Archive · 22 Sep 2026
Apple Pay India Launch May Bring Axis Credit Card Support
Apple may soon bring Apple Pay to India.
It lets people pay by holding an iPhone or Apple Watch near a contactless card reader.
The phone stores a secret token instead of the real card number.
At first, reports say only Axis Bank credit cards may work with it.
UPI, RuPay, debit cards, and sending money to friends may not be supported initially.
Apple Pay would work at shops with NFC-enabled payment terminals, not ordinary UPI QR codes.
It would be different from UPI because it uses credit-card networks such as Visa and Mastercard.
Apple has not officially confirmed the launch date or all of these details.
Apple is reportedly preparing to launch Apple Pay in India next month, though it has not confirmed the timing or partnership.
Axis Bank credit cards are expected to be the only supported cards initially, with other bank agreements still unresolved.
The service would use tokenized Visa and Mastercard card details for contactless payments authenticated by Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode.
Apple Pay is not expected to support UPI, RuPay, debit cards, or peer-to-peer transfers at launch.
The service would work at NFC-enabled terminals and potentially for App Store, iCloud+, Apple Music, app, and website purchases.
- Who
- Apple, reportedly working with Axis Bank and other Indian banks.
- What
- A reported India launch of Apple Pay, initially supporting Axis Bank credit cards.
- When
- Reportedly next month; Apple has not confirmed the timing, and the article says an original mid-2026 target slipped.
- Where
- India, at contactless payment terminals and potentially on apps and websites.
- Why
- Apple has reportedly been addressing Indian payment regulations and negotiating its share of card interchange fees with banks.
- Reported launch timing
- Next month, according to the report; Apple has not confirmed it.
- Initial banking partner
- Axis Bank is reportedly expected to be the sole launch partner.
- Expected card support
- Visa and Mastercard credit cards; debit cards, RuPay, and UPI are not expected initially.
- Authentication
- Face ID, Touch ID, or the device passcode.
- Payment technology
- Tokenized card details stored in Apple Wallet and used at NFC-enabled terminals.
- Interchange negotiations
- Apple reportedly sought 15–20 basis points, while large Indian issuers countered with about 10 basis points.
- UPI comparison
- UPI already accounts for 84 percent of India’s digital payments volume, according to the article.