Apple Pay is now live in India. Apple announced the launch on September 30. It works on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, with Mac support "coming soon." At launch, the only supported cards are Axis Bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
9to5Mac noted the timing: nearly twelve years to the day after Apple first announced Apple Pay. Apple says checkout needs no PIN or OTP. In stores, the user double-clicks the side button, authenticates with Face ID, Touch ID or passcode, and holds the phone near the reader.
Axis Bank only, and no RuPay
There are two ways to add a card. Axis Bank customers can add it from the latest Axis Bank app. Or they open Wallet, tap the plus sign and follow the steps. Card rewards and benefits still apply on Apple Pay purchases, Apple says.
RuPay, India's domestic card network, does not work with Apple Pay. HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and SBI Card have not added support either, MacRumors reported. The Indian Express said Reuters had earlier reported talks with HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, with no agreements finalised. RBI data cited by the paper put Axis Bank, the fourth-largest issuer, at 16.29 million credit cards outstanding in August. HDFC Bank had 27.10 million. ICICI Bank had 19.83 million.
Device floor: iPhone XR or later with iOS 18 or later. Apple Watch Series 6 or later with watchOS 11 or later, paired with an iPhone XR or later.
Merchants and payment providers named at launch
Apple lists Apple Store locations, Blinkit, Chaayos, Comet, Croma, Interflora, Ixigo, Le15 Patisserie, Reliance brands, Tata 1mg and Zomato among merchants. Payment service providers BillDesk, Cashfree, Juspay, Mswipe, Paytm, PayU, Pine Labs and Razorpay are bringing Apple Pay to their merchant networks. TechCrunch reported that merchants and terminals still need to add support, so Apple Pay may not work at every contactless counter yet.
UPI stays separate. The state-backed Unified Payments Interface moves money between bank accounts instantly. It handles about 84 percent of India's digital transaction volume, according to MacRumors, and it does not work with Apple Pay.
Apple, Axis Bank, Visa and Mastercard comments
"India is home to a dynamic and digitally savvy population that continues to embrace a cashless future while expecting the highest standards of security and privacy, and we're so excited to bring Apple Pay to users in India today," said Jennifer Bailey, Apple's vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet.
Axis Bank MD and CEO Amitabh Chaudhry said the launch brings "greater choice and flexibility to our Credit Card customers, with support across the Mastercard and Visa networks." Gautam Aggarwal, Mastercard's president of India and South Asia, pointed to tokenisation, with each transaction protected by "a unique, cryptographically secured token." Visa's Suresh Sethi called the launch "an important milestone" for India's digital payments.
Secure Element, and the U.S. fee case
The privacy design is the same as elsewhere. Card numbers are not stored on the device or on Apple servers, and Apple does not share them with the merchant. A unique Device Account Number is encrypted and kept in the Secure Element chip. Apple Pay now runs in more than 90 countries and regions, with more than 11,000 bank and network partners.
Apple BKC in Mumbai was one of the stores in Apple's September 18 launch-day photos for iPhone 18 Pro. In the U.S., the issuer side of Apple Pay is in court. A federal judge last week let banks and credit unions sue Apple as a class over Apple Pay issuer fees. The India launch release does not mention issuer fees.
Photo: Apple Newsroom (Apple Pay India; Apple BKC Mumbai)
Source: Apple Newsroom India; MacRumors; 9to5Mac; The Indian Express; The Hindu; TechCrunch via MacRumors
