"Request to Pay": Apple Store allows new payment option – with a hitch

Apple has introduced a new payment option in its German online store that allows customers to pay directly from their bank account. The procedure called “Request to Pay” (R2P) is implemented with the service provider Deutsche Bank and comes with some disadvantages for customers, while Apple itself sees its money faster. It is particularly worthwhile if you do not have a credit or debit card or prefer to check your spending directly rather than wait for a credit card statement.

Additional option: Direct to account

To use R2P, place your orders in the shopping cart as usual. After entering the address, the payment page appears. Here, you can now select “Bank transfer”. You then enter your IBAN account details. Not every bank currently supports this procedure. Some direct banks will tell you that the order will only be processed with a delay because the transfer takes one to three days. This is not the case with the Volksbanken, for example: if such an IBAN is entered, you immediately land on a form where you have to enter your access data (here: the VR-Netkey). This then works according to a standardized procedure that has been in place in the SEPA area since 2021: You transfer money to Apple directly from your own online banking.

As mentioned, the service provider is Deutsche Bank. This bank then also receives the personal data for the “provision of these services” – and its data protection conditions apply accordingly. Payment information such as the invoice number is automatically transmitted to the online banking system so that Apple can assign the data. According to a report by Finanzszene, Deutsche Bank has now implemented the procedure for a three-digit number of retailers.

Money gone for now, hope for a quick transfer back

However, the potential disadvantages of R2P are obvious: customers pay – the costs immediately, similar to pure debit cards – the amount is deducted from the account and is gone for now. In the event of returns and/or other problems, you have to hope that the chargeback will be made quickly. If you pay by credit card, you have up to one month to transfer the money, depending on the payment period – so with a bit of luck, the amount for a return will arrive before you have to pay the bill.

Consumer protection offers are also rather critical of R2P. For example, Finanztip writes that it is always safe to make transfers only when the goods have already been received. “Or you can use payment methods such as credit cards and the like, where there is further protection – for example chargeback or buyer protection.”

(bsc)