And for PayPal, 206 new apps.

PayPal unveiled its new applications platform on Tuesday, and the online payments company reports that more than 200 apps have already been created using PayPal APIs, such as Chained Payments, Send Money, Create Accounts, and Parallel Payments (see the full list of apps here). Not surprisingly, the Send Money API seems to be the most popular so far.

This rash of apps on the PayPal platform is significant in its own right, because it “locks up” many SaaS providers to the PayPal platform. And while the amount of payments in question can most likely be classified as inconsequential as compared to total payments, or even total payments online, the fact that PayPal is the de facto payments platform for so many novel online services demands notice.

Further, PayPal’s unveiling of PayPal Apps just two days ago reinforces the importance of apps in the online world. We’ve seen the power of apps in fomenting widespread adoption of the iPhone and iPad, for example, and the Android mobile operating system is also ramping up steeply as a result of app building. But these don’t compare to the role apps have had in making Facebook one of the most profound internet services on the planet.

Now PayPal has joined the fray. To my understanding, there is no other payments-related apps play out there — at least not yet. Will the apps dramatically change the amount of payments flow to PayPal’s direction? I doubt it, and certainly not in the short term. But tapping the apps culture will only benefit PayPal. That’s what can happen in two days.