Apple restores card payments for Apple Account purchases in India after four-year gap

Apple has begun gradually restoring card payments for Apple Account purchases in India after a hiatus of more than four years. The move signals the iPhone maker's adaptation to regulatory changes that have reshaped the country's digital payments landscape.

In May 2022, Apple suspended card payments in India following changes to the country's recurring payments framework. Since then, users have relied on UPI, India's real-time payments network, net banking, or Apple Account balance to pay for subscriptions and digital purchases.

The phased rollout now allows users in India to add eligible Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards to their Apple Account. They can use these cards to pay for subscriptions such as iCloud+ and Apple Music, as well as App Store purchases.

The framework, introduced by the Reserve Bank of India in 2021 and implemented in stages, required merchants and payment providers to implement stronger customer authentication for recurring card payments and adopt tokenized card credentials. It also prohibited merchants from storing customers' card details. This transition disrupted subscription billing for many companies before they updated their payment systems.

According to a person familiar with the matter, Apple has made the necessary backend changes to support card payments under India's regulatory framework. The rollout is expected to expand to all eligible users over time. Apple has also updated its support documentation.

"It's long overdue but happening finally. This solves one of the friction points for subscription renewals," said Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research. He noted that Apple's services business in India has continued growing at a double-digit pace despite the lack of direct card payments, but restoring the option becomes increasingly important as the company's installed base expands.

The restoration of card payments is likely to reignite speculation about Apple Pay potentially launching in India. However, Apple has not announced any plans to bring the mobile payments service to the country. The company did not respond to a request for comment.