Apple Pay Launch in India: Axis Bank Brings Contactless Payments to iPhone

After years of anticipation, the Apple Pay launch in India became official on September 30, 2026. Apple has partnered exclusively with Axis Bank for the initial rollout, allowing Indian iPhone users to finally utilize Apple Wallet for secure, contactless payments at physical merchant terminals and online stores.

If you are an Axis Bank customer with a compatible iOS device, here is a direct breakdown of what this launch means for your daily transactions.

Key Highlights of the Launch

Exclusive Launch Partner: Axis Bank is the sole banking partner at launch.
Supported Cards: Only Axis Bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit cards are currently supported.
Unsupported Features (For Now): Debit cards, Rupay cards, and India’s UPI ecosystem are not integrated into Apple Pay at this stage.
Device Compatibility: The service is live across iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and Mac computers.
Where it Works: Any NFC-enabled Point-of-Sale (POS) terminal that accepts contactless card payments, including India’s official Apple Store locations, as well as supported online apps and websites.

How the Apple Pay Launch in India Works

To use Apple Pay, users simply open the native Wallet app on their iPhone and add their eligible Axis Bank Visa or Mastercard credit card. Once authenticated, the iPhone or Apple Watch acts as a virtual credit card. Users can tap their device on NFC-supported merchant terminals to pay, bypassing the need to carry physical plastic.

Because the system relies on tokenization, Apple Pay does not share actual credit card numbers with merchants, ensuring a highly secure transaction environment. Users will also continue to accrue their standard credit card reward points (such as EDGE Rewards on Axis cards) for all Apple Pay transactions.

Industry Leaders on the Milestone

The rollout marks India as one of the last major global markets to adopt Apple’s proprietary payment service, which initially debuted in 2014 and is now available in over 90 countries.

Amitabh Chaudhry, MD and CEO of Axis Bank: Stated that the introduction of Apple Pay advances the bank’s ambition to bring “greater choice and flexibility to our Credit Card customers.”
Gautam Aggarwal, President of India and South Asia at Mastercard: Noted that the integration “ushers in a new era of contactless commerce, giving Indian consumers greater confidence and peace of mind with every transaction.”
Suresh Sethi, Group Country Manager of India and South Asia at Visa: Called the launch “an important milestone in the evolution of the country’s digital payments journey.”

What’s Next: UPI and Other Banks?

The most noticeable omission in this launch is the lack of UPI (Unified Payments Interface) integration. Currently, Apple Wallet functions purely as a digital container for standard credit cards rather than a UPI payment interface like Google Pay or PhonePe.

However, Axis Bank is expected to be just the beginning. Industry reports suggest that other major financial institutions, including HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank—both of which hold a larger credit card market share than Axis Bank—have been in active discussions with Apple and may join the Apple Pay network in the near future.