There is good news for iPhone and other Apple device users in India.
After nearly five years, Apple has reportedly started accepting credit and debit card payments again for its services.
This means users can once again pay directly with their cards for purchases on the App Store, iCloud+, Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and other Apple services.
Why Did Apple Stop Card Payments?
Apple stopped accepting card payments in India at the end of 2021 after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced new card tokenization rules.
Under these rules, companies could no longer store customers’ actual card details. Instead, they had to use a secure digital token for every card.
Since Apple had not updated its payment system to meet these requirements at the time, it removed the option to pay with credit and debit cards.
Users had to rely on UPI, net banking, or other payment methods to continue their subscriptions.
According to reports, Apple has now updated its payment system to comply with RBI’s tokenization rules, allowing card payments to return.
What Changes for Apple Users?
If your Visa, Mastercard, or RuPay card supports tokenization, you can now add it to your Apple account and use it for payments.
This makes it easier to:
Buy apps from the App Store.
Pay for in-app purchases and games.
Renew iCloud+ storage plans.
Subscribe to Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple Arcade.
Manage recurring subscriptions with automatic card payments.
Users who previously had to pay manually every month or depend on UPI AutoPay will find the process much more convenient.
What Is Card Tokenization?
Card tokenization is a security feature introduced by the RBI to make online payments safer.
Instead of storing your 16-digit card number, a unique digital token is created for each card.
This token is used during transactions, keeping your actual card details protected even if a website or app experiences a data breach.
Feature Rolling Out in Phases
Apple has not officially confirmed the rollout yet, but reports suggest the feature is being introduced gradually.
If you don’t see the option to add your credit or debit card on your iPhone right now, there’s no need to worry.
Apple is rolling out the feature in phases, and it should become available to more users over the coming days.
Once enabled, paying for Apple services in India will become much simpler, especially for users who prefer using credit or debit cards instead of UPI.
