Apple Pay Launches in India as UPI Accounts for Over 80% of Digital Payments

September 30, 2026

New Delhi: Apple Pay has officially launched in India, entering a digitally advanced payments market where the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) accounts for more than 80 per cent of digital payment volume, industry experts said on Wednesday.

The launch strengthens Apple’s ecosystem in India by bringing together its hardware, software and services through an integrated payment experience.

Apple Pay initially supports Axis Bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit cards on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, while Mac support is expected to follow soon.

Apple Pay Starts With Axis Bank Credit Cards

Industry experts said Axis Bank provides a significant starting point for Apple Pay in India. The bank is the country’s fourth-largest credit-card issuer, with 16.23 million active credit cards.

India’s overall credit-card base has crossed 122 million, while contactless payments are also gaining traction.

Apple Pay is not expected to replace UPI, which continues to underpin everyday digital payments in India. Instead, the service could help Apple deepen its ecosystem experience for existing users and make card payments more seamless on Apple devices.

Apple Pay Could Boost Card Usage

The launch could also encourage greater credit-card usage among Apple device owners by reducing friction during checkout, according to industry research.

A key factor will be how quickly other leading banks join the Apple Pay platform, as broader bank participation would expand the number of customers who can use the service.

Credit-card usage and NFC adoption are growing at double-digit rates, while India’s credit-card base has nearly doubled since the Covid-19 pandemic to more than 120 million.

How Apple Pay Works in India

Customers with Axis Bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit cards can add their cards to Apple Pay and use them at thousands of in-store and online merchants across India, as well as at locations accepting NFC transactions.

The service allows customers to make payments in stores, apps and on the web without having to manually enter card details, PINs or OTPs at checkout.

The launch marks Apple’s entry into India’s rapidly evolving digital payments ecosystem, where UPI continues to dominate everyday payment transactions while credit cards and contactless payments are expanding.