Possible Cause: New iOS Version Regression (e.g., iOS 26.1)
If you recently upgraded your iPhone to iOS 26.1, 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, 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.
Workaround: Higher Success Rate When Adding USA NR Cards
Some users may experience issues specifically when adding a USA Non-Reloadable (NR) card to Apple Pay on an iOS device. This has also happened occasionally on our own test devices, and it may be related to a recent iOS regression (such as changes introduced in iOS 26.1), though this is not yet confirmed.
If your card is failing to add directly in the Wallet app on iOS, try this workaround:
If you have a MacBook or any other Apple Pay–enabled Apple device, try adding the card there first.
If the card is successfully added on that device, open the Wallet app on your iPhone.
Tap Cards Found for You, which shows cards added on other devices linked to your Apple ID.
Select your USA NR card and follow the prompts.
We’ve seen a much higher success rate using this method.