According to Amar Ujala, from 30 September 2026, iPhone and Apple Watch users in India can make contactless payments through their devices. Apple Pay is now live in the country.
Apple Pay became available on 30 September 2026 on iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Support for Mac is coming soon, according to an official press release. According to Indian Express, Apple has partnered with Axis Bank, Visa, and Mastercard for the rollout. At launch, the service supports only select Visa and Mastercard credit cards issued by Axis Bank.
Apple Pay is already available in more than 90 countries and regions and works with more than 11,000 bank and network partners worldwide, according to Indian Express.
India has a population of 1.4 billion people, according to Indian Express. According to Indian Express, Apple's share of India's smartphone market has doubled to 8 per cent since 2022, according to Counterpoint Research cited by Reuters. A large share of iPhones sold globally are assembled in India, according to Indian Express.
What Apple Pay does
According to Indian Express, Apple Pay allows users to make tap-and-pay purchases using tokenised card details stored on the device. It removes the need to open a separate payments app, and it can be used for in-store and online payments across India. Users do not need to type in a PIN or OTP.
Supported devices and cards at launch
According to Indian Express, to add a card, users need an iPhone XR or later model running iOS 18 or later. Apple Pay can be used on an Apple Watch Series 6 or later with watchOS 11 or later, paired with an eligible iPhone.
Eligible users can add their credit card to Apple Wallet through the Axis Bank app or through the Wallet app on the iPhone. Users of Apple Pay continue to earn the rewards and benefits offered by their cards.
Where you can use Apple Pay
According to Indian Express, Apple Pay will be accepted by millions of merchants across India at launch.
- Apple Store locations
- Blinkit
- Chaayos
- Comet
- Croma
- Interflora
- Ixigo
- Le15 Patisserie
- Reliance brands
- Tata 1mg
- Zomato
Apple said it worked with payment service providers including Cashfree, JusPay, Mswipe, Paytm, PayU, Pine Labs, Razorpay, and Worldline to bring Apple Pay to their merchant networks in India, according to Indian Express.
Amitabh Chaudhry, MD & CEO of Axis Bank, said that the bank aspires to remain at the forefront of the transformation in payments, according to The Hindu.
Security and privacy
Card numbers are not stored on the device or on Apple servers. Apple Pay uses a unique Device Account Number that is encrypted and stored in a certified Secure Element chip on the device. Apple said it does not retain transaction information that can be traced back to the user. According to Indian Express, if a user's iPhone is lost or stolen, the Find My app can be used to locate, lock, or suspend payments from that device. According to The Hindu, mechanisms are in place to remotely control payments if the device is lost.
Jennifer Bailey, Apple's vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, said:
India is home to a dynamic and digitally savvy population that continues to embrace a cashless future while expecting the highest standards of security and privacy, and we’re so excited to bring Apple Pay to users in India today,
According to Indian Express, Greg Joswiak posted on X that Apple was excited to bring Apple Pay to India and to make purchases on Apple devices safer and more secure.
Mac support is coming soon, but Apple has not yet said when it will arrive in India. Despite earlier reports that Apple Pay could support UPI in India, the service has been launched with only card payments, according to Indian Express. It has not yet said when UPI support or additional banks will be added.
This article was prepared with AI assistance and reviewed by an editor.
