Apple Reports Testing Douyin Pay Integration China App Store

Apple is testing the integration of Douyin Pay, a mobile payment service owned by ByteDance, for the App Store in mainland China. Douyin Pay, launched in January 2021, allows users to link bank accounts for transactions within the Douyin app, which has over 766 million monthly active users in China. This addition would make Douyin Pay the fourth major payment option on the Chinese App Store, joining Alipay, WeChat Pay, and state-run China UnionPay. The integration aims to align Apple’s payment system with the preferences of Chinese users and enhance ease of purchase within the local digital ecosystem. Industry analysts see this move as crucial for Apple to maintain competitiveness and user loyalty in a market dominated by local payment platforms and super-apps. The testing phase is ongoing, with the expectation that Douyin Pay will soon be officially supported for App Store transactions in China.