Apple Pay is now available in India, allowing customers with eligible Axis Bank cards to add them to the Wallet app on an iPhone or Apple Watch. Users can then use those devices for supported contactless and online payments.

The launch gives Apple customers in India access to the company's digital wallet after years of speculation about a local rollout. However, the initial availability is limited by card compatibility, merchant support and the country’s existing payment infrastructure.

Which Indian cards work with Apple Pay?

Apple Pay currently requires an Axis Bank credit card that operates on either the Visa or Mastercard network. Customers with cards from other major providers, including HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and SBI Card, do not yet have support according to the available information.

India’s domestic RuPay network is also not compatible with Apple Pay. That means customers who primarily use RuPay cards cannot add those cards to Apple’s Wallet service at this time.

Apple Pay may not work at every terminal

Adding a supported card to Wallet does not guarantee that Apple Pay will work at every contactless payment location. Merchants and payment terminals must also enable support for the service before an Apple Pay transaction can be completed.

As a result, availability may vary between stores and payment terminals, even when a customer has an eligible Axis Bank card. Online payment support is also available where merchants offer Apple Pay as a checkout option.

Why UPI remains important in India

Apple Pay enters a market where the Unified Payments Interface, or UPI, is already the dominant digital payment system. UPI enables instant transfers between bank accounts and is backed by the Indian state.

According to Reuters, UPI accounts for approximately 84 percent of India’s digital transaction volume. The system does not work with Apple Pay, so the service’s launch does not provide access to UPI payments through an iPhone or Apple Watch.

That distinction makes the rollout different from Apple Pay’s expansion in markets where the service can connect to widely used domestic payment networks. For now, Indian users are limited to supported payment cards and participating merchants.

What users need to know

  • Apple Pay works with eligible Axis Bank Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
  • Supported cards can be added to Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch.
  • RuPay cards and UPI payments are not supported.
  • Merchant and terminal support is required for contactless payments.