Samsung Smart TVs now lets you pay for apps, subscriptions directly

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Remember the days when TVs were used just for watching? Those days, are, of course, long gone and TVs have become almost like giant versions of our smartphones. But, somewhat like older TVs, not everything that you see on the screen can be yours. At least not immediately. But unlike the old days where you had to pick up the phone or go to a website, these days you won't even have to leave the screen or the touch. You can do everything directly on the TV. That is, if you have a Samsung Smart TV.

Samsung is calling it "T-Commerce", short for TV e-commerce, of course. The concept isn't alien, at least not for those who have been using Android TV devices. And, in a way, it's an idea that makes sense. Why should you have to detach from the TV just to pay for something you'll use on the TV anyway?

That's where Samsung's new Checkout on TV comes in. It is basically an "on-TV" payment solution that will let you buy apps, buy in-app purchases, and pay for video subscriptions right then and there. Checkout on TV is available in 64 countries and supports credit cards and, depending on the market, mobile payment and PayPal. It supports subscriptions such as HBO NOW, STARZ, Gamefly Streaming, and TV Plus, again, depending on the market (mostly US).

In Portugal, Samsung's T-Commerce takes on an admittedly more curious form. You can probably call this "Smart Home TV Shopping". Yes, you can order goods on your Samsung Smart TV in Portugal, with many of them revolving around food you can munch in front of the TV. Now that's the modern couch potato lifestyle.

SOURCE: Samsung