Apple Pay captures the greatest proportion of eligible users in the US with 33%, followed by Samsung Pay with 23%, research released by Auriemma Consulting Group (ACG) reveals. However, Samsung Pay users report higher satisfaction levels and fewer issues at the point of sale compared to Apple Pay users, with near equal proportions recommending both mobile payment services.

ACG’s latest Mobile Pay Tracker — based on 2,004 US consumers, of which 1,000 had Apple Pay eligible devices and around 327 had Samung Pay eligible devices — reveals that the level of satisfaction among Samsung Pay users stands at 92% compared to 84% for Apple Pay, while 49% of those using Samsung Pay would recommend the service, compared to 53% for Apple Pay.

Samsung Pay eligible consumers also report the highest proportion of discretionary spend going to the payment app (22%), while Apple Pay eligible consumers cite a lesser proportion (15%), behind both credit card and cash spend.

Samsung Pay users spend more using the service (US$82) compared to Apple Pay users ($75) in an average week, while only 19% of Samsung Pay users report difficulties at the point of sale compared to 31% for Apple Pay.

Additionally, those using Samsung Pay show greater enthusiasm for using the mobile payment service in-store, with 56% always asking store personnel about acceptance compared to 42% of Apple Pay users.

“Some of this may be due to its newness, with most Samsung users reporting three months of experience compared to a year for Apple Pay,” says Marianne Berry, managing director of ACG’s Payment Insights practice. “Even so, Samsung Pay outscores Apple Pay on a number of metrics.

“Right now, the pool of eligible Samsung users is much smaller than Apple’s, but as more Samsung phones are upgraded, the application’s broader merchant acceptance has the potential to more quickly convert its smartphone owners to Pay users.”