Current Context:On 30 September 2026, Apple Pay officially launched in India in partnership with Axis Bank, marking Apple’s entry into the Indian contactless-payments market. At launch, customers with Axis Bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit cards could add their cards to Apple Wallet and use Apple Pay for contactless payments in stores, apps and on websites.
- Banking partner: Axis Bank became the first Indian bank whose eligible credit cards could be added to Apple Pay. At launch, support was limited to eligible Visa and Mastercard credit cards issued by Axis Bank.
- No RuPay initially: RuPay cards were not supported at launch. This is an important exam point because Apple Pay initially entered India through the international Visa and Mastercard card networks rather than India’s domestic RuPay network.
- No UPI integration initially: Apple Pay launched in India as a card-based payment service, not as a UPI application. UPI and Apple Pay therefore remained separate payment systems at launch. Devices supported: Users can make Apple Pay transactions using iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Apple said support for Mac would be added later.
- How in-store payments work: A customer can authenticate a transaction using Face ID, Touch ID or the device passcode and then hold the iPhone or Apple Watch close to an NFC-enabled contactless payment terminal. This allows tap-and-pay transactions without manually entering card details at checkout.
- Security mechanism: Apple Pay does not store the customer's actual credit-card number on the device or Apple servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is created, encrypted and stored in the device’s Secure Element. Tokenisation helps prevent the actual card number from being shared with merchants.
- Mastercard tokenisation: Mastercard said transactions made through its cards use a unique cryptographically secured token, helping protect card credentials from exposure and fraud.
- Adding a card: Axis Bank customers can add an eligible card either through the latest version of the Axis Bank app or directly through the Apple Wallet application on an iPhone.
- Where it can be used: Apple Pay was launched for in-store, in-app and online payments. At launch, Apple listed merchants and platforms such as Apple Store, Blinkit, Croma, Ixigo, Tata 1mg and Zomato among participating businesses.
- Payment-service partners: Apple also worked with Indian payment companies including Cashfree, JusPay, Mswipe, Paytm, PayU, Pine Labs, Razorpay and Worldline to expand acceptance across merchant networks.
- Global reach: After the India launch, Apple Pay was available in more than 90 countries and regions and worked with over 11,000 bank and network partners worldwide.
- Importance for India: The launch adds another contactless-card payment option to India's digital-payments ecosystem, which is already heavily dominated by UPI. Reuters reported that UPI accounts for around 84% of digital-payment transaction volume in India.
- RuPay cards and UPI were not supported initially. India became one of more than 90 countries and regions where Apple Pay is available.
Question:
Q1. Which bank became the first Indian banking partner for Apple Pay at its launch in India in September 2026?
a) HDFC Bank
b) Axis Bank
c) ICICI Bank
d) State Bank of India
Answer: b) Axis Bank. Apple Pay launched in India on 30 September 2026 with eligible Axis Bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit cards. UPI and RuPay were not supported at the initial launch. Apple
