Apple and Zinia, Santander's digital consumer financing platform, have teamed up to offer additional payment options to Apple's German clientele. Through this partnership, Apple consumers may now take advantage of various financing options for purchases made in both physical and online shops. These choices include splitting payments for up to 36 months and postponing payments for up to 30 days. To use these services, customers will need to enter their phone number and birthdate, after which, Santander promises a speedy confirmation procedure. Within a few months, the new payment functionality should be live, with intentions to spread throughout Germany and other European nations.
Launched in 2022 by Santander’s Digital Consumer Bank, a collaboration between Santander Consumer Finance and digital subsidiary, Openbank, Zinia represents an effort to merge traditional banking services with fintech innovations. Openbank and Santander Consumer Finance CEO, Ezequiel Szafir, highlighted this as the first instance of a major bank entering the fintech arena with a dedicated product and team. This partnership comes as Apple seeks to bolster its “buy now, pay later” (BNPL) offerings in Europe, complementing its Apple Pay Later service, which launched in the US in March 2023. The collaboration underscores Apple's commitment to enhancing financial flexibility for its European customer base.
