Samsung Pay app integrates student ID cards for verification services in 114 countries

By Lee Yeon-woo

Samsung Pay users can now use their International Student ID Card (ISIC) within the Samsung Pay application, the top mobile payment player announced on Thursday.

A promotional image shows an International Student ID Card displayed within the Samsung Pay application. Courtesy of Samsung Pay

Starting from Thursday, ISIC holders can enroll their cards in the application and use the services offered by ISIC. With this collaboration, users can now verify their identity and enjoy benefits such as discounts without needing to carry physical cards.

Just like the original ISIC, Samsung Pay's ISIC allows students to prove their official student status in 114 countries in the Americas, Europe and Oceania. Student discounts at partnered institutions, such as museums, accommodations, restaurants or trains, are applied in the same manner.

If users want to enroll their ISIC in the application, they must update the app to the latest version and put information into the “mobile identification card” sector. Identification numbers from ISIC are needed for enrollment.

“Samsung Pay is already offering identification services in mobile driving licenses, as well as student IDs from cooperating high schools and universities (in partnership with the Ministry of Education for digital innovation),” an official from Samsung Pay said. “We are planning to offer even greater convenience in the future by facilitating transactions, so that ISIC can be used like a debit card.”

The ISIC is a broadly adopted ID card system that has been issued to 100 million students around the world since its launch in 1953. As of 2022, 56,000 students in Korea alone have obtained the ID.