UK Regulators Target Apple Pay to Foster Competition in Contactless Payments

10/21/2026

Current Apple offering for third-party contactless payments not working, says CMA, as it proposes lower fees, broader technical access

10/21/2026

If you pay for an item using the contactless tech on any of the best iPhones, you’re locked into Apple’s way of doing things. But the UK government’s competition regulator — the Competition and...

10/21/2026

The UK CMA proposes that Apple open iPhone contactless payments to rival wallets via SE and HCE, with much lower fees. Apple disagrees.

10/20/2026

The Competition and Markets Authority said its proposals would result in "substantially lower access fees" and easier access to Apple's contactless technology, opening the market to competition...

10/20/2026

APPLE-BRITAIN-REGULATION:Britain seeks to break Apple's grip on contactless payments

10/20/2026

Apple Pay Britain’s Competition and Markets Authority has launched a consultation that would compel Apple to loosen control of the iPhone’s near-field communication (NFC) technology used for...

10/20/2026

Apple still makes it too hard for third-party developers to launch alternatives to Apple Pay, despite loosening its grip on access to the NFC chip embedded in iPhones. That’s the claim made by the...

10/20/2026

Unlike European rivals such as PayPal and Klarna, British firms face strict tech restrictions and high fees that block alternative wallet apps.

10/20/2026

High fees, strict terms, and technical restrictions in the EU are said to be holding up wider third-party adoption of the NFC chip in an iPhone, and the UK is instead looking for easier access,...