That said, all three payment apps have the benefit of not giving over your card information to the merchant when you pay which is a nice vote of confidence to security. Once the phone is unlocked though, it much like Apple Pay, has no transaction limit. That being said, using Google Pay without unlocking your phone does come with a transaction limit of RM250 (similar to Samsung Pay), but that’s not an insignificant sum for most. The unlocking requirement also varies depending on country, but it looks like Malaysia isn’t a country that supports this feature. Now, Google does recommend that you “set up your phone so that it must be unlocked to complete a NFC transaction” for added security, but we’ve been unable to find the setting to do so. Anyone can just tap away with your phone. Since Google Pay automatically detects the contactless payment terminal, there’s no added layer of authentication. Which means regardless of if your phone is locked or unlocked, you will still have to authenticate (via PIN or biometrics) before being able to make a transaction. You see, both Apple and Samsung require an additional layer of authentication before being able to authorise a payment. But, that ease of use comes at a potential risk to security.

Samsung pay v apple pay