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Regulatory
European Commission accepts Apple commitments to open iPhone NFC to rival wallets
EU
What happened
On 11 July 2024 the European Commission accepted legally binding commitments from Apple to settle its mobile-wallet antitrust case: Apple must give third-party wallet developers free access to iPhone NFC via HCE APIs, allow setting a non-Apple wallet as default, and provide access to features such as Face ID and double-click, applying fair, transparent and non-discriminatory criteria. The commitments cover the EEA, run for ten years and are overseen by a monitoring trustee.
Why it matters
iPhone NFC exclusivity had been a structural barrier to bank- and scheme-led wallets in Europe; opening it (reinforced by the DMA) lets initiatives like Wero, girocard, CB and bank wallets compete for in-store NFC, reshaping the wallet layer above the card schemes.
What to watch
Which third-party wallets actually ship NFC tap-to-pay on iPhone in the EEA, adoption versus entrenched Apple Pay, and whether EPI/banks use the opening for in-store Wero.
Sources
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