In July 2024, Apple promised third-party wallets 10 years of free NFC access in the EU. On October 20, 2026, the UK Competition and Markets Authority proposed lowering fees for access to iPhone contactless payments.

Key takeaways

  • In July 2024, Apple committed to provide third-party wallet developers with free NFC access in the EU for 10 years.
  • Apple’s August 2024 iOS 18.1 Secure Element announcement referred to “associated fees,” but the cited coverage published no fee schedule.
  • Norwegian payments service Vipps launched an iPhone wallet alternative in December 2024.
  • On October 20, 2026, the UK Competition and Markets Authority proposed lower fees for access to Apple’s contactless technology.
  • The CMA’s consultation on the proposed UK contactless-access changes was scheduled to run until November 17, 2026.

Norwegian payment service Vipps launched an Apple Pay alternative on iOS in December 2024 after Apple opened NFC access to developers. A rival wallet could ship; this was not merely a right described in a regulatory document.

The free pledge and the fee-bearing route have different scopes

European policymakers were considering rules to give payment rivals iPhone NFC access in 2020. Coverage of Apple’s July 2024 EU settlement described free NFC access for third-party wallet developers for 10 years. The commitment addressed the barrier that had prompted years of scrutiny: whether rivals could reach the iPhone’s contactless interface at all.

In August 2024, Apple said iOS 18.1 would let developers offer contactless transactions through the iPhone Secure Element, separately from Apple Pay and Wallet. That route keeps protected credential handling within the iPhone. Coverage of it cited “associated fees” but gave no fee schedule. The EU commitment and the Secure Element announcement describe different access arrangements. The cited reports do not establish whether a developer covered by the free EU commitment would pay fees on the other route, or which route Vipps uses.

Vipps proves a wallet can launch, not what entry costs

Vipps shows that an alternative wallet can reach customers on an iPhone. The available reports do not disclose what Vipps pays, its credential-provisioning terms or its default-wallet status. Those details matter to the next entrant: it must be able to set up protected payment credentials and give users a dependable way to pay with them. Vipps’s launch supplies no comparable set of terms for another wallet.

The CMA took up fees after a rival launched

Nearly two years after Vipps launched, Reuters reported on October 20 that the CMA proposed easier access to Apple’s contactless technology and lower access fees, with a consultation running until November 17. The report gives no proposed fee rate or schedule, so it cannot establish what an entrant would save. The proposal also concerns UK access; it does not show that Apple charges developers under its free EU commitment.

Frequently asked questions

What broader Apple and Google issues was the CMA already examining?

On January 24, 2025, the CMA opened investigations into Apple’s and Google’s mobile ecosystems. The stated scope included mobile operating systems, app stores and browsers.

Does a CMA Strategic Market Status designation itself establish wrongdoing?

No. The CMA said its Strategic Market Status designation is not a finding of wrongdoing and does not trigger immediate changes.

Which Google services received Strategic Market Status from the CMA?

The CMA designated Google Search and search advertising services with Strategic Market Status on October 11, 2025. The designation excluded Gemini.

Key dates in iPhone contactless access

  • July 2024 — Apple committed to 10 years of free NFC access for third-party wallet developers in the EU.
  • August 2024 — Apple said iOS 18.1 would enable contactless transactions through the iPhone Secure Element, with associated fees cited in coverage.
  • December 2024 — Vipps launched an Apple Pay alternative on iOS.
  • October 20, 2026 — The CMA proposed easier access to Apple’s contactless technology and lower access fees in the UK.
  • November 17, 2026 — The CMA consultation was scheduled to close.

The CMA’s consultation came after a rival wallet had reached the iPhone. That launch answers whether an alternative can ship. It cannot tell the next UK entrant what access will cost.