Apple has resumed accepting credit and debit card payments for Apple Account purchases in India after suspending the option in 2022, according to medianama.com. Eligible Visa and Mastercard cards can now be used for subscriptions like iCloud+, Apple Music, and App Store purchases. The phased rollout allows users to add these cards directly to their Apple Account for payments, restoring a payment method unavailable for over four years.
The suspension in 2022 followed changes in India’s recurring payments regulations introduced by the Reserve Bank of India in 2021. These rules required stronger authentication for recurring card transactions, tokenization of card credentials, and the discontinuation of direct card data storage by merchants and payment processors. Apple updated its backend systems to comply with these requirements, as confirmed by a source cited by medianama.com, enabling the gradual reintroduction of card payments for Indian users.
This move aligns with a broader trend of digital platforms adapting to country-specific regulatory frameworks. The RBI’s phased implementation had disrupted billing for many domestic and international companies until their systems were updated. Apple’s resumption of card payments reflects the company’s compliance with India’s evolving financial regulations and restores a popular payment option for millions of users who had relied on UPI, net banking, or Apple Account balance top-ups since 2022.
Apple has updated its support documentation to reflect the change, and the rollout will continue expanding to all eligible users. The RBI’s framework, which triggered this disruption, was implemented in phases starting in 2021, with Apple completing the necessary backend work to comply as of July 2026, medianama.com reports.