Apple is launching Apple Pay in Russia via a partnership with Mastercard and local bank Sberbank.
The contactless payment service will be available via select retailers to any Sberbank customers who also have credit or debit cards provided by Mastercard.
The retailers include supermarket chain Atak, as well as BP and Media Markt. Burger King is also on the list of companies that will join the service shortly.
Apple’s launch follows hot on the heels of Samsung’s mobile payment service Samsung Pay, which launched in Russia last week. The service is partnered with six local financial institutions: Alfa-Bank, MTS Bank, Raiffeisen Bank, Russian Standard Bank, VTB24, and Yandex Money.
