India’s payment rules forced Apple to rebuild part of its checkout system.
Apple begins restoring credit and debit card payments for Apple Account purchases in India after updating its payment infrastructure to comply with the country’s card tokenization rules. TechCrunch reports that eligible users are gradually regaining the ability to use Visa and Mastercard cards for App Store purchases, subscriptions, and other Apple services.
The rollout marks the end of a four-year payment restriction. The event also highlights how local regulations are increasingly forcing global technology companies to redesign products and services for individual markets.
A four-year halt comes to an end
According to TechCrunch, Apple suspended support for direct credit and debit card payments for Apple Account purchases in India in May 2022 after the country began implementing the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) card tokenization and data localization framework. The requirements forced Apple and other companies to process payment data under India’s regulatory framework while prohibiting merchants from storing customers’ actual card details.
Apple’s withdrawal created space for alternatives, including UPI, net banking, and Apple Account balances, to serve as intermediaries for Apple users in India to pay for iCloud+, Apple Music, and other App Store purchases.
The company is reversing course after making the backend changes needed to support India’s payment requirements. The feature is rolling out gradually, allowing eligible users to once again directly add Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards to their Apple Account for digital purchases and subscriptions.
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How national rules are reshaping global platforms
While this is a welcome development for millions of Apple users in India, the news also points to a broader trend that has been taking shape over the past few years.
Governments are increasingly requiring technology companies to adapt products, services, and infrastructure to regional rules rather than offering the same approach in every market. Fable 5’s restrictions and several other regulatory measures imposed by different regions on technology companies all point to this trend.
As a result, technology companies now have to create different versions of their platforms to serve specific audiences, as mandated by government policies that are also subject to change at any time. For users of these technology platforms, that could mean an increased risk of previously global features and services being suddenly cut off based on where they live.
Also read: For a closer look at what’s next from Apple, including the rumored foldable iPhone, M5 Macs, Apple Watch upgrades, and new smart home devices, check out our complete guide to Apple’s 2026 product roadmap.