Apple Pay Launches in India With Axis Bank
Apple's contactless payments service is initially available for eligible Axis Bank Visa and Mastercard credit cards across supported iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch devices.
Apple has officially launched its Apple Pay payments service in India, bringing the company's contactless payment and digital wallet platform to one of the world's largest digital payments markets. The service initially supports eligible Visa and Mastercard credit cards issued by Axis Bank.
Users can add eligible Axis Bank cards to Apple Wallet and use Apple Pay for contactless payments at supported stores, as well as for purchases within apps and on the web. The service is available on compatible iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch devices, while Mac support is expected to be added soon.
KEY HIGHLIGHT
Apple Pay's India launch initially covers Axis Bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit cards, with Apple planning to expand support to additional issuers over time.
For in-store payments, users can authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID or a device passcode and hold an iPhone or Apple Watch near a contactless payment terminal. Apple Pay is designed to work without requiring users to enter a card PIN or OTP at the checkout.
Apple said the service uses a unique Device Account Number instead of storing the actual card number on the device or Apple's servers. The tokenised card information is stored in the device's Secure Element, while transaction-specific security features are used to protect payments.
COMPATIBLE DEVICES
Apple Pay requires an iPhone XR or later running iOS 18 or later. Apple Watch support starts with Series 6 and later running watchOS 11 or later.
Apple's initial Indian banking partnership includes Axis Bank, Visa and Mastercard. Apple said it intends to work with additional issuers as their technical readiness, card portfolios and other requirements allow. The company also expects more merchants and apps to support the service over time.
The India rollout comes as contactless card payments and NFC-enabled terminals expand alongside the country's established digital payments ecosystem. Apple has said it views Apple Pay and UPI as complementary payment systems because they operate through different payment mechanisms.