Archive · 30 Sep 2026
Apple Pay Launches in India With Axis Bank Cards
Apple Pay is now available in India for people who use certain Apple devices.
At launch, it works with eligible Visa and Mastercard credit cards from Axis Bank.
People can add a card to the Wallet app by scanning it or entering its details.
The bank or Apple may ask them to verify the card.
To pay in a store, users double-click a button, prove who they are with Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode, and hold the device near a contactless reader.
Apple says the real card number is not stored on the device or its servers.
Apple Pay can also be used in some apps, websites and while traveling overseas at NFC terminals.
Unlike UPI apps, it uses a bank card instead of moving money directly between bank accounts.
Apple Pay launched in India for compatible iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch users on September 30, 2026.
The service initially supports eligible Axis Bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit cards, while RuPay cards are not supported.
Users can add cards through Apple Wallet, the Axis Bank app, camera scanning or manual entry, followed by verification.
Payments work at participating stores, apps, websites and NFC-enabled terminals, including selected retailers such as Apple Store, Blinkit and Zomato.
Apple Pay uses device authentication and NFC, but unlike UPI apps it does not directly transfer money between bank accounts.
- Who
- Apple, in partnership with Axis Bank, launched Apple Pay for users of compatible Apple devices in India.
- What
- Apple Pay is a card-based digital wallet and contactless payment service.
- When
- The service launched on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
- Where
- India, at participating stores, apps, websites and NFC-enabled terminals globally.
- Why
- The launch gives Apple device users a new way to make card payments using device authentication and NFC technology.
Apple Pay’s Card-Based Model
UPI’s Bank-Transfer Model
How payments work
Apple Pay’s Card-Based Model
Apple Pay stores an eligible bank card in Apple Wallet and uses device authentication and an NFC contactless terminal to complete payments.
UPI’s Bank-Transfer Model
UPI apps can transfer money directly between bank accounts using QR codes or mobile numbers.
Availability and reach
Apple Pay’s Card-Based Model
Apple Pay is initially limited to eligible Axis Bank Visa and Mastercard credit cards, compatible Apple devices and participating contactless merchants.
UPI’s Bank-Transfer Model
The articles describe UPI apps as broadly usable across India, from street vendors to online merchants.
Convenience and security
Apple Pay’s Card-Based Model
Apple Pay avoids entering a PIN or OTP at checkout, and Apple says card details are replaced with an encrypted Device Account Number stored in the device’s Secure Element.
UPI’s Bank-Transfer Model
UPI apps offer QR-code and account-transfer functionality that Apple Pay does not provide, but the articles do not compare their security systems in detail.
- Launch date
- September 30, 2026
- Initial card support
- Eligible Visa and Mastercard credit cards issued by Axis Bank
- Unsupported network
- India’s RuPay cards are not eligible at launch
- Compatible devices
- iPhone XR or later with iOS 18 or newer; Apple Watch Series 6 or later with watchOS 11 or later
- Authentication
- Face ID, Touch ID or device passcode, without entering a PIN or OTP at checkout
- Payment technology
- Near-field communication (NFC), including payments without cellular or Wi-Fi connectivity
- Participating merchants
- Apple Store, Blinkit, Chaayos, Comet, Croma, Interflora, Ixigo, Le15 Patisserie, Reliance brands, Tata 1mg and Zomato, among others
