Apple Pay is Finally Available in India, But There's a Major Catch

It has been a long time coming. Almost 12 years after it first debuted globally, Apple Pay has officially launched in India. But before you get too excited and try to link every card in your wallet, there are a few major restrictions you need to know about. Let's break down what's new and what's missing.

Tap to pay is here

Indian users can now finally use their iPhone or Apple Watch to make contactless payments at physical stores. No more scanning QR codes or digging for a physical wallet. You can simply authenticate and tap your device to pay.

An iPhone displaying a blue digital credit card with a hold near reader prompt next to a payment terminal

The major catch: highly limited support

Here is the important part you absolutely need to know. For now, the Apple Pay rollout in India is incredibly restricted.

It currently only works with Axis Bank credit cards on the Visa and Mastercard networks.

This means a few very popular payment methods are entirely left out at launch:

No RuPay support: India's domestic card network is not currently compatible.
No UPI integration: This is the biggest dealbreaker for many. UPI is India’s massively popular instant bank-to-bank payment system.

Apps like Google Pay and PhonePe rely entirely on UPI to function. Right now, Apple Pay doesn't plug into the UPI network at all.

Why did it take 12 years?

You might be wondering why Apple took over a decade to bring this feature to one of the world's largest smartphone markets.

The main roadblock came down to India’s strict payment regulations and the country's massive, underlying reliance on UPI. Navigating that regulatory landscape meant Apple had to adjust its typical global rollout strategy, significantly delaying the release.

What to expect next

Now that Apple has officially put its foot in the door, you can expect the ecosystem to expand. More Indian banks are likely to follow Axis Bank and jump on board in the near future.

For now, if you have an Axis Bank credit card, give it a spin. For everyone else, you will have to stick to your current UPI apps a little while longer.