NFC

With the launch of iOS 18.1 this fall, Apple will allow third-party developers to support NFC contactless transactions for payments and more. Right now, the NFC chip is locked down, and it's primarily only used for Apple Pay, but a number of new capabilities will be coming when Apple expands access to NFC. NFC Capabilities in Third-Party Apps With NFC access, banks will be able to offer...

Apple could benefit from a new wave of NFC technology upgrades after the NFC Forum this week published a roadmap outlining faster data transfers, new security standards, and expanded capabilities. The NFC Forum is the global standards body for Near Field Communication technology. Apple is a board member of the organization. The latest multi-year Technology Roadmap identifies six development...

A new UK class action lawsuit against Apple seeks billions in damages by alleging that the company unlawfully restricted competition in contactless payments on the iPhone through Apple Pay, The Guardian reports. The proposed opt-out collective action filed this week in the UK alleges that Apple abused its position in the market by limiting access to the iPhone's near-field communication...

Switzerland's competition authority has launched a preliminary investigation into whether Apple's terms for granting third-party access to NFC technology on iPhones violate its antitrust laws. The Secretariat of the Swiss Competition Commission opened the probe on December 10 to examine whether rival mobile payment apps can compete fairly with Apple Pay for contactless payments in stores. ...

Apple has announced the availability of Tap to Pay on iPhone in Hong Kong, allowing independent sellers, small merchants, and large retailers in the region to use ‌iPhones‌ as a payment terminal. Tap to Pay allows iPhones to accept payments via Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets‌‌‌. All transactions are encrypted, and Apple has no information...

Apple has announced that Tap to Pay on iPhone is now available in Singapore, providing a way for independent sellers, small businesses, and larger merchants in the country to use an ‌iPhone‌ as a contactless payment terminal. Tap to Pay first arrived in February 2022 in the US, and allows iPhones to accept payments via Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital...

The NFC Forum has announced NFC Release 15, which extends the operating range of Near Field Communication interactions by up to four times and enables faster, more seamless experiences. The NFC Forum is the global standards body responsible for Near Field Communication technology. NFC Release 15 increases the maximum operating range of NFC contactless connections from 0.5 centimeters to 2...

British fintech company Curve has launched contactless payments for iPhone users in the European Union, becoming the second third-party payment service after PayPal to take advantage of Apple's newly opened NFC interface (via iphone-ticker.de). The Curve Pay app allows users to make tap-to-pay purchases without using Apple Pay or the Wallet app, following PayPal's debut of similar...

PayPal today announced that it is planning to debut contactless payments in Germany, allowing German iPhone users to make tap-to-pay purchases in stores using their PayPal accounts. PayPal is able to offer this feature because Europe's Digital Markets Act has forced Apple to open up the NFC chip in its devices to third-party apps. NFC payments are available in apps without the need for Apple ...

Norwegian payment service Vipps has become the world's first company to launch a competing tap-to-pay solution to Apple Pay on iPhone, following Apple's agreement with European regulators to open up its NFC technology to third parties. Starting December 9, Vipps users in Norway can make contactless payments in stores using their iPhones. The service initially supports customers of SpareBank...

Apple today announced that developers will soon be able to offer NFC transactions in their own apps for the first time – something that is mostly exclusive to Apple Pay at present. Starting with iOS 18.1 later this year, developers will be able to offer in-app contactless transactions, separate from ‌Apple Pay‌ and Apple Wallet, using new APIs. This opens up new possibilities for in-store...

The European Union has accepted commitments from Apple to open its mobile payments system and give competitors access to the iPhone's NFC technology, bringing an end to a lengthy investigation by EU regulators into the technology. According to the announcement, Apple has agreed to open up its payments system to other providers free of charge for a decade. Apple will let users set a...

iPhones and Apple Watches could support multiple actions via NFC simultaneously in the future, the NFC Forum today suggested. The NFC Forum, the leading standards body for Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, today published its first overview of NFC Multi-Purpose Tap. The technology, which supports multiple actions with one tap, is designed to bring more convenience to various NFC use ...

Apple is set to conclude a lengthy antitrust investigation by the European Union into its mobile payments system by making significant concessions to give competitors access to the iPhone's NFC technology, the Financial Times reports. The European Commission charged Apple in 2022 with violating competition law, contending that Apple was preventing competitors from accessing its near-field...

As part of the changes introduced in Europe in iOS 17.4, Apple gave third-party payment apps and banks direct access to the NFC chip, allowing for non-Apple Pay tap-to-pay payment options. The European Commission is set to approve Apple's plan to open up tap-and-go mobile payments "as soon as next month," according to Reuters. With NFC access, banks and third-party payment apps can offer...

Apple has proposed opening its NFC payment technology to third-party developers in Europe, allowing direct rivals to Apple Pay to operate on the iPhone for the first time. Historically, the use of Apple's NFC chip in iPhones and Apple Watches for payments has been exclusively utilized by ‌Apple Pay‌, limiting the ability of banks and other financial services to offer their own contactless...

Apple has reportedly offered to open up the iPhone near-field communication (NFC) system that Apple Pay uses to other payment services, in a possible effort to forestall impending EU regulatory action. In a brief report Tuesday, Reuters said that Apple has offered to let rivals access the NFC system in iPhones, but it is not yet clear what Apple's proposal involves. Banks have complained...

In line with a report late last week, the European Commission today officially announced that it has issued a Statement of Objections to Apple over its restrictions that prevent third-party services from accessing the NFC capabilities of the iPhone, thereby restricting competition in mobile wallets on iOS. The statement is a preliminary view that will need to be confirmed with further...

Apple will be accused of breaking EU law by unfairly limiting access of its mobile payment system on iPhone to third-party service providers, such as PayPal and Venmo, according to the Financial Times, citing sources familiar with the matter. According to the report, Apple will be accused of "unfairly blocking groups such as PayPal and leading banks from accessing its mobile wallet system"...

Apple is working on a new payments service that will allow iPhones to accept payments directly on device with no additional hardware, reports Bloomberg. Right now, iPhones can accept credit cards with add-ons like the Square Reader, but Apple's new technology will eliminate the need for a third-party product. Individuals and small businesses will be able to accept payments with the tap of a...

The European Commission is planning to charge Apple with anticompetitive behavior with regards to Apple Pay, since it is the only payment service that can use the iPhone's Near-Field Communication (NFC) chip, Reuters reports. EU antitrust investigator Margrethe Vestager has been investigating ‌Apple Pay‌ since June last year, but the European Commission has since centered its focus on the...