How to Set Up Apple Pay on iPhone in India: A Step-by-Step Guide

Apple launched its contactless digital payments service, Apple Pay, in India on Wednesday. The company has partnered with Axis Bank, a Mumbai-based financial institution, to bring tap-to-pay via Apple Pay to the country. It arrived in India 12 years after it was first launched in the US in September 2014. With its expansion to India, Apple Pay is now available in more than 90 countries and regions. Including Axis Bank, the contactless payment service now works with over 11,000 banks and network partners globally. You can now add an eligible credit card to Apple Wallet on your iPhone for tap-to-pay transactions.

If you are also wondering how you can set up Apple Pay on your iPhone in India, here's a step-by-step guide for you to help you with it.

What Is Apple Pay?

As previously mentioned, Apple Pay is the iPhone maker's proprietary contactless payment service, which lets users to make transactions by tapping their Apple device on a point-of-sale (PoS) device to make payments. It eliminates the need for you to carry your physical credit cards. This reduces the chances of you losing your original card or damaging it. It also makes it easier for you to manage credit and debit cards, as you can carry multiple cards digitally.

However, in India, Apple Pay only supports Axis Bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit cards. However, the company is expected to onboard more banks and debit card issuers in the future. Apple Pay uses Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. Hence, you can tap-to-pay using your iPhone, Apple Watch, or iPad at an eligible PoS which also has a compatible NFC-enabled device. Apple plans to bring Apple Pay support to Mac devices in India soon.

You can add your Axis Bank-issued credit card if you have an iPhone XR or newer model running iOS 18 or later software version. Similarly, Apple Pay will work for Apple Watch Series 6 and newer smartwatches with watchOS 11 and later versions.

Apart from making contactless payments, Apple Pay also lets users make in-app purchases and make payments on e-commerce platforms using their eligible credit card directly. It is secured by Face ID, Touch ID, and the device passcode.

How to Set Up Apple Pay on iPhone in India

1. Unlock your compatible iPhone.
2. Open the Wallet app on your compatible iPhone.
3. Now, tap the plus sign appearing at the top of the screen.
4. A new screen will appear. Here, click on the Debit or Credit Card option.
5. Then, place your iPhone on the back of your eligible Axis Bank-issued credit card.
6. Alternatively, you can tap on the Enter Card Details Manually button to enter your card's details.
7. Here, type your full Name and Card Number, along with your credit card's expiry date and security code.
8. Now, tap the Continue button to add the card to your Apple Wallet.
9. Then, follow the on-screen instructions to finish the setup process.
10. Once your Axis Bank-issued credit card has been added to your Apple Wallet, you can use it to tap and pay at compatible PoS.

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