The United Kingdom’s competition regulator thinks Apple needs to do more to help out its Apple Pay Rivals, and it has proposed some changes to make it easier and cheaper for Apple Pay competitors to offer alternatives to Apple Pay on the iPhone in the UK, reports Reuters.
The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) says Apple’s fees and restrictions make it too difficult for rivals to launch contactless payment apps. The authority’s proposals are designed to open up iPhone contactless technology, which it says could boost innovation, lower costs and help UK fintechs grow. The proposals would offer developers more ways to access the iPhone’s NFC technology that allows users to pay for a product or service by simply holding their device near a payment terminal.
While Apple opened up NFC access to third-party developers in the UK back in 2024, the companies must still sign n agreement with Apple and pay fees to the Cupertino firm. They are also required to use the iPhone’s Secure Element, which is a chip that stores sensitive information such as payment credentials.
The CMA proposals would require Apple to provide access through the main contactless technology standards used internationally by offering support for host card emulation (HCE), an alternative that lets payment apps work without using the Secure Element. It also wants to put rules in place that it says would substantially lower Apple’s access fees, while still allowing the company to charge.
There is a precedent for such a move, as Apple has already offered HCE access for free in the European Union since 2024. The CMA says rival payment apps have since flourished in the EU, while no competing wallet-type product has launched in the UK under Apple’s current terms.
Apple for its part told Reuters that developers can already offer contactless services using its technology, and that the company does “not believe the CMA should require Apple to adopt an approach with lower privacy and security protections. We will continue to engage constructively to reach an outcome that is in the best interest of our users.”
The proposals are open for consultation until November 17, 2026, after which the UK CMA will review the responses and make a final decision.
