The much-awaited Apple Pay has finally arrived in India, bringing contactless payments to iPhone and iPad users across the country. However, the initial rollout is quite limited, with support currently restricted to eligible Axis Bank credit cards on the Visa and Mastercard networks.
Apple Pay Comes to India with Axis Bank Credit Cards
Apple Pay is initially available with Axis Bank credit cards issued on the Visa and Mastercard networks, giving users a way to make contactless payments using their iPhone or Apple Watch. Apple is also working on bringing Apple Pay to Mac for online payments.
This means the rollout is considerably smaller than some earlier reports suggested. Major issuers such as HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and SBI Card do not have Apple Pay support at launch, although Apple says it is looking to add more card issuers in the future.
For those unaware, Apple Pay lets users add a supported payment card to the Apple Wallet app and use their device to make contactless payments at compatible point-of-sale terminals.
In stores, users can double-click the iPhone's side button, authenticate using Face ID, Touch ID or their device passcode, and then hold the top of the iPhone near a contactless payment terminal. The Apple Watch offers a similar tap-to-pay experience.
Apple Pay also works for online payments at supported websites, allowing users to pay without repeatedly entering their card details. The company says Apple Pay will be accepted by merchants across India, including Apple Store locations, Blinkit, Chaayos, Croma, Ixigo, Reliance brands, Tata 1mg, Zomato and several others.
Apple has worked with payment companies including Cashfree, JusPay, Mswipe, Paytm, PayU, Pine Labs, Razorpay and Worldline to enable the service across merchant networks.
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Why Is Apple Pay Launching in India Now?
Apple Pay has taken nearly a decade to reach India and Apple says several pieces needed to fall into place before the service could launch.
Jennifer Bailey, Apple's vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, pointed to India's evolving regulatory framework, payments infrastructure and local partnerships as key factors.
"A particularly important development was the RBI’s move to support biometric authentication for card payments, which enables customers to authenticate Apple Pay transactions using Face ID or Touch ID. At the same time, we now have a tremendous partner in Axis Bank, alongside Visa and Mastercard, to bring Apple Pay to customers in India. So it’s really about the pieces coming together," she stated.
Under the current setup, when a card is added to Apple Pay, the bank authenticates the user and creates a unique Device Account Number for that card. The device does not store the actual card number or share it with merchants. Instead, Apple Pay uses the device-specific token along with a transaction-specific security code to process payments.
Apple also says it does not retain transaction information that can be tied back to the user. Transactions remain between the customer, merchant and their bank or card issuer.
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Apple Pay Does Not Support UPI or RuPay
The biggest limitation for Indian users is that Apple Pay currently does not support UPI or RuPay cards. The initial rollout is focused entirely on credit cards issued by Axis Bank on the Visa and Mastercard networks.
This matters because UPI is deeply embedded in India's everyday payment habits. RBI data cited by Hindustan Times shows that India recorded 24.509 billion UPI transactions worth Rs 29.82 lakh crore in August 2026, compared with 632.45 million credit card transactions worth Rs 2.02 lakh crore.
Apple has not announced when exactly UPI support will arrive for Apple Pay in India, at the time of writing. For now, users will therefore need a supported Axis Bank Visa or Mastercard credit card to take advantage of Apple's tap-to-pay service.
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How to Set up Apple Pay in India
Axis Bank credit card users can add their eligible cards to Apple Pay either through the Axis Bank app or directly through the Apple Wallet app. Once the card is added and verified by the bank, users can authenticate payments using Face ID, Touch ID or their device passcode.
To add a card through Apple Wallet, open the Wallet app, tap the + button, select the option to add a debit or credit card and follow the on-screen instructions to verify the card with Axis Bank.
Once set up, users can double-click the side button on their iPhone, authenticate the payment and hold the top of the iPhone near a contactless reader. On Apple Watch, users can double-click the side button and hold the display near the payment terminal.
Apple Pay is now available in more than 90 countries and regions, with over 11,000 bank and network partners globally. India becomes the latest addition to that list, although Apple is starting with a much smaller partner base and plans to expand support to more issuers and merchants over time.
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