Apple Pay Finally Arrives in India: Apple Pay has officially launched in India, bringing Apple’s contactless payment service to one of the world’s largest digital-payment markets. The initial rollout is limited to eligible Axis Bank Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
Axis Bank Is the First Partner: Axis Bank is the first Indian bank supporting Apple Pay, with eligible Visa and Mastercard credit cards available for the initial rollout. RuPay cards are not supported at launch.
iPhone, Apple Watch and iPad: Apple Pay can be used through compatible iPhones, Apple Watches and iPads for supported transactions, giving Apple users a new way to make contactless and online payments.
Add Your Eligible Card: Apple Wallet lets eligible users add their supported Axis Bank card, while the Axis Bank app also provides a route for adding cards to Apple Pay.
Tap and Pay: Contactless Payments allow users to pay at supported terminals without manually entering card details, with transactions authenticated using Face ID, Touch ID or the device passcode.
RuPay Is Not Supported Yet: RuPay Cards are currently outside the Apple Pay rollout, meaning users with only RuPay cards cannot add them to Apple Pay at launch. More participating banks and cards could be added later.
Millions of Merchants: Apple Pay Acceptance extends across supported merchants and payment terminals, with Apple saying the service can be used at millions of merchants in India, including selected apps and businesses.
What About HDFC and ICICI?: HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank have been in discussions with Apple, according to Reuters, but commercial agreements had not been finalized at launch. Their future participation could expand Apple Pay’s reach in India.
Apple Pay vs UPI: Apple Pay and UPI serve different payment functions, with Apple Pay initially focused on eligible card-based transactions rather than replacing India's UPI bank-transfer ecosystem. UPI remains deeply established across India's digital-payment market.