MONEY
Apple launches payment service in India in tie-up with Axis Bank
- IBJ Bureau
- Oct 01, 2026
Apple has launched its payment service Apple Pay in India through a partnership with Axis Bank.
The service gives Apple its first foothold in one of the world’s largest digital payments markets, the lender has said.
Axis Bank, the country’s third-largest private lender, will be the first Indian bank to offer Apple Pay, initially to customers with credit cards on the Visa and Mastercard networks.
Currently, Apple Pay is not available through cards on the RuPay network, and it does not support the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), India’s largest online payment system, accounting for around 84 per cent of digital payment volumes.
“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,” Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice-president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, has said in a statement.
Axis Bank is India’s fourth-largest credit card issuer, with 1.63 crore cards outstanding as of August, outof 12.4 crore nationwide, the RBI data shows.
The launch will help the US company to offer its payment service in the world’s most populous country, one of the few major economies where it is not available.
Apple Pay has also held talks with larger rivals HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank but has yet to agree to commercial terms,
Customers can add eligible cards through Axis Bank’s mobile app or Apple Wallet and make payments in stores, in apps and online using an iPhone, Apple Watch or iPad, the lender has added.
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