Skip to content
TechCrunch·

💳Apple Restores Card Payments for Indian Apple Account Purchases

Indian users can now pay with cards again on their Apple Accounts

TL;DR

Apple has restored card payments for eligible Visa and Mastercard credit/debit cards in Indian Apple Accounts, following a year-long suspension due to regulatory changes. Users can now add these cards for subscriptions and digital purchases.

Apple has resumed allowing users to pay with Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards on their Apple Account in India after suspending the feature in May 2022 due to new regulations. This change affects millions of Indian users who previously relied on UPI, net banking, or Apple's own balance for transactions. The move highlights how global tech companies must adapt to country-specific rules, impacting everything from app store policies to payment methods.

Apple Restores Card Payments for Indian Apple Account Purchases — TechCrunch

Key Points

1

Card payments were suspended in May 2022 when India introduced stricter customer authentication rules for recurring payments.

2

The Reserve Bank of India's framework requires merchants like Apple to adopt tokenized card credentials, leading to the suspension.

3

Apple has made backend changes needed to support card payments under India's new regulatory framework.

4

Phased rollout began recently and will expand to all eligible users over time as per updated support documentation.

5

Restoring card payments may fuel speculation about potential Apple Pay launch in India despite no official announcement.

Why It Matters

If you're an Indian user or developer relying on UPI, net banking, or Apple's balance for transactions, this change simplifies payment options. However, the phased rollout means not everyone can use card payments yet. For developers and businesses with a large Indian customer base, integrating tokenized card credentials is now crucial to avoid disruptions.

AppleIndiacard paymentsregulatory changesdigital payments

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does this matter?

If you're an Indian user or developer relying on UPI, net banking, or Apple's balance for transactions, this change simplifies payment options. However, the phased rollout means not everyone can use card payments yet. For developers and businesses with a large Indian customer base, integrating tokenized card credentials is now crucial to avoid disruptions.

What happened?

Apple has restored card payments for eligible Visa and Mastercard credit/debit cards in Indian Apple Accounts, following a year-long suspension due to regulatory changes. Users can now add these cards for subscriptions and digital purchases.

Comments

Subscribe to join the conversation...

Be the first to comment

Enjoyed this article?

Get it daily. 7am. Free. Reads in 5 minutes.

Join 2,131 builders reading daily.