Belgium is the first European country where small traders can use their smartphone as a POS

Troublingly affordable for small shop owners and casual merchants, dedicated payment terminals are about to be replaced by an app that turns any smartphone into an ad-hoc POS.

As of 1 July 2022, Belgian authorities are obliging all merchants to provide at least one electronic payment method, regardless of whether they sell from the shop or from the roadside. Recognising the difficulty of accessing such a system, Samsung has teamed up with local providers Mobco and Viva Wallet to offer a solution that can convert any smartphone into a POS terminal.

Based on the Samsung Pay Touch payment service infrastructure, the Viva Wallet POS app works as a secure and virtually instant payment method, compatible with most bank cards and devices set up for contactless payments. The way of use is similar to POS terminals, only without the dedicated hardware and the hassle of a contract with the issuing bank, the only requirement being the presence of an internet connection.

Currently, the POS service can only be enabled on recent generation Samsung phones equipped with Tap to Pay functionality, including the Galaxy XCover 6 Pro, Galaxy S22 series and Galaxy Z Fold 4. Instead, payments can be made with any bank card or phone set up for contactless payments.