contactless payment
Apple Pay first appeared on September 9, 2014 alongside the iPhone 6. In Russia the service launched two years later and remained active for about five and a half years. People enjoyed paying at physical stores with NFC and online meters so much that some moved to Android after the service ended in March 2022. Even with Google Pay disabled, many alternative contactless options stayed available within the ecosystem.
iPhone users started relying less on debit cards, adopting bank apps on their phones to pay with QR codes. Users can scan a code from a terminal or generate a code to be scanned by the seller. This method may take slightly longer than traditional NFC payments but offers greater convenience and security than carrying plastic cards. Banks and retailers often sweeten the deal with extra discounts and promotions encouraging this payment style whenever possible.
NFC stickers are now seen in Russia, designed to be affixed to a phone, case, or even a basic handset. In effect, these stickers act as a small debit card that supports contactless payments and is managed through a banking app. All in all, they stand as another practical alternative to Apple Pay.
Still, a full replacement for Apple Pay in Russia has not materialized. Apple restricts third party access to its NFC module, unlike Google with Android. Media reports indicate antitrust authorities in several countries are pressing Apple to allow contactless payments from third party services, but no decisive actions have been taken yet.
It is also important to note that if a smartphone camera is broken, contactless purchases can become impossible. In such cases paying with a sticker remains a convenient workaround.
Pay for purchases and subscriptions in the App Store
The Apple Pay restrictions affected users who bought subscriptions and popular paid apps, removing a familiar payment path. Yet it appears Apple did not completely block Russians from funding their accounts and continues to earn a 30 percent commission on each purchase through known channels.
Several options exist to buy apps and pay in the App Store, including the use of foreign debit cards. If those are unavailable, a mobile phone number can replace a digital wallet for payments, a method compatible with MTS and Beeline networks.
To set this up, navigate to Settings, open the Apple ID area, select Payment and Delivery, add a payment method, and choose Mobile Phone. Enter the number and the Apple ID will be linked to the profile, enabling purchases in the digital store as long as the mobile balance covers the amount.
Using a foreign card may require canceling current subscriptions and letting them lapse, which can disrupt long standing preferences such as playlists and music in Apple Music.
For those without MTS and Beeline SIMs or a foreign bank card, another route is to buy App Store gift cards. Russia offers various denominations through local sellers, and a typical card for 1,500 rubles might cost around 2,000 rubles on the market. When choosing gift cards, it is important to verify regional compatibility so cards issued for American or European accounts do not work in Russia. Look for product descriptions that clearly indicate compatibility with Russian accounts.