Yandex.Money becomes the first in Russia to offer money transfers via iMessage

October 6, 2016

Yandex.Money, Russia’s largest online payment service, has become the first company in Russia to introduce money transfers via iMessage. Apple gadget owners who have the Yandex.Money app will now be able to send money directly through the messenger. Yandex.Money will also allow users to crowdfund via group chats.

The opportunity to transfer funds via iMessage is brand new for Russians. The feature became possible when Apple unveiled iOS 10, the next-generation operating system for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch, on September 13, 2016. The new iOS 10 introduces a wide range of enhancements for developers who want to extend the system in various exciting ways.

In order to send money to someone, a user opens iMessage, chooses a person from their contacts, selects the Yandex.Money app, and specifies the amount to be transferred. The sender receives a message to confirm the money transfer. The sender then enters their Yandex.Money app password to complete the transfer.

Apple users can also create a group chat to raise funds for a joint purpose without leaving the messenger. All they have to do is select the «collect money» function. All group participants get a special notification and are able to easily transfer the money directly from the chat window. All group participants can track how much money has already been raised. The feature is perfect for friends pooling money toward a joint present or a dinner out.

The money transfer feature is available for both smartphones and tablets that have been upgraded to iOS 10. According to Yandex.Money statistics, 35% of Yandex.Money app users are Apple gadget owners. If the person who is supposed to receive the money does not have Yandex.Money app, they will be redirected to the AppStore to download the app upon receiving the message.

Online money transfers have proved to be very popular in Russia. According to a recent study by Yandex.Money, the number of online money transfers has significantly increased in the last year, growing by 74%, while the number of people who send money online rose by 37%.

About Yandex.Money

Yandex.Money is the largest electronic payments service in Russia, according to a 2016 survey by TNS. The service is the joint venture of the search engine Yandex and Sberbank. Yandex.Money offers consumers easy, safe, and reliable methods of paying online on its own site and mobile app. The service hosts about 28 million user accounts with about 15,000 new accounts opened daily. Yandex.Money also offers online merchants Yandex.Checkout. The service allows merchants to accept all the online payment methods most popular among Russians: credit cards, e-wallets, mobile billing through the top Russian providers, and cash via over 250,000 cash-acceptance points all over the country and CIS. Currently, more than 76,000 online stores across the globe use Yandex.Checkout.