Possible Cause: New iOS version glitch (e.g., iOS 26)
If you recently upgraded your iPhone to iOS 26, this change may temporarily impact the ability to add new cards to Apple Pay. In past versions, we have seen similar behavior when users upgraded to iOS 18 — the issue often resolved itself after a subsequent minor update.
Important note: This doesn’t mean that everyone on iOS 26 will be unable to add cards. In fact, many people (ourselves included) have succeeded. However, if you’ve just performed the update and are unable to add a card, this is one possible cause.
What to do:
Wait for the next minor iOS patch (e.g., 26.x) and try again.
Meanwhile, could you confirm that your device meets all other requirements (region support, bank support, up-to-date iOS, passcode/Face ID/Touch ID enabled, etc.)
If the issue happens to persist long after updates, please check with your card issuer to figure out bank-side issues.