Apple is leaning into TikTok's massive influence in China by opening a Douyin storefront where fans can buy iPhone and more with Douyin Pay.
Douyin is China's version of TikTok — ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, owns both platforms. However, Douyin is exclusive to mainland China and Hong Kong and is subject to Chinese censorship and regulation.
Like TikTok, Douyin is wildly popular. The app sees more than 760 million monthly active users.
And, like TikTok, Douyin has its own built-in retail marketplace, allowing users to purchase items from various merchants. And, as of August 29, Apple has joined those merchant ranks.
Image Credit: IT Home
First spotted by IT Home, Apple has officially launched its Douyin storefront. Customers are able to purchase Apple products using Douyin Pay, giving customers 12 interest-free installments.
Prices for Apple products seem to be consistent with those on Tmall, China's largest business-to-consumer online platform.
Apple has even created an exclusive Douyin-inspired logo. It features a glass-like Apple logo with cyan and magenta highlights, stylized after Douyin/TikTok's logo.
Customers shopping through Douyin can get help from Apple specialists. There are also helpful how-to videos geared towards making the transition to Apple products easier.
In mid-August, it was reported that Apple had begun testing Douyin Pay support in the China App Store. If approved, Douyin Pay users would be able to use their linked Douyin Pay accounts to make app store purchases.
