Apple Pay is finally in India: Can you use it on your next trip abroad?

Apple Pay has launched in India, initially allowing users to add eligible Axis Bank Visa and Mastercard credit cards to their iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches. But the service is not limited to payments within India. Users can also use these cards abroad at merchants that accept contactless NFC payments, provided international transactions are enabled on the card.

How will Apple Pay work abroad?

Apple Pay does not work like UPI. It stores a tokenised version of a debit or credit card on the device. When a user taps an iPhone or Apple Watch at a contactless terminal, the payment is processed through the card network, such as Visa or Mastercard.

This means an eligible Indian card added to Apple Pay can be used in another country wherever the merchant accepts contactless card payments. Apple says cards added to Apple Pay can be used “anywhere that accepts NFC transactions.”


The payment will be treated as an international card transaction. The card issuer may apply foreign-exchange charges, currency-conversion fees or other applicable fees.

What should you check before travelling?

Before leaving India, users should check whether international transactions are enabled on their card. They should also confirm their international spending limit and understand the foreign-exchange charges applicable to the card.

The overseas merchant must support contactless payments. A card machine that accepts only chip-and-PIN or cash may not support Apple Pay. Apple says users can make payments in shops, restaurants, petrol stations, taxis and other locations displaying the contactless payment symbol.

Travellers should also carry a physical card as a backup. Apple Pay may not work if the phone battery runs out, the merchant’s terminal has a connectivity or compatibility problem, or the card issuer blocks the transaction.

Could Indians use Apple Pay abroad before its India launch?

Yes, but only in certain situations.

Before Indian banks supported Apple Pay, an Indian user could add an eligible card issued by a bank in a country where Apple Pay was available. For example, a person holding a US, UK, Singapore or UAE-issued card could use that card through Apple Pay, subject to the bank’s approval and usage rules.

The user’s nationality was not the main condition. Apple Pay depended on whether the card came from a participating card issuer and whether the card was supported in the relevant country or region.

Most India-issued cards, however, could not be added because Indian banks had not yet enabled them for Apple Pay.

What has changed after the India launch?

The India launch means users no longer need a foreign-issued card to use Apple Pay. Eligible Axis Bank Visa and Mastercard credit cardholders can now add their Indian cards to Apple Wallet and use them for contactless payments in India and abroad.

Apple Pay does not currently make UPI payments work overseas. It uses the supported card added to the wallet. Therefore, its international use will depend on the card’s acceptance, the merchant’s contactless terminal and the card issuer’s international transaction rules.