Apple no longer accepts debit, credit card payments in India

Tech giant Apple has stopped accepting payments for subscriptions via debit and credit cards in India. It essentially means that Indian credit or debit cardholders no longer be able to buy apps and subscriptions from Apple, such as iCloud+ and Apple Music, or purchase any media content from Apple with their Indian credit or debit cards.




Apple makes it mandatory for new iPhone or iPad users to create an Apple ID while setting up the device, and they are also required to provide bank details. Apple’s support page currently shows that the company only supports netbanking, UPI, and Apple ID balance as the three options to receive payments.

These changes have come about as a result of the new auto-debit rules of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), which came into effect last year and are disrupting recurring online transactions. Through an Apple Support page updated on April 18, the company recommends users add funds to the Apple ID balance to continue enjoying subscriptions. The page notes:

“Regulatory requirements in India apply to the processing of recurring transactions. If you hold an Indian debit or credit card and you have a subscription, these changes impact your transactions. Some transactions might be declined by banks and card issuers,” the company said on its support page detailing the update.

Also Read: RBI hikes interest rate by 40 bps to 4.4 pc, first since May 2020

Several Apple users took to Twitter to complain about the removal of the credit and debit card option from the payment methods Apple accepts in India for purchases using Apple ID.

If existing Apple iPhone users have already added their debit or credit details, the ‘Payment and Shipping’ section in the Settings menu shows “[card] not supported”.