Apple Now Accepting UnionPay as Payment Option for App Store Customers in China - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Apple Now Accepting UnionPay as Payment Option for App Store Customers in China

unionpay logo Apple today announced that it is now accepting UnionPay as a payment option for App Store customers in China. Established in 2002, UnionPay is the most popular payment card company in China with over 4.5 billion cards issued. With today's announcement, users can simply link their UnionPay debit or credit card for easy purchases.

“The ability to buy apps and make purchases using UnionPay cards has been one of the most requested features from our customers in China,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. “China is already our second largest market for app downloads, and now we’re providing users with an incredibly convenient way to purchase their favorite apps with just one-tap.”

The acceptance of UnionPay in the App Store is the latest move by Apple to expand its presence in China. The company is also in talks with major Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba over a China-focused payments partnership, which could see the Alipay electronics payment service integrate with Apple Pay. Discussions between the two companies were acknowledged by Alibaba Executive Vice Chairman Joseph Tsai and Alibaba founder Jack Ma.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.4 Adds Two New Features to CarPlay

Tuesday March 24, 2026 1:55 pm PDT by
iOS 26.4 was released today, and it includes a couple of new features for CarPlay: an Ambient Music widget and support for voice-based chatbot apps. To update your iPhone 11 or newer to iOS 26.4, open the Settings app and tap on General → Software Update. CarPlay will automatically offer the new features so long as the iPhone connected to your vehicle is running iOS 26.4 or later....
Apple Business hero

Apple Unveils 'Apple Business' All-in-One Platform

Tuesday March 24, 2026 8:53 am PDT by
Apple today announced Apple Business, a new all-in-one platform that unifies device management, productivity tools, and customer outreach features. The service is designed to be a consolidated replacement for several of Apple's existing business-focused offerings, including Apple Business Essentials, Apple Business Manager, and Apple Business Connect. It provides organizations with a single...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Tuesday March 24, 2026 12:31 pm PDT by
Apple today released new firmware for the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and the AirPods 4. The firmware has a version number of 8B39, up from 8B34 on the AirPods Pro 3, 8B28 on the AirPods Pro 2, and 8B21 on the AirPods 4. There is no word on what's included in the firmware, but Apple has a support document with limited notes. Most updates are limited to bug fixes and performance...

Top Rated Comments

OriginalMacRat Avatar
148 months ago
Come on Discover!!!!

You need a REAL credit card. :p
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lincolntran Avatar
148 months ago
You need a REAL credit card. :p

He'll have to discover that on his own #
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
scbn Avatar
148 months ago
I believe UnionPay is a joint venture of all the major banks in China; that's why everybody has a number of UnionPay cards. Most people don't have Visa/Mastercard (or any Western credit card) in China as the Chinese financial markets are tightly controlled by the government. So this is a big deal for Apple because more people are expected to be able to download paid apps.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
148 months ago
You need a REAL credit card. :p

shopdiscover + cashback bonus says differently
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
148 months ago
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
148 months ago
What did they accept before?
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)