Russia-based financial services organization Sberbank is making online payments easier for its clients with a new collaboration this week. The bank is integrating with Google Pay, making it the first bank in Russia to do so. The move is expected to bring Sberbank’s payment method to top-of-wallet in ecommerce shops that offer Google Pay.
When they’re ready to make a purchase at an online point of sale, Sberbank users simply need to log into Google Pay, select their previously saved payment method, and confirm the transaction. The service is available via native apps, as well as on mobile and web interfaces with major internet browsers.
Sberbank acquiring and bank card division director Svetlana Kirsanova noted that the feature will help users save time when shopping online by offering a more user friendly interface. “In the modern world, the speed and easiness of making purchases are the priority, and that’s why Sberbank is focused on introducing technology that helps to avoid performing additional actions and lets purchases be made in seconds,” Kirsanova added.
At FinovateSpring 2016 Sberbank launched Sberbank Messenger, which is built on top of the bank’s digital ecosystem and enables consumers to chat and seamlessly send money to one another. The service also allows businesses to interact with consumers using both human respondents and chatbots, and enables consumers to purchase goods and services without leaving the chat dialogue.
Established in 1841, the bank has 260,000 employees and serves more than 110 million clients, equivalent to 70% of Russia’s population, through 16,000+ branches.