Apple has officially launched Apple Pay in India, bringing its contactless and tokenised payment service to iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch users for the first time. The September 30 rollout starts with eligible Axis Bank Visa and Mastercard credit cards, while UPI, RuPay and cards from other banks remain outside the initial launch.
Apple Pay is finally live in India
Apple Pay is now available in India after more than a decade since the service first launched in the US. Apple has partnered with Axis Bank as its first Indian banking partner, allowing eligible customers to add their credit cards to Apple Wallet and make payments in stores, apps and on the web.
At launch, the supported cards are Axis Bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit cards. Axis Bank said customers can add eligible cards either through the Axis Bank mobile banking app or directly through Apple Wallet.
Apple Pay works across iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch at launch, while Mac support is coming soon.
Which cards work with Apple Pay in India?
The initial support is deliberately limited:
- Axis Bank Visa credit cards: Supported
- Axis Bank Mastercard credit cards: Supported
- Axis Bank RuPay credit cards: Not supported
- Axis Bank debit cards: Not supported at launch
- HDFC Bank cards: Not supported at launch
- ICICI Bank cards: Not supported at launch
- SBI Card: Not supported at launch
- UPI: Not supported
Apple has said it intends to expand Apple Pay to more banks as additional issuer partnerships become ready. Reuters reported that Apple has held discussions with HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, but agreements had not been finalised at launch.
This makes the first Indian rollout much narrower than Apple Pay’s availability in established markets.
How to add an Axis Bank card to Apple Pay
Eligible Axis Bank customers can add their cards through either the Axis Bank mobile banking app or Apple Wallet.
From Apple Wallet, users can open the app, tap the add-card option and follow the verification process. Card verification can involve the Axis Bank app.
Once the card is successfully added, Apple Pay generates a tokenised payment credential rather than exposing the actual card number during transactions.
Compatible devices include iPhone XR and later models running iOS 18 or newer. Apple Watch support starts with Series 6 and later models running watchOS 11 or newer.
How Apple Pay payments work
For an in-store purchase, users can authenticate on their Apple device and hold the iPhone or Apple Watch near a compatible contactless payment terminal.
On iPhone, authentication can use Face ID, Touch ID or the device passcode. Apple says users can make payments without repeatedly entering a card PIN or OTP at checkout.
Apple Pay also works inside supported apps and websites. This means users can select Apple Pay during checkout rather than repeatedly entering card, billing and shipping details.
The service is therefore broader than simply replacing a physical card for NFC payments.
What happens to the card number?
Apple Pay uses tokenisation to avoid sharing the physical card number with merchants.
Instead, a unique Device Account Number is assigned to the card and encrypted before being stored in the device’s Secure Element. Apple says actual card numbers are not stored on its servers or on the device and are not shared with merchants. Transactions also use a unique dynamic security code.
This architecture is particularly important for India’s card-tokenisation environment because the merchant does not receive the underlying card credentials during an Apple Pay transaction.
PayU and other payment partners bring Apple Pay to merchants
Apple has worked with Indian payment infrastructure companies to expand merchant acceptance at launch.
PayU has added Apple Pay to its merchant network, supporting in-store, in-app and online transactions. The company is handling integration and compliance work for participating merchants.
Apple’s broader launch network also includes Cashfree, JusPay, Mswipe, Paytm, Pine Labs, Razorpay and Worldline. This allows Apple Pay to use existing payment infrastructure instead of requiring every merchant to build a separate integration.
Apple says Apple Pay will be available at thousands of merchants across India, including retailers and services such as Apple Store locations, Blinkit, Croma, Reliance brands, Tata 1mg and Zomato.
Why Apple Pay does not replace UPI
The biggest limitation of Apple Pay in India is also the most important distinction: it does not support UPI.
Apple Pay is fundamentally a card-based payment system. UPI, by contrast, transfers money directly between bank accounts and is deeply integrated into India’s QR-code payment ecosystem.
That means an iPhone user cannot currently add a UPI bank account to Apple Pay and use Apple Pay to scan a standard UPI QR code. Apple Pay therefore complements India’s existing card and contactless payment infrastructure rather than replacing UPI.
India’s payments market is heavily dominated by UPI, making the initial Apple Pay rollout a relatively targeted entry into the country’s growing card and contactless segment. Reuters reported that UPI accounts for about 84% of digital payments in India.
What about HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and SBI Card?
Apple has not announced launch support for HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank or SBI Card.
Apple’s Jennifer Bailey has indicated that the company wants to expand support to more banks as their technical readiness and card portfolios allow. Reuters separately reported that Apple was in discussions with HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, but no agreements had been finalised at launch.
There is therefore no confirmed date yet for when those issuers will become available.
For now, Apple Pay’s practical reach in India depends heavily on whether a user owns an eligible Axis Bank Visa or Mastercard credit card and whether the merchant’s payment infrastructure supports Apple Pay.
Apple Pay’s India launch is significant, but deliberately narrow
Apple Pay’s arrival finally gives Indian iPhone and Apple Watch users a native Apple Wallet payment option for supported credit cards. It also gives Apple another way to integrate its hardware, software and payment ecosystem in a market where UPI already dominates everyday digital payments.
The immediate limitation is the small issuer base. Without UPI, RuPay or support for major banks such as HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and SBI Card, Apple Pay’s Indian launch is best viewed as the beginning of a broader rollout rather than a full replacement for the country’s existing mobile-payment ecosystem.
The next major milestones will be wider bank support, additional card networks and the eventual expansion of Apple Pay’s capabilities beyond its initial card-based model.
