Apple Pay has finally gone live in the country, however there are a few limitations as of now. The rollout brings contactless payments directly to iPhone and iPad users. At launch, eligibility is restricted to Axis Bank credit cardholders using the Visa and Mastercard networks.
Apple Pay Lands in India with Axis Bank Partnership
Apple has chosen Axis Bank as its launch partner, enabling support for Axis Bank credit cards across both Visa and Mastercard networks. This lets iPhone and Apple Watch owners tap to pay at physical checkout terminals, support for Mac web payments is in the works.
The initial footprint is noticeably smaller than early industry speculation had hinted. Major Indian card issuers—including HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and SBI Card—are absent from day one. However, Apple has confirmed it plans to bring additional card issuers on board in the future.
How In-Store and Online Payments Work
For anyone unfamiliar with the setup, Apple Pay enables users to link a supported card inside the native Apple Wallet app to complete contactless transactions at payment terminals.
- In-Store Purchases: Users double-click the side button on their iPhone, authenticate via Face ID, Touch ID, or their passcode, and hold the top of the handset near a contactless terminal. Apple Watch owners can double-click the side button and tap their wrist near the terminal for a matching experience.
- Online Purchases: Apple Pay streamlines web shopping at supported sites by removing the need to manually re-type card details during checkout.
Supported Merchants and Payment Processors
Apple Pay currently works across a wide selection of Indian brands and retailers at launch, including:
- Apple Store locations
- Blinkit
- Chaayos
- Croma
- Ixigo
- Reliance brands
- Tata 1mg
- Zomato
To ensure wide merchant acceptance, Apple partnered with payment platforms such as Cashfree, JusPay, Mswipe, Paytm, PayU, Pine Labs, Razorpay and Worldline. This should allow them to scale quiet fast.
No UPI or RuPay Support yet
The most significant restriction for Indian consumers is that Apple Pay does not support UPI or RuPay cards yet. The service remains exclusive to Axis Bank credit cards on Visa and Mastercard networks.
This omission is notable given UPI’s dominance over domestic spending habits. RBI statistics cited by Hindustan Times show that India logged 24.509 billion UPI transactions totaling ₹29.82 lakh crore in August 2026 alone, vastly outstripping the 632.45 million credit card transactions worth ₹2.02 lakh crore over the same period. Apple has yet to reveal a timeline for potential UPI integration, meaning users currently require an eligible Axis Bank Visa or Mastercard credit card to use the service.
How to Set Up Apple Pay in India
Eligible Axis Bank credit cardholders can set up the service through either the Axis Bank mobile app or directly via Apple Wallet.
- Via Apple Wallet: Open the Wallet app, tap the + button, select the option for a credit or debit card, and follow the prompts to complete verification with Axis Bank.
- Making a Payment: Double-click the side button on an iPhone, authenticate with Face ID/Touch ID/passcode, and hold the top of the phone near the terminal. On Apple Watch, double-click the side button and hold the display against the reader.
India joins over 90 countries and regions where Apple Pay is active, backed by a global network of more than 11,000 bank and card partners. While starting with a limited partner footprint in India, Apple plans to roll out support for more issuers and merchants over time.
