Apple Pay Now Available for Mir Cardholders in Russia

[MacRumors]

Customers using cards with the Russian payment system "Mir" now have access to using their cards with Apple Pay, the Russian News Agency reports, citing a press release.

The Mir payment system is Russia's national payment system, with cards being accepted in 11 countries. The payment system has 270 banks as participants, with 150 banks issuing Mir cards. Apple Pay support came to Mir cardholders for customers of several banks, according to the agency.

Sberbank, VTB, Tinkoff Bank, Russian Agricultural Bank, Promsvyazbank, Pochta Bank, Center-Invest Bank, and Primsotsbank were the first banks to provide their Mir cards clients with Apple Pay, General Director of the payment system Vladimir Komlev said.

Apple Pay first launched in Russia in October of 2016 and has since expanded to more countries and supporting banks.

Article Link: Apple Pay Now Available for Mir Cardholders in Russia

 

[ibeginner]

Mir - stands for "World" in russian, also "mir" stands "peace"

 

[andreiru]

Good news.

 

[Dimka]

Apple pay is much more widely used in Russia than in the US. Virtually any place that excepts payments accepts it too, like shopping, gas stations, public transportation, museums, pizza delivery payment at your door etc. Mir cards often allow holders to get noticeable discounts for many kinds of payments.

 

[IIGS User]

Apple pay is much more widely used in Russia than in the US. Virtually any place that excepts payments accepts it too, like shopping, gas stations, public transportation, museums, pizza delivery payment at your door etc. Mir cards often allow holders to get noticeable discounts for many kinds of payments.

Only two places I've been in the US the past month that don't take Apple pay are Wal-Mart and the pay at the pump at one of the national warehouse club chains.

I use it for everything else, to the point where I'm more likely to leave the house with my watch than my wallet, or my phone.

Just about every POS system that has EMV capabilities has contactless payment capabilities at this point, which supports Apple, Google, and NFC payments with supported cards.

I can't remember last time I asked if a merchant took Apple pay, and they said no. I usually have to remind my wife as she's getting out her wallet "Hey, babe, they take Apple pay"..

She loves it too......

 

[alexandr]

I can't remember last time I asked if a merchant took Apple pay, and they said no.

i do — yesterday. and many many times before too. there are still many places that don't take apple pay. especially privately owned businesses, which is mind boggling to me — yet the fact remains. russia does have a much wider implementation of apple pay. well, moscow does.

 

[IIGS User]

i do — yesterday. and many many times before too. there are still many places that don't take apple pay. especially privately owned businesses, which is mind boggling to me — yet the fact remains. russia does have a much wider implementation of apple pay. well, moscow does.

Muscovites always seem to think they are the center of the country.

 

[alexandr]

Muscovites always seem to think they are the center of the country.

and in most ways they are correct in that

 

[coolman124]

Only two places I've been in the US the past month that don't take Apple pay are Wal-Mart and the pay at the pump at one of the national warehouse club chains.

I use it for everything else, to the point where I'm more likely to leave the house with my watch than my wallet, or my phone.

Just about every POS system that has EMV capabilities has contactless payment capabilities at this point, which supports Apple, Google, and NFC payments with supported cards.

I can't remember last time I asked if a merchant took Apple pay, and they said no. I usually have to remind my wife as she's getting out her wallet "Hey, babe, they take Apple pay"..

She loves it too......

apple takes a tiny cut extra on top of the credit card fees so its impossible to do for some places like costco where that %0.1 fees kills their margin

 

[unclemax]

and in most ways they are correct in that

...and the delusion perpetuates?

 

[tmiw]

Only two places I've been in the US the past month that don't take Apple pay are Wal-Mart and the pay at the pump at one of the national warehouse club chains.

I use it for everything else, to the point where I'm more likely to leave the house with my watch than my wallet, or my phone.

Just about every POS system that has EMV capabilities has contactless payment capabilities at this point, which supports Apple, Google, and NFC payments with supported cards.

I can't remember last time I asked if a merchant took Apple pay, and they said no. I usually have to remind my wife as she's getting out her wallet "Hey, babe, they take Apple pay"..

She loves it too......

