Apple Pay vs Samsung Pay: Supported Banks, UPI, Cards and Every Key Difference Explained

Apple Pay is finally here. Starting today, it's available in India on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch, with Mac support coming soon. For iPhone users who have watched friends with Galaxy phones tap to pay for years, this is a big moment.

But Samsung got here a long time ago. Samsung Pay launched in India on March 22, 2017, and it has kept adding India-specific features since. So how do the two compare today? Here's the full breakdown.

Apple Pay vs Samsung Pay: quick comparison

Where Apple Pay falls short right now

Apple's launch is careful and secure, but it's narrow. Here's what's missing today.

• Just one bank- Only Axis Bank-issued Visa and Mastercard credit cards can be added at launch. HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank and SBI Card are not on board yet, as commercial talks are still going on, according to TechCrunch.
• No debit cards- If you don't own an Axis credit card, you can't use Apple Pay at all right now.
• No UPI- This is the big one. UPI handles most of India's digital payments, and Apple Pay instead targets the much smaller card payments market.
• No RuPay- Apple Pay doesn't support India's own RuPay network, which rules out a large number of cards issued here.
• Terminal support may vary- Apple says it works anywhere that accepts NFC payments, but MacRumors noted that some merchants and payment terminals may need to add support first, so it might not work at every contactless counter.

Where Apple Pay does well

To be fair, Apple has got some important things right.

• Smooth online and in-app checkout- You can pay in apps and on websites without creating accounts or typing card and address details again and again. Samsung announced online payments with saved cards last year, but Apple Pay's in-app checkout is more established and built right into apps and Safari.
• No PIN or OTP at checkout- Apple says in-store taps don't need an extra app, PIN or OTP.
• Strong privacy. Your actual card number isn't stored on the phone or Apple's servers, and Apple doesn't share it with the merchant. Apple also doesn't keep transaction data that can be traced back to you.
• Works on older iPhones- You need an iPhone XR or later on iOS 18, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later.
• Big merchants on day one- Launch partners include Apple Stores, Blinkit, Croma, Reliance brands, Tata 1mg and Zomato, and payment companies like Razorpay, PayU, Paytm, Pine Labs and Cashfree are bringing it to their merchant networks.

How Samsung built a nine-year head start

Samsung understood Indian shops early. In 2017, most counters still had old swipe machines, not tap-to-pay terminals. So Samsung leaned on MST, a technology that copies a card swipe by sending magnetic waves from the phone to a regular card reader. Samsung said at the time that most Indian shops already had magnetic card readers that worked with MST, which made Samsung Pay a good fit for India.

It didn't stop at cards either. Samsung Pay let users add Paytm wallets from the start, and UPI support was part of the plan from launch. Over the years, Samsung added UPI, wallets, gift cards, FASTag recharge and bill payments, along with a Scan QR feature built for India.

The bank list has grown a lot too. Samsung started with five banks in 2017, and today, Samsung Wallet supports cards from more than a dozen issuers, including HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, SBI Card, Kotak, IndusInd, RBL Bank, Yes Bank, DBS and AU Small Finance Bank. Apple Pay, by comparison, starts with just Axis Bank.

The updates have kept coming over the past year:

• Since September 24, Samsung Wallet users can make UPI payments with their fingerprint instead of a UPI PIN, for amounts up to Rs 10,000.
• Samsung is the first phone maker to let users set up UPI through Samsung Wallet while setting up a new Galaxy phone.
• Samsung Wallet also supports forex cards for tap to pay, which helps on foreign trips.
• Saved credit and debit cards can now be used for online payments, not just tap to pay.
• The app can also store digital keys, boarding passes, tickets and ID cards.

Samsung isn't perfect here either. RuPay cards can be linked for UPI, but tap to pay still works only with Visa and Mastercard.

Which one should you use?

What happens next for Apple Pay

This is day one, and Apple Pay will definitely grow. Apple says more merchants and apps will be added over time, and bank talks with the big three are ongoing. Even if it stays niche, iPhone users in India tend to be more affluent and more likely to carry premium credit cards, which is exactly who Apple Pay is built for.

Apple has also looked at UPI before. Back in 2023, TechCrunch reported that Apple was working on a local version of Apple Pay that would run on UPI. That hasn't arrived yet, and until it does, and until more banks join, Samsung Pay remains the more complete option for most Indians.

FAQ

Can I use Apple Pay with my HDFC or ICICI card?
Not yet. Only Axis Bank credit cards work at launch.

Does Apple Pay support UPI in India?
No. Apple Pay works only with cards for now.

Which iPhones support Apple Pay in India?
iPhone XR and later running iOS 18 or newer, and Apple Watch Series 6 or later.

Which banks support Samsung Pay in India?
More than a dozen, including Axis, HDFC, ICICI, SBI Card, Kotak, IndusInd, RBL, Yes Bank, DBS, Standard Chartered and AU Small Finance Bank.

When did Samsung Pay launch in India?
March 22, 2017.

Does Samsung Pay support RuPay cards?
Only for UPI payments, not for tap to pay.