Cash-on-delivery (COD) was the default in Romanian e-commerce for a long time, but the shift to card payments and digital wallets has become pronounced over the past few years, and the market itself continues to grow rapidly. In this transition, Apple Pay lets iPhone users complete a payment with just Face ID or Touch ID authentication, with no card details to enter, lowering the entry barrier for consumers unaccustomed to prepaying online.

iPhone share in Romania is lower than Android's, but it's concentrated among affluent younger consumers in major cities such as Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca. For high-ticket categories like fashion, electronics, or digital services, where checkout drop-off directly affects revenue, a near-one-click Apple Pay experience becomes a strong argument for driving prepayment conversion.

Tapping the Apple Pay button on the online checkout screen displays the card registered on the device, and once the consumer approves with Face ID or Touch ID, the approval proceeds using a tokenized number rather than the actual card number. This biometric authentication satisfies PSD2's Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) requirement on its own, reducing the need for a separate additional 3DS authentication step. Hecto Financial receives the approved payment in RON, converts it, and settles it in the contracted currency.

A Korea-based merchant can consider adding an Apple Pay button to their checkout within the scope of Hecto Financial's integration, without a separate contract with Apple. That said, actual availability along with the settlement cycle, fees, and currency options vary by industry and transaction volume, so a prior consultation is required.

• Business registration country

  Confirm contract eligibility for Korea-based businesses

• Sales channels

  The integration method and priority vary depending on your online sales channel mix — owned storefront, open marketplace, mobile app, etc.

• Product categories

  Check in advance whether your products fall under a restricted category per Apple Pay's operator merchant policy

• EU regulatory compliance

  Confirm compliance with EU payment regulations such as PSD2 and SEPA (see official sources below)

Settlement starts from the RON the consumer paid. Hecto Financial receives and converts it, then pays out the Korea-based merchant in whichever currency — USD, KRW, or JPY — was designated at contracting, with the cycle following the contract terms. Refunds follow the general card-payment rule of a cancellation to the original card, and since a 14-day withdrawal right may apply to distance sales to EU consumers, it's safer to align your return policy with that requirement.

• National Bank of Romania (Banca Națională a României, BNR)Official information on Romania's payment system and related regulations. If this page's content differs from the actual regulations, the official source takes precedence.