“Now available in numerous major markets including the US, Canada, and much of Europe, Identity Check already supported fingerprint and facial recognition…”

With Samsung having only just officially unveiled its new Galaxy S8 and S8+ devices, Mastercard is highlighting how the devices’ iris scanning functionality can be used to make mobile purchases more convenient.

In a statement, the company highlighted the utility of the S8’s iris scanning via Mastercard Identity Check, the company’s biometric authentication system for mobile purchases. Now available in numerous major markets including the US, Canada, and much of Europe, Identity Check already supported fingerprint and facial recognition; Soon, users will have a third option thanks to Samsung’s newest devices.

It’s an opportunity for Samsung, too, with respect to its Samsung Pay mobile wallet platform. The company had initially planned to pioneer iris-based payment confirmation via Samsung Pay on its Note7 smartphone; but with that device long since shelved, it’s the S8’s turn to take up the mantle.

Samsung is already starting to place a strong emphasis on the security and convenience of the S8 devices’ biometric capabilities, so it seems fair to expect the company to push their compatibility with Samsung Pay; and that, in turn, could help to popularize iris authentication on Mastercard’s Identity Check and other apps, too.