Apple Won’t Accept Debit Or Credit Cards For App Store Purchases In India

Apple users in India are frustrated over the abrupt decline in credit and debit card usage on the App Store. Many users reported that the App Store no longer supports credit and debit cards for recurring payments. It leaves fewer options for users who use credit and debit cards for App Store payments.

The App Store allows transactions via Apple ID, UPI, and Net Banking in India. RBI’s new auto-debit rules are why Apple doesn’t support card payments in India anymore.

Why Apple India won’t accept card payments?

Apple is unable to make recurring payments for app subscriptions using credit and debit cards. Some users are even getting a “This card type is no longer supported” error message.

A statement from Apple’s Support published on April 18 states that “Regulatory requirements in India apply to the processing of recurring transactions. If you hold an Indian debit or credit card and you have a subscription, these changes impact your transactions. Some transactions might be declined by banks and card issuers. To continue enjoying your subscriptions, you can pay with your Apple ID balance. You can add to your Apple ID balance using App Store Codes, Net Banking, and UPI.“

What is RBI’s new auto-debit rule?

RBI issued an auto-debit rule which made it difficult for Apple to support debit and credit card payments. RBI has ruled that companies should include Additional Factors of Authentication (AFA)” for recurring transactions like subscriptions.

This way, users are notified about a recurring payment and they can greenlight the transaction. These additional factors of authentication are a hurdle for Apple because it thrives on recurring App Store subscriptions.

Adding one step more to compel the users to renew their subscription is the opposite of the automatic balance deduction system. So, Apple pulled the option of supporting credit and debit cards. Apple suggested its developers promote the usage of Apple ID balance for transactions. But users need to add balance to their wallets first. After that, they can enjoy recurring payments.

Moreover, this forces users to pay more in advance which they could have avoided by using credit cards. What’s your take on the abrupt removal of support for card payments in India? Will you use Apple ID or do you want the card payments to become active again? Share your thoughts in the comments.