Apple resumes App store card payments in India after RBI compliance: Here's what changed

Apple has resumed support for debit and credit card payments for App Store and iCloud transactions in India after a five-year hiatus. The feature is currently being tested with a select group of users and is expected to roll out more widely over the coming months.

Apple had discontinued card payments in India in 2021 after the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) introduced its card tokenisation and revised recurring payment rules. Since then, UPI and net banking have remained the only payment options for App Store purchases and iCloud subscriptions in the country. After updating its payment infrastructure to comply with the RBI's regulations, Apple has now begun restoring debit and credit card support.

Why did Apple discontinue debit and credit card payments?

Apple stopped accepting debit and credit card payments for users with Indian Apple IDs after the RBI introduced stricter rules for recurring online transactions. Under the new framework, merchants are required to register fresh e-mandates for recurring payments and implement additional authentication measures, including two-factor verification and customer approval for every recurring charge. Payments above Rs. 5,000 also require users to authenticate the transaction using their CVV and a one-time password (OTP).

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Rather than immediately adopt the revised framework, Apple discontinued card-based recurring payments for App Store purchases and subscriptions in India.

To remain compliant with the RBI's regulations, Apple shifted to UPI and net banking as the primary payment methods for App Store and iCloud transactions. These have remained the only supported payment options in India since the policy change. Apple is also reportedly working on integrating UPI AutoPay to enable seamless recurring subscription payments while complying with the RBI's e-mandate requirements, although the feature is still awaiting the necessary regulatory clearances.