Apple resumes card payment testing for App Store, iCloud in India after five-year gap

Apple is testing credit/debit card payments for App Store and iCloud purchases in India, working around RBI data-localisation rules via compliant card networks. A full Apple Pay launch remains stalled over commission and data-sovereignty concerns. Rollout expected in coming months.

— Filed Mon, 6 Jul, 2026, 20:54 IST · Source Financial Express · BrandWagon · Updated

Apple is testing credit/debit card payments for App Store and iCloud in India after a five-year pause, navigating RBI data-localisation rules via India-compliant card networks. Apple Pay's India launch remains stalled over commissions and data-sovereignty concerns.

Why this matters

Follows earlier reports of Apple restoring card payments for App Store and iCloud in India after a multi-year gap, and recent India pricing moves like the MacBook price hike tied to memory-chip costs.

Omni-channel activity holding steady with 751 signals over the past 90 days.