Apple Restores Card Payments in India After Five Years of Restrictions

Apple has restored card payments in India after five years, allowing customers to use Visa and Mastercard for App Store and iCloud purchases following compliance with RBI regulations.

Apple has reinstated credit and debit card payments in India for App Store and iCloud after five years. Visa and Mastercard will be the first to be brought in, enabling customers to fill up their Apple Account for purchases and subscriptions. In the upcoming weeks, RuPay card support is anticipated, extending choices beyond UPI and net banking.

How Apple Complied with the Strict Regulations of the RBI

According to the reports tracked by CIO Bulletin, tokenized data must be maintained locally, and the Reserve Bank of India's tokenization and data localization regulations forbid retailers from keeping real card information. Apple adjusted by collaborating with banks and authorized card networks to route transactions through systems that complied with Indian regulations without replicating data elsewhere. This modification brings Apple into compliance with regulations that were revised in 2023 and expand tokenization to include wearables and laptops.

The resumption of card payments reflects Apple's renewed focus on making purchases easier and more accessible for Indian consumers.

Why It Was Taken Out and Why It's Back

In response to the RBI’s revised framework for recurring transactions, Apple halted card payments in India in May 2022. Tokenized card credentials, tighter authentication standards, and limitations on businesses retaining card information are all part of the new regulations. While they worked on compliance, many multinational corporations, including Apple, temporarily turned off card-based auto-debits.

Indian customers mostly used UPI, net banking, and Apple Account balance top-ups during this time. Although these strategies were effective, they frequently increased complexity, particularly when it came to automatic subscription renewals.

How to Add Your Card for Payments on the App Store and iCloud

Users who already have access to this feature can enter their settings on their iPhone or iPad, tap on Apple ID which appears at the top, select Payment & Shipping and then click on the Add Payment Method option. Then, users can complete the verification process by providing their Visa or Mastercard details. Another way in which customers can pay via credit card is to open the App Store, go to the Manage Payments section, tap their profile picture and add the payment card.