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

M5 Vision Pro Thumb 2

Apple Has Given Up on the Vision Pro After M5 Refresh Flop

Wednesday April 29, 2026 11:31 am PDT by
Apple has all but given up on the Vision Pro after the M5 model failed to revitalize interest in the device, MacRumors has learned. Apple updated the Vision Pro with a faster M5 chip and a more comfortable band in October 2025, but there were no other hardware changes, and consumers still weren't interested. The Vision Pro has been criticized for its high price tag and its uncomfortable...
Four iPhone 18 Pro Colors Mock Feature

iPhone 18 Pro to Launch in September With These 10 New Features

Tuesday April 28, 2026 9:35 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not launching until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. It was initially reported that the iPhone 18 Pro models would have fully under-screen Face ID, with only a front camera visible in the top-left corner of the screen. However, the latest rumors indicate that only one Face ID component will be moved under the...
airpods pro 3 design

'AirPods Ultra' Rumored to Feature a Major Upgrade Over AirPods Pro

Thursday April 30, 2026 8:40 am PDT by
In a social media post this week, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reiterated that Apple is planning to release new AirPods with cameras "for Siri." Last month, Gurman said these AirPods will likely be priced above the current AirPods Pro 3, which Apple sells for $249. As a result, he said Apple is likely considering using "AirPods Ultra" branding for the camera-equipped AirPods. "AirPods Ultra"...

Top Rated Comments

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

You need a REAL credit card. :p
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lincolntran Avatar
150 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
150 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)
150 months ago
You need a REAL credit card. :p

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