After a decade of rumors and regulatory roadblocks, Apple has finally launched its payment service in India. Starting today, customers who bank with Axis Bank can begin adding their eligible Visa or Mastercard credit cards directly to their digital wallets. This much-anticipated release gives shoppers across the country a fresh way to make secure contactless payments in retail stores and finish quick checkouts while buying items online.
Check card compatibility and early limits of the new rollout
To start using Apple Pay, you must have a supported Axis Bank credit card running on either the Visa or Mastercard network. You can link this card right inside the Wallet app on any compatible iPhone or a paired Apple Watch for everyday spending.
Keep in mind that early access might be spotty. Local store owners and checkout terminals still need to update their systems to accept this specific payment type, so it might not work everywhere you shop right away. Also, RuPay, which serves as the local domestic card network in India, is not supported at launch. Other major financial institutions like HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and SBI Card are missing from the starting lineup as well.
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India already relies heavily on the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), a popular state-backed system that handles about 84 percent of all digital transactions. Since UPI does not connect with Apple’s system, this tap-to-pay feature will likely serve as a handy backup option for now. It will need to bring a lot more local banks on board before it can truly compete in such a busy digital payment market.
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