Apple Pay is (finally) coming to India by 2026
After years of waiting, Apple Pay is set to launch in India by the end of 2026.
Apple's been working behind the scenes with banks, regulators, Visa, and Mastercard to sort out approvals and fees—so this move has been a long time coming.
How will it work here?
Apple Pay already runs in 89 countries, but India's rollout will start small.
You'll be able to use your iPhone or Apple Watch for tap-to-pay at supported terminals using NFC.
For now though, Indian cards can't be added to Apple Wallet for local payments—so it won't be fully up and running just yet.
What's holding things up?
Apple's rolling out features in phases. The big holdup: strict rules from Indian regulators about data storage and UPI integration.
So, while Samsung Wallet already offers UPI payments here, Apple Pay will stick with card-based contactless payments at first.
Can Apple catch up?
Even as a latecomer, Apple still has momentum—shipping 5 million iPhones in Q3 2025 alone put it at number four in the Indian market.
There's plenty of competition ahead, but if you're an iPhone user hoping for easier payments soon... there's finally some good news on the way!