Apple Pay is now available in India for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch users, allowing eligible Axis Bank Visa and Mastercard credit cardholders to make contactless payments in stores, apps and on websites without entering a PIN or one-time password at the time of payment.
Apple India announced the launch in an update on its official website. Mac support will be added soon, according to the company. The service is positioned as a way to use existing card accounts through Apple devices while retaining the rewards and benefits attached to those cards.
Jennifer Bailey, Apple’s vice-president of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, said the service enables customers to make card payments by tapping at stores without an additional app, PIN or OTP, while also allowing them to check out online without repeatedly entering payment information.
At physical stores, users can initiate a payment on an iPhone by double-clicking the side button or Home button. They then authenticate the transaction through Face ID, Touch ID or the device passcode, if prompted, and hold the top of the iPhone near a contactless reader. Apple Watch users can hold the display near the reader after initiating the payment.
The launch depends on the existing network of near-field communication, or NFC, terminals used for tap-to-pay transactions. Apple said Apple Pay would work at thousands of in-store and online merchants across India, as well as at other locations that accept NFC payments. The listed merchants include Apple Store, Blinkit, Chaayos, Comet, Croma, Interflora, Ixigo, Le15 Patisserie, Reliance brands, Tata 1mg and Zomato.
The service also extends to online purchases made through apps and websites on an iPhone or iPad. Apple said it had worked with payment service providers including Cashfree, Jus Pay, Mswipe, Paytm, PayU, Pine Labs, Razorpay and Worldline to bring Apple Pay to their merchant networks in India.
For Axis Bank customers, an eligible credit card can be added directly through the latest version of the Axis Bank app or through the Apple Wallet app. In Wallet, users need to select the plus sign and follow the on-screen instructions to add the card. The report said Axis Bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit cards are eligible, although the supplied information does not list individual card variants.
The launch brings another device-based payment option to India’s increasingly contactless retail environment. Its practical use will depend on whether a merchant has an NFC-enabled terminal and whether the customer holds an eligible Axis Bank card. Apple Pay’s stated support for existing card rewards means transactions remain linked to the benefits provided by the issuing card.
Apple has not yet announced a date for Mac support in the information supplied for the launch. For now, the service is available on compatible iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch devices, with payment authentication handled through the user’s device rather than a separate PIN or OTP entry at the checkout.
