UK regulator proposes easier access for Apple Pay rivals
The CMA wants Apple to offer UK developers wider NFC access and lower fees, potentially opening the door to rival wallets and contactless services.
The UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has proposed changes that could make it easier for rival payment apps to use contactless technology on the iPhone. The regulator says Apple's fees, technical restrictions and contract terms make it difficult for UK fintechs to build competing wallets and other contactless services. 1
The proposals would require Apple to offer access through both of the main contactless standards used internationally: the Secure Element (SE), which stores information on the device, and host-based card emulation (HCE), which stores data off-device. Apple currently offers SE access to developers in the UK, while the CMA wants businesses to have a choice of both approaches. 1
The CMA also expects the proposals to bring substantially lower access fees, although it is not proposing to set a fixed price. Instead, it wants principles that would make access commercially viable while still allowing Apple to be fairly rewarded for providing it. The regulator says neither SE nor HCE is inherently insecure based on the evidence it reviewed. 1
That could matter beyond payments. The CMA says wider access could help companies develop digital wallets, account-to-account payments, digital IDs, travel passes, loyalty services and digital keys. It points to the European Union, where alternative payment apps including Vipps, PayPal, Klarna, Curve and BBVA have launched after Apple agreed to provide NFC access for payments. 1
Apple told Reuters that developers can already offer contactless services using its technology, and said it did not believe the CMA should require an approach with lower privacy and security protections. The UK regulator's consultation is open until 17 November 2026, after which it will consider responses before making a final decision. 2
Our opinion
The important part of this proposal is not simply whether another wallet app appears on the iPhone. It is whether UK developers can build payment, travel and identity services without having to accept terms that make launching commercially unrealistic. The CMA's consultation still has to survive evidence, negotiation and a final decision, so this is a possible change rather than a new feature arriving immediately. But putting SE and HCE on the same table gives challengers a clearer route to compete, while leaving the security argument open to scrutiny rather than treating it as settled.