Apple Pay launches in India with Axis Bank as sole initial partner
Apple Pay has started in India through Axis Bank, limited to eligible Visa and Mastercard credit cards. RuPay cards and UPI are not supported, and larger banks are not part of the launch.
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The story, neutrally told
TechCrunch reported on 29 September, citing sources, that Apple was set to launch Apple Pay in India with Axis Bank as its initial banking partner. TechCrunchN “Apple is set to launch Apple Pay in India later Tuesday with Axis Bank as its initial banking partner” Read at TechCrunch ↗ Gulf News reported that the service has officially launched, on Wednesday, through the Axis Bank partnership. Gulf NewsN “The service launched on Wednesday through a partnership with Axis Bank” Read at Gulf News ↗ The rollout is limited: only eligible Axis Bank Visa and Mastercard cards work, and India's domestic RuPay network is excluded. TechCrunchN “Apple Pay will initially support eligible Axis Bank cards on Visa and Mastercard, but not India’s homegrown RuPay network.” Read at TechCrunch ↗ Gulf NewsN “only eligible Axis Bank Visa and Mastercard credit cards are initially supported” Read at Gulf News ↗
Apple Pay does not support the state-backed Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which dominates Indian digital payments; Gulf News cited an IMF report, via Reuters, putting UPI at 84 per cent of digital payment volumes. Gulf NewsN “UPI accounts for 84 per cent of India’s digital payment volumes, according to a 2025 International Monetary Fund report cited by Reuters.” Read at Gulf News ↗ TechCrunch's sources said acceptance will be limited to enabled merchants and terminals, so it may be uneven at first. TechCrunchN “Acceptance will also be restricted to merchants and payment terminals that have been enabled for the service.” Read at TechCrunch ↗ According to TechCrunch's sources, Apple is seeking a fee of about 20 basis points per transaction, and this is a sticking point with some large banks; HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and SBI Card are not expected to support it at launch. TechCrunchN “Apple is seeking a fee of about 20 basis points on transactions, according to the people”“HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and SBI Card are not expected to support Apple Pay at launch” Read at TechCrunch ↗
Gulf News noted that Reuters previously reported talks with HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank had not produced commercial agreements. Gulf NewsN “Reuters previously reported that Apple had held talks with larger rivals HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank, but had not reached commercial agreements.” Read at Gulf News ↗ Axis Bank is India's fourth-largest credit card issuer, with 16.3 million of about 124 million cards outstanding as of August, according to central bank figures cited by Reuters. How many of those cards are eligible has not been disclosed. Gulf NewsN “Axis Bank is India’s fourth-largest credit card issuer, with 16.3 million cards outstanding as of August”“Apple and Axis Bank have not disclosed how many of the bank’s cards are eligible for Apple Pay.” Read at Gulf News ↗ TechCrunch put the launch in the context of Apple's growing India business, citing a 28% share of India's smartphone market by value in 2025. TechCrunchN “Apple accounted for 28% of India’s smartphone market by value in 2025, up from 23% a year earlier” Read at TechCrunch ↗
Every sentence links to the reporting it rests on.
Left0 outlets
No left outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
Centre2 outlets
- Framing
- Both outlets present the launch as a limited first step into a market dominated by UPI. TechCrunch leads with the banks holding off and the commercial terms; Gulf News leads with the launch and its 'catch'.
- Emphasis
- TechCrunch: fee terms, big banks' reluctance, uneven acceptance, Apple's India business. Gulf News: consumer explainer covering who can use it, how it works, UPI and RuPay limits, and Axis Bank's card base.
- Leaves out or plays down
- Gulf News does not mention the reported 20 basis point fee or the reasons banks are holding off. TechCrunch, written before the launch, has no official confirmation and no Axis Bank card figures.
- Charged language
- “finally launches”“there's a catch”
- For example
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“Some of India's largest banks are holding off on supporting Apple Pay initially.” — TechCrunch
“But there’s a significant limitation at launch” — Gulf News
Right0 outlets
No right outlet in our sources has covered this story yet.
What every side reports
- Apple Pay is launching in India with Axis Bank as the initial partner
- Only eligible Axis Bank Visa and Mastercard cards are supported; RuPay is excluded
- Larger banks such as HDFC Bank and ICICI Bank are not part of the initial launch
- Apple Pay is card-based, unlike UPI
Where accounts differ
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Timing of the launch
- Centre
- TechCrunch, citing sources, said the launch would come on Tuesday 29 September; Gulf News said it launched on Wednesday 30 September.
Apple organisation
Apple did not respond to TechCrunch's request for comment; per Gulf News it says its service connects over 11,000 issuers and millions of merchants in more than 90 markets. TechCrunch's sources say it seeks a fee of about 20 basis points.
“Apple says its payment service now connects more than 11,000 issuers and millions of merchants across more than 90 markets.” — Gulf News
“Apple, Axis Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, and SBI Card did not respond to requests for comment.” — TechCrunch
North America1 outlet
TechCrunch reports from sources ahead of the launch, focusing on commercial terms and Apple's business interest.
“Apple’s commercial terms have also emerged as a sticking point with some of India’s largest banks” — TechCrunch
TechCrunch
Middle East1 outlet
Gulf News reports the launch as done and explains it for consumers, leaning on Reuters figures.
“giving Apple its first foothold in one of the world’s biggest digital payments markets” — Gulf News
Gulf News
Left0 articles
No coverage yet.
Centre2 articles
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Apple Pay set to launch in India with Axis Bank today, sources say
Neutral Sources-based scoop that stresses the limited rollout and the fee dispute with large banks.
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Apple Pay finally launches in India after years on the sidelines — but there's a catch
Neutral Explainer-style launch report that stresses the limits of the initial offering, with a mildly teasing headline.
Right0 articles
No coverage yet.
- 29 Sep 19:45 First TechCrunchN Apple Pay set to launch in India with Axis Bank today, sources say
- 30 Sep 16:04 +20h 20m Gulf NewsN Apple Pay finally launches in India after years on the sidelines — but there's a catch
Times are when each article was published, or when we first saw it if the outlet gave no time.