Apple Pay is now officially available in India, launching with Axis Bank more than a decade after Apple’s mobile payment service first debuted in the United States.
Apple confirmed the launch on Wednesday, September 30, following reports a day earlier that the service was preparing to go live in the country.
Starting today, customers with eligible Axis Bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit cards can add their cards to Apple Pay and make purchases using iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Apple says support for Mac is coming soon.
The launch means customers can use Apple Pay for purchases in stores, in apps, and on the web without entering their physical card details, PIN, or one-time password at checkout.
In stores, customers can authenticate a purchase using Face ID, Touch ID, or their device passcode before holding their iPhone or Apple Watch near a compatible contactless payment terminal.
Apple says Axis Bank customers can use Apple Pay at thousands of in-store and online merchants across India, as well as anywhere compatible NFC transactions are accepted.
The initial rollout remains limited to Axis Bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
India’s domestic RuPay card network isn’t supported at launch, while other major Indian banks have yet to add Apple Pay support.
Apple says it intends to expand the service over time, with additional banks and merchants expected to join.
The company has worked with payment service providers including Cashfree, JusPay, Mswipe, Paytm, PayU, Pine Labs, Razorpay, and Worldline to bring Apple Pay to merchant networks across India.
Apple Pay’s arrival gives Apple a presence in one of the world’s largest digital payments markets, although the service will enter a country where card payments compete with the hugely popular Unified Payments Interface, better known as UPI.
UPI enables instant bank-to-bank payments and accounts for the overwhelming majority of digital payment volume in India.
Apple Pay doesn’t support UPI at launch. Instead, its initial Indian implementation is built around eligible credit cards and contactless NFC payments.
Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, Jennifer Bailey, said India has a digitally savvy population continuing to embrace cashless payments and that Apple is excited to bring the service to users in the country.
The launch confirms reporting published Tuesday by TechCrunch, which said Apple Pay was preparing to go live in India with Axis Bank as its first banking partner.
Earlier this month, Reuters also reported that Apple was preparing an Indian launch, although its sources had initially pointed to October.
Apple Pay first launched in the United States in October 2014 and has since expanded to more than 90 countries and regions, working with more than 11,000 banks and network partners around the world.
India had remained one of the most significant gaps in Apple Pay’s international availability despite Apple’s rapidly growing presence in the country.
To add a supported card, Axis Bank customers can open the Wallet app on iPhone, tap the plus button, and follow the steps to add their eligible Visa or Mastercard credit card.
Apple says actual card numbers aren’t stored on the device or on Apple servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is encrypted and stored in the Secure Element, while each transaction is authorized using a one-time dynamic security code.
With today’s launch, Apple Pay is officially available in India for the first time, with Axis Bank becoming the first Indian bank to support the service.