Apple has begun a phased rollout of card payments for Apple Account purchases in India, restoring an option that was suspended in May 2022 due to the Reserve Bank of India's new recurring payments framework. Users can now add eligible Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards to pay for iCloud+, Apple Music, and App Store purchases. The change required Apple to implement backend support for tokenized card credentials and stronger customer authentication as mandated by Indian regulations. The move reflects a broader trend of Apple adapting its services to country-specific regulatory requirements, similar to changes made in the EU, Japan, and South Korea. The restoration may also reignite speculation about an eventual Apple Pay launch in India.
