Apple Pay launches in India for eligible Axis Bank cards

Apple Pay is now available in India for eligible Axis Bank Visa and Mastercard credit-card customers, giving them a way to make contactless and online payments with an iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch. Apple announced the launch on Wednesday, September 30. Support for Mac is expected later, though the company has not given a date. Customers can add an eligible card through the latest version of the Axis Bank app or through the Wallet app on an iPhone. Once added, the card can be used at participating in-store and online merchants in India and at locations elsewhere that accept near-field communication payments, according to Apple. The company described the service as available at thousands of merchants in India; another launch description cited millions of merchant locations. Those figures use different scopes, and the actual number of enabled merchants and payment terminals is unclear. The launch marks Apple Pay’s entry into a market where digital payments are widely used, but its initial availability is tied to participating card issuers and payment infrastructure.