Apple Pay could finally be getting closer to an India launch. A new report claims Apple’s payment service could arrive in the country by September-end or October, although it may initially launch without UPI support.
According to Business Standard, Apple is currently negotiating with major Indian banks as it prepares to bring Apple Pay to the country. The initial version is expected to focus on credit cards issued on networks such as Visa and Mastercard. It will allow users to add supported cards to Apple Wallet and make contactless payments using compatible Apple devices.
Apple has not confirmed the reported launch timeline. The company also did not respond to Business Standard’s request for comment, so October should be treated as a reported target rather than a confirmed launch date.
The reported plan is also different from what many Indian users would probably expect from Apple Pay. UPI is not currently expected to be available when the service launches. Apple would need approval from the National Payments Corporation of India and a sponsor bank to offer UPI functionality, and the latest report suggests that this is not part of the initial rollout.
That could make the first version of Apple Pay considerably less useful for everyday payments in India. UPI has become the default payment method for a huge number of consumers, while Apple Pay’s initial focus on cards would make it more relevant to users who regularly use credit cards for contactless payments.
Still, Apple Pay’s arrival could have an interesting impact on India’s credit card market. Apple is reportedly negotiating the fee it would receive from banks for transactions made through its payment service. The company is said to be seeking around 15 to 20 basis points per transaction, while some banks are pushing for a lower rate of around 10 basis points.
These fees would reportedly come from the banks’ interchange revenue rather than being added directly to the customer’s bill or charged to merchants. That negotiation appears to be one of the key issues Apple has had to work through before bringing Apple Pay to India.
This is not the first time we have heard that Apple Pay is coming to India.
In January, reports suggested that Apple was working with banks, regulators and card networks to launch the service before the end of 2026. Bloomberg then reported in February that Apple was in discussions with ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank and Axis Bank, as well as Visa and Mastercard, with a possible mid-2026 launch being considered.
That timeline did not materialise. A May report from Moneycontrol said the launch had been delayed because Apple and major banks were negotiating over the commission Apple would receive from transactions. At the time, the technology and infrastructure were reportedly ready, with commercial terms becoming the bigger obstacle.
The latest report therefore feels more significant than the many Apple Pay rumours that have surfaced over the years. There is now a consistent trail of reports pointing to actual discussions with Indian banks and payment networks rather than simply speculation about Apple’s plans.
There is also a regulatory change that makes the timing more interesting. The Reserve Bank of India recently enabled biometric authentication such as Face ID and Touch ID for certain digital payment transactions. Apple Pay is built around biometric authentication, so the regulatory environment is now more compatible with Apple’s approach than it was in the past.
That does not guarantee a launch, but it removes one of the obvious barriers that previously made Apple’s payment model harder to bring to India.
If Apple does launch Apple Pay later this year, the first version could therefore be relatively limited. Users with supported Visa and Mastercard credit cards could get Apple’s familiar tap-to-pay experience, while UPI could arrive later if Apple completes the necessary arrangements with NPCI and a partner bank.
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