Apple has started bringing back card payments for Apple Account purchases in India, more than four years after removing the option due to changes in the country’s payment regulations.
The phased rollout allows eligible users to add Visa and Mastercard credit or debit cards to pay for App Store purchases, iCloud+, Apple Music, and other Apple subscriptions.
Apple stopped accepting card payments in May 2022 after India introduced stricter rules for recurring online payments. Since then, customers have relied on UPI, net banking, and Apple Account balance to pay for digital purchases and subscription renewals.
The return of card payments follows Apple’s efforts to update its payment systems to comply with India’s regulatory requirements. Under the Reserve Bank of India’s framework, merchants must use stronger authentication for recurring transactions, tokenize card information, and avoid storing customers’ card details. These rules disrupted subscription billing for many companies until they upgraded their payment infrastructure.
The feature is rolling out gradually and will become available to more eligible users over time. Apple has also updated its support documentation to reflect the return of card payments for Apple Account purchases in India.
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