Apple has restarted the use for credit cards for App Store purchases and iCloud subscriptions in India, after a hiatus of nearly five years. The update is currently being tested with only a selected few users and will properly be rolled in the months ahead.
The return of card payments means Indian users will once again be able to pay directly using their credit/debit cards for App Store purchases, in-app transactions, iCloud storage subscriptions, and other Apple services, without relying solely on UPI or gift cards.
Why Did Apple Stop Card Payments in the First Place?
Apple discontinued credit and debit card payments for App Store purchases and recurring subscriptions in India after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced its card tokenisation framework. The regulations required merchants to stop storing customers’ card details and instead use tokenised credentials, a move aimed at improving payment security and reducing the risk of data breaches.
Rather than immediately adopting the new framework, Apple removed card payments as an option for users in India. Since then, customers have had to rely on UPI, NetBanking, and Apple Account balance to pay for their purchases.
While these payment methods work just fine for many users, the absence of direct card payments has always been felt—especially by those accustomed to automatic recurring subscriptions linked to their credit or debit cards.
The Comeback Story
After a gap of nearly five years, card payments are on their way back to Indian Apple users!
Apple has reportedly updated its payment infrastructure to support RBI-compliant card tokenisation. So now you have another payment option available to make expensive subscription payments and purchases once again.
The company is expected to make the feature available to all eligible users over the coming months.
The timing for this comeback is also interesting. Apple has been steadily expanding its presence in India and is working to strengthen its broader payments ecosystem in the country. There’s already talks of Apple Pay coming to India soon.
While the return of card payments for App Store and iCloud purchases is separate from the launch of Apple Pay, it signals Apple’s continued efforts to align its services with India’s payments landscape. It looks like they had to cave on this one!
For millions of Apple users in India, it’s going to be a welcome change. And for others who didn’t really care much about it—we are glad you stayed till the end of this article anyway!