Apple settles EU probe by opening up its mobile payments system

Enlarge (credit: Maskot | Maskot)

In two weeks, iPhone users in the European Union will be able to use any mobile wallet they like to complete “tap and go” payments with the ease of using Apple Pay.

The change comes as part of a settlement with the European Commission (EC), which investigated Apple for potentially shutting out rivals by denying access to the “Near Field Communication” (NFC) technology on its devices that enables the “tap and go” feature. Apple did not develop this technology, which is free for developers, the EC said, and going forward, Apple agreed to not charge developers fees to provide the NFC functionality on its devices.

In a press release, the EC’s executive vice president, Margrethe Vestager, said that Apple’s commitments in the settlement address the commission’s “preliminary concerns that Apple may have illegally restricted competition for mobile wallets on iPhones.”