Apple Pay may soon debut in India, potentially by the end of September or early October 2026. This anticipated launch has been widely discussed, and the service is reportedly focusing on establishing partnerships with prominent credit card issuers in India ahead of its introduction.

The initial rollout is expected to centre primarily around credit cards that operate on recognised networks, such as Visa and Mastercard. Unlike its existing functionalities in other regions, the Indian version of Apple Pay may not initially include support for Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions.

This omission suggests that Indian consumers should not anticipate Apple Pay to substitute UPI-centric applications like Google Pay and PhonePe for routine transactions at the outset.

Focus on Credit Card Transactions

The early experience of Apple Pay in India is poised to be heavily oriented towards credit card usage. Users will have the ability to add compatible cards to the Apple Wallet application. Subsequently, payments can be made at enabled point-of-sale terminals using near-field communication (NFC) technology with their iPhones.

This method mirrors the existing functionality of Apple Pay in various international markets. Instead of needing a physical card, users will simply authenticate their payments directly on their devices and tap their iPhones at payment terminals to complete transactions.

Reports indicate that Apple is currently in discussions with major credit card issuers in India to iron out terms regarding transaction economics, focusing particularly on interchange fees, which are fees exchanged between banks when credit card payments are made.

Negotiations Over Interchange Fees Continue

Negotiations concerning interchange fees are proving to be a significant aspect of Apple Pay’s launch in India. According to the latest information, Apple is seeking a share of around 15 to 20 basis points from each credit card transaction, while some major card issuers have proposed a lower share of approximately 10 basis points.

For clarity, one basis point equates to 0.01 per cent. Importantly, these fees will not be directly imposed on consumers; rather, they will be drawn from the revenue banks generate through card transactions.

As of now, Apple has yet to publicly validate the projected timeline for the launch or disclose specific details related to the rollout in India. However, if negotiations progress favourably, iPhone users in India may soon gain a regulated avenue for storing compatible credit cards within their Apple Wallet and executing tap-to-pay transactions—over a decade since the initial global launch of Apple Pay.

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