Apple Pay has finally made its way to India, more than a decade after the service first launched in the US. The initial rollout is limited, with Axis Bank becoming Apple’s first banking partner in the country.
According to TechCrunch, eligible Axis Bank credit cards running on the Visa and Mastercard networks can now be added to Apple Wallet. RuPay cards are not supported at launch. The rollout has already started in the country with Apple users sharing their Apple Pay setup stories on X and Reddit.
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Axis Bank cards can now be added
The rollout appears to be going live for users in phases. Several users on Reddit have reported successfully adding their Axis Bank credit cards to Apple Wallet, with the card information being fetched through the Axis Bank app and verified using Face ID.
However, there is still limited evidence of Apple Pay being used successfully at physical stores in India. Some users have confirmed that the card can be added, but said they had not yet tested an actual payment.
Apple Pay is expected to work at supported contactless payment terminals, with users authenticating transactions through Face ID, Touch ID or their device passcode.
No UPI support at launch
Unlike Google Pay, PhonePe and other popular payment apps in India, Apple Pay will initially be a card-based payment service. It will not replace UPI, which dominates India’s digital payments ecosystem.
TechCrunch reports that Apple Pay acceptance will also depend on whether individual merchants and payment terminals have enabled the service. This means users may see inconsistent support during the early rollout.
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More banks could follow
Apple is reportedly in talks with other major Indian banks, including HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank. However, these banks are not expected to support Apple Pay at launch as discussions around commercial terms continue.
The arrival of Apple Pay marks a notable expansion for Apple’s services in India, although its initial focus on card payments means the service will enter a market where UPI remains the dominant way to make everyday digital payments.
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