Apple Pay goes live in India, but only for Axis Bank Visa and Mastercard credit cards

Apple Pay now works in India. For the moment, the only way in is an Axis Bank credit card.

What launched

Apple's India newsroom confirms the launch in a post updated on 30 September 2026. TechCrunch reports the rollout began a day earlier, on Tuesday 29 September. Either way, it is live now.

Apple's wording is "Axis Bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit cards". It does not publish a card-by-card eligibility list, so we are not tagging individual Axis cards on this post. If your Axis card is on Visa or Mastercard, the quickest test is to try adding it.

How to add a card

Apple describes two routes:

1. Through the latest version of the Axis Bank app, which can push the card straight into Apple Wallet.
2. In the Wallet app on iPhone: tap the plus sign and follow the steps.

In stores you authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID or the device passcode. Apple's announcement does not state a per-transaction limit, and we have not found one in an issuer source, so none is asserted here.

Do you still earn rewards?

Yes, according to Apple: users "will continue to earn the rewards and benefits offered by their cards". The payment still runs on the underlying Visa or Mastercard card, so the card's normal earn rules, exclusions and caps apply as they would on a tap of the physical card. Apple Pay does not add a bonus of its own.

What is missing

• RuPay. TechCrunch states Apple Pay supports eligible Axis cards on Visa and Mastercard "but not India's homegrown RuPay network". That also means no route to UPI-on-credit-card through Apple Pay.
• Debit cards. Not part of the launch per TechMyMoney; Apple's own post only mentions credit cards.
• Every other bank. TechCrunch reports, citing unnamed sources, that HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and SBI Card are not supporting Apple Pay at launch because talks over commercial terms are continuing. The same report says Apple is reportedly seeking a fee of about 0.2% of each transaction. Neither Apple nor the banks have confirmed that figure, and no bank has announced a date.

Where you can use it

Apple names Apple Store locations, Blinkit, Chaayos, Croma, Ixigo, Reliance brands, Tata 1mg and Zomato among the launch merchants, and BillDesk, Cashfree, Juspay, Mswipe, Paytm, PayU, Pine Labs and Razorpay among the payment providers. TechCrunch notes acceptance is limited to merchants and terminals that have been enabled for the service, so do not assume every contactless terminal will take it yet.

What it means for you

• Hold an Axis Visa or Mastercard credit card and an iPhone? Add it. You lose nothing on rewards and gain tap-to-pay from the phone or watch.
• Hold only RuPay cards for UPI rewards? Nothing changes; keep using your UPI app.
• Thinking of getting an Axis card just for Apple Pay? Pick the card on its earn rate and fee first. Apple Pay is a convenience layer, and other issuers may follow.

Not sure which Axis card earns the most on your spending? Polo Match ranks cards on net annual value, and Polo Brain tells you which card in your wallet to tap for a given purchase.