Online stores and other merchants, which accept payments via Yandex.Checkout, Russia’s leading payment service provider, can now offer consumers fast and convenient contactless payment via Apple Pay. Yandex.Checkout clients can add a new payment method in apps and on websites. Online shopping has never been easier: paying via Apple Pay is as simple as the touch of a finger. With Touch ID there is no need to manually fill out lengthy payment forms or repeatedly type in billing information.
The new payment option is a perfect choice for those companies, who put an emphasis on easy and fast payment process. Merchants can seamlessly integrate secure payments into apps using SDK (software development kit) offering customers a convenient and secure way to check out, directly from their iOS device. Yandex.Checkout has been providing payments via Apple Pay in various Yandex apps – Yandex.Taxi, a handy app to order a cab; Kinopoisk, an online film database known as ‘the IMDb of Russia’, and Yandex.Fines, which is used for tracking and paying traffic fines. More than 2000 companies have already expressed interest in adding Apple Pay as a payment option.
‘Contactless payments are quickly gaining popularity among Russian users. Nowadays people can pay contactless everywhere — in brick-and-mortar stores, restaurants, public transport and even at petrol stations, — says Alexander Magomedov, Yandex.Money Chief Commercial Officer, — Contactless payments on websites and in apps can become an additional pretext for a spontaneous purchase. Everything is very simple: one touch of a finger on your smartphone — and you are all set.’
Russians are well aware of paying via Apple Pay. According to the latest data by Yandex.Money, 33% of contactless payments were made for a sum less than 100 RUB ($2), 45% — from 100 to 500 RUB ($2-$8), 22% — more than 500 RUB (more than $8). Average ticket for a contactless payment in Russia is 640 RUB ($11).
Apple Pay came to Russia in 2016. Users can pay via Apple Pay using iPhone 6 and later, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, and iPad mini 3 and later. Customers can pay with Apple Pay in Safari on any Mac introduced in or after 2012 running macOS Sierra, using their iPhone 6 or later or Apple Watch to confirm the payment. Yandex.Money brought Apple Pay to its clients in November 2016. Yandex.Money users can pay via Apple Pay by adding their plastic or virtual prepaid Yandex.Money cards to Apple Wallet. This can be done from either the Apple Wallet app or Yandex.Money mobile app for iOS. According to latest Yandex.Money stats, 67% of e-wallet users, who paid contactless, opted for a virtual Yandex.Money MasterCard.