I mean, it's better than it was even a couple of years ago, but acceptance in the US is still lower than elsewhere. I also have a suspicion that there will be entire merchant categories that never support it (at least via NFC, anyway).

apple takes a tiny cut extra on top of the credit card fees so its impossible to do for some places like costco where that %0.1 fees kills their margin

Except Costco does accept Apple Pay, though. And at the pump too!

 

[alexandr]

...and the delusion perpetuates?

yea, ok...

 

[cmcbhi]

APPL STOP THIS NOW!
Cut them off.

 

[obezcinnet]

i do — yesterday. and many many times before too. there are still many places that don't take apple pay. especially privately owned businesses, which is mind boggling to me — yet the fact remains. russia does have a much wider implementation of apple pay. well, moscow does.

I believe this is specific to US. In Canada, if a merchant is accepting any form of tap payments (visa/mc/interac/amex) that means apple pay is also accepted. tap payments and apple pay are not 2 separate things in Canada. I don't even tell them it's apple pay, I say credit or mastercard when they ask form of payment. there are some businesses don't accept tap payments but that has nothing to do with apple pay.

 

[tmiw]

I believe this is specific to US. In Canada, if a merchant is accepting any form of tap payments (visa/mc/interac/amex) that means apple pay is also accepted. tap payments and apple pay are not 2 separate things in Canada. I don't even tell them it's apple pay, I say credit or mastercard when they ask form of payment. there are some businesses don't accept tap payments but that has nothing to do with apple pay.

It's the same way in the US. Apple Pay is what contactless tends to be called here given that the former was the first experience most Americans had with the latter, is all.

 

[obezcinnet]

It's the same way in the US. Apple Pay is what contactless tends to be called here given that the former was the first experience most Americans had with the latter, is all.

that's interesting! tap payments are pretty standard in Canada, I don't remember a time it didn't exist. so it was almost instant compatibility with every merchant as soon apple pay came out.

 

[alexandr]

I believe this is specific to US. In Canada, if a merchant is accepting any form of tap payments (visa/mc/interac/amex) that means apple pay is also accepted. tap payments and apple pay are not 2 separate things in Canada. I don't even tell them it's apple pay, I say credit or mastercard when they ask form of payment. there are some businesses don't accept tap payments but that has nothing to do with apple pay.

I don't believe I ever said that Apple Pay and tap payments aren't the same type of payment, what I was saying is that a lot of businesses(in the US) still don't accept (either of) them.

 

[tmiw]

I don't believe I ever said that Apple Pay and tap payments aren't the same type of payment, what I was saying is that a lot of businesses(in the US) still don't accept (either of) them.

Eh, while it's definitely not 100% accepted by US merchants (and might very well never be), acceptance has definitely gotten better over the last few years. And enough people are beginning to use it now too that Visa's comfortable announcing usage stats such that it may eventually convince some more holdouts.

 

[alexandr]

Eh, while it's definitely not 100% accepted by US merchants (and might very well never be), acceptance has definitely gotten better over the last few years. And enough people are beginning to use it now too that Visa's comfortable announcing usage stats such that it may eventually convince some more holdouts.

Yes, since contactless payments have been announced, acceptance of contactless payments has definitely gotten better Ikid Ikid. Still, sadly, way behind a lot of European cities.

 

[obezcinnet]

I don't believe I ever said that Apple Pay and tap payments aren't the same type of payment, what I was saying is that a lot of businesses(in the US) still don't accept (either of) them.

US businesses and banks have always been behind with tap payments. Even the chips/pins wasn't a thing for a long time.

businesses not accepting tap payments has nothing to do with apple pay and that's something you also didn't say and I Thought it was worth pointing out it's like saying a random kids lemonade stand on your street doesn't accept apple pay while the only thing they accept is the literal cash.

 

[alexandr]

US businesses and banks have always been behind with tap payments. Even the chips/pins wasn't a thing for a long time.

businesses not accepting tap payments has nothing to do with apple pay and that's something you also didn't say and I Thought it was worth pointing out it's like saying a random kids lemonade stand on your street doesn't accept apple pay while the only thing they accept is the literal cash.

Right, of course not. At this point it really comes down to the hardware that stores have. For instance, I recently had the pleasure of visiting a Walmart, and to my surprise found out that they do not accept tap payments. As a former owner of a small boutique in SoHo, for small businesses it's really an easier switch, than for a company like Walmart with gazillion locations.