In the cold war between Apple and PayPal, a possible thaw may have started on Friday. The iPhone company now permits PayPal as a payment option on its website for U.S. and U.K. shoppers, Recode reports.
That new level of cooperation is notable mostly because of the way Apple snubbed PayPal earlier this year when it failed to recommend its payment-processing services to developers working with Apple Pay. That’s the phone payment scheme Apple launched alongside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
See also: Apple Is Less Than Inviting To PayPal In Apple Pay
Neither company commented openly on that breach, although one popular theory had Apple casting PayPal out of its plans due to the latter’s payments partnership with Samsung and its Galaxy fingerprint reader.
Seemingly An Odd About-Face For Apple
On the surface, PayPal showing up on Apple.com looks like an about-face for the tech giant. Apple is known to hold grudges against partners who have disappointed it—sometimes excommunicating them or even launching holy wars against them. For its part, PayPal expressed its frustration publicly in a full-page newspaper ad and went on to another partner.
Now the two companies appear to have patched things up: The iPhone maker has not only granted PayPal access to its online store, it is also promoting PayPal’s credit payments, which lets shoppers pay for goods in installments with no interest.
The Cold War May Still Be Pretty Chilly
It’s worth noting, however, that this isn’t PayPal’s first foray into Apple’s e-commerce business. PayPal has been a mainstay in Apple’s App Store and iTunes for years, and its arrival now on the company’s website is not the same as entering the Apple Pay system.
Ultimately, the arrangement looks more like a marriage of convenience, designed to give shoppers a more consistent experience across Apple’s digital and physical retail offerings.
Even so, it’s still a win for PayPal. As Recode pointed out, Internet Retailer deemed Apple the second largest online retailer in the U.S., which should bring plenty of juice to PayPal. Ironically enough, that could wind up making it a partner someday that Apple Pay simply can no longer refuse.
Lead image courtesy of PayPal
