Is MasterCard banned in India?
Isabella Bartlett
Updated on January 18, 2026
India's central bank banned Mastercard after declaring it "non-compliant" with the country's 2018 rules that required foreign card networks to store Indian payments data locally for "unfettered supervisory access".
Is Mastercard still banned in India?
Meanwhile, RBI's ban on American Express and Mastercard continues. Along with Diners, RBI had barred another US-based payment system operator American Express. In July 2021, RBI had also restricted Mastercard for non-compliance with its local data storage norms.Is Mastercard accepted in India?
Visa and Mastercard are widely accepted in India — especially in the country's major metropolitan areas, like New Delhi and Mumbai. Large establishments, hotels, restaurants, shops and most online retailers allow you to pay by credit card, and some even accept American Express and Discover.Why is Mastercard not in India?
The RBI acted against Mastercard because it was "found to be non-compliant" with the 2018 rules despite the "lapse of considerable time and adequate opportunities".Is Mastercard ban lifted?
“In view of the satisfactory compliance demonstrated by Mastercard with the RBI circular dated April 6, 2018 on Storage of Payment System Data, the restrictions imposed, vide order dated July 14, 2021, have been lifted with immediate effect,” the RBI said.Gravitas: Explained: India's Mastercard Ban
Has RBI lifted ban on Mastercard?
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Thursday lifted the ban imposed on Mastercard and allowed the card network to onboard new customers for debit, credit, or prepaid cards, as it is satisfied with the company's compliance with the storage of payment data norms.Is American Express accepted in India?
Nearly all merchants in India that accept credit cards accept Visa and MasterCard, and most accept American Express.Why Mastercard is closed?
US-based Mastercard will not be allowed to issue new debit, credit cards from tomorrow, 22 July, after Reserve Bank of India (RBI) earlier banned indefinitely barred the company's cards for its failure to comply with data storage norms.Why is Mastercard closed?
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has barred Mastercard from issuing new cards as the company failed to comply with the central bank's data localisation policy.Why is RBI banning Mastercard?
Earlier on July 14, the Reserve Bank of India had restricted Mastercard from acquiring new customers from July 22, 2021, due to the company's non-compliance with local data storage rules. “The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has today imposed restrictions on Mastercard Asia / Pacific Pte. Ltd.Does Mastercard still exist?
It didn't acquire the name Mastercard until 1979, but it has since expanded to make up a significant share of the U.S. market. Today Mastercard offers many different types of credit cards, and these cards are accepted in more than 210 countries and territories around the world.Which banks use Mastercard?
Here are a list of some of the largest credit card providers that use MasterCard:
- Amazon.
- Aqua.
- Capital One.
- Halifax.
- John Lewis.
- Lloyds Bank.
- M&S Bank.
- MBNA.