Apple Pay is officially live in India from today. It works on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, with Mac support described as coming soon. At launch it supports one bank: Axis Bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit cards. No other Indian bank is named in Apple’s announcement.
That single-bank scope is the fact that decides whether this matters to you. If your primary card is not an Axis Bank credit card, Apple Pay in India is an announcement rather than a usable feature right now. Today’s release does not say which banks come next.
Apple’s own release follows androidpure’s earlier report on the launch, which was based on unconfirmed information at the time. The official announcement now adds named executive comments, a launch merchant list and the payment service providers enabling acceptance.
Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, framed the launch this way:
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. Apple Pay makes everyday payments with a card easy, secure, and private — from simply tapping to pay in stores without an extra app, PIN, or OTP to checking out online without repeatedly entering payment information.
How to Set Up Apple Pay in India
There are two routes to adding a card. You can add it through the latest version of the Axis Bank app, or start in the Wallet app itself.
- Open the Wallet app on your iPhone and tap the plus button.
- Follow the prompts to add your Axis Bank Visa or Mastercard credit card.
- To pay in a store, double-click the side button, or the Home button on older models.
- Authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID or your passcode.
- Hold the iPhone or Apple Watch near the contactless reader until it confirms.
Apple says card rewards and benefits continue to apply as usual when you pay through Apple Pay. Apple also says there is no separate app to open, and no PIN or OTP step at the terminal.
Where You Can Use It
Apple names these launch merchants: Apple Store locations, Blinkit, Chaayos, Comet, Croma, Interflora, Ixigo, Le15 Patisserie, Reliance brands, Tata 1mg and Zomato, plus others.
On the acceptance side, Apple lists Cashfree, Juspay, Mswipe, Paytm, PayU, Pine Labs, Razorpay and Worldline as the payment service providers enabling merchant support. For context, Apple says Apple Pay now operates in more than 90 countries and regions with over 11,000 bank and network partners.
What Apple Says About Your Data
Apple’s stated privacy model is worth spelling out, because it differs from how many payment apps work. Apple says your actual card number is never stored on the device or on Apple’s servers, and is never shared with merchants.
Instead, a unique Device Account Number is encrypted and held in the Secure Element on the device. Apple also says it does not keep transaction information that can be tied back to you.
Those are Apple’s claims about its own system, not something we can independently audit. They are still a stronger commitment than a wallet app that logs your purchase history for its own use.
Source: Apple Newsroom
