Apple resumed credit and debit card payments for purchases made through its Apple Account service in India after a four‑year pause, adapting to the country’s payments framework. The restoration gives Indian consumers a familiar payment option, could lift Apple Services revenue in the market, and demonstrates Apple’s ability to comply with local payment regulations. Apple, Indian payment regulators (RBI, NPCI), Indian consumers and Apple Account users. Broader rollout across Apple services, monitoring of adoption metrics, and possible integration with other local payment methods such as UPI. Apple has quietly begun a phased rollout that lets Indian users pay with credit and debit cards for Apple Account transactions, ending a suspension that lasted since 2022. The move follows adjustments to comply with India’s evolving payments framework, which includes tokenization and data‑localization requirements. While the rollout is initially limited, it signals Apple’s willingness to work within local regulatory constraints to regain a key payment channel for its services business. Likely next events: Apple may extend card payments to App Store and iCloud subscriptions in India Potential partnerships with Indian banks or payment processors to expand coverage Regulators may review transaction volumes for compliance with tokenization norms Sectors affected: Technology Financial Services Mobile Payments Regulatory implications: Need to adhere to RBI’s tokenization guidelines for card transactions Compliance with data‑localization rules for payment‑related information Oversight by NPCI on card transaction routing and settlement Historical parallels: Apple’s earlier 2019 rollout of Apple Pay in India that faced regulatory hurdles regulatory adjustments that allowed Google Pay to resume operations Paytm’s temporary suspension due to KYC/AML concerns
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