, tickets and payments creates a single point of failure. A good backup is simple: a physical card kept apart from the phone, some cash, and a power bank, within airline and airport rules.

• Carry at least one physical card kept apart from the phone, in case it is lost, dead or stolen.
• Bring a power bank within airline rules. See the power bank on planes guide.
• If the phone is lost, suspend linked cards via the device-finding service or by telling your bank. See the lost phone guide.
• Keep a little cash for shops that do not take contactless.

Phone wallets need internet for OTPs and bank apps. See eSIM options for your destination.

Frequently asked questions on phone wallets abroad