Apple Pay Now Available in India with Axis Bank Cards

Apple Pay has officially launched its service in India, enabling users to add eligible credit cards from Axis Bank to the Wallet app on iPhone and Apple Watch. This means customers can now make contactless and online payments more conveniently, albeit initially only with certain cards from this bank on Visa and Mastercard networks.

## Why it matters The arrival of Apple Pay in India marks a significant advancement in the adoption of digital payments in the country. However, the limited compatibility with other banks and the need for merchants and payment terminals to integrate support for Apple Pay may affect its widespread acceptance.

## What we know So far, it has been confirmed that only Axis Bank credit cards on Visa and Mastercard networks are compatible with Apple Pay. Additionally, it has been mentioned that the RuPay payment system, which is the most used in India, is not compatible with this platform. This could limit the reach of Apple Pay among users who rely on RuPay and other banks that have yet to enable support.

## What remains unclear It is still unconfirmed whether Apple is in talks with other major banks like HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, or SBI Card to expand the compatibility of its service. It is also unknown if there will be an effort from Apple to encourage the adoption of Apple Pay among merchants and how this might influence the use of the already popular UPI system in the country.