UK Regulator Wants Apple to Open iPhone NFC to Rival Wallets

The UK Competition and Markets Authority has proposed requiring Apple to open iPhone NFC access to third-party contactless payment providers. Engadget The proposal was issued for consultation on 20 October 2026. The consultation closes on 17 November 2026, with a final decision after responses are assessed.

Under the proposal, Apple would open Wallet access to the main contactless standards used internationally. The CMA expects charges for NFC access to be substantially lower than Apple's current fees. The CMA said Apple's fees and rules are blocking UK fintechs and other businesses from innovating and growing. The requirement is not final. It would apply to Apple's mobile platform under the UK digital markets competition regime.

The CMA reported that 39 percent of all UK payments now use contactless technology, with Apple Wallet the most popular choice. It stated that not a single firm has launched a wallet-type product to compete with Apple in the UK, unlike in the EU.

Apple said it does not believe the CMA should require Apple to adopt an approach with lower privacy and security protections.

The NFC proposal sits inside a wider programme of platform intervention. The CMA is consulting on new conduct requirements for Apple and Google under the UK digital markets competition regime. GOV.UK On 20 October 2026, Reuters published a report titled 'Britain seeks to break Apple's grip on contactless payments' about the proposals. Reuters A prior Reuters report on 30 June 2026 said the regulator had proposed easing Apple and Google app store payment rules to open the stores to rival payments.

For engineers, part of the groundwork is documented. Apple describes its NFC & SE Platform as a secure solution that enables authorized developers to offer capabilities from within their iOS app. Apple Developer Apple introduced APIs for NFC transactions using the Secure Element on iPhone, a tamper-resistant chip that stores payment credentials, like a locked safe inside the phone. Separately, iOS 17.4 or later includes APIs for contactless transactions using host card emulation (HCE), where credentials live in software.

Secure Element and HCE transactions differ in where credentials live and how the radio transaction is authorized. Fees, the entitlement process, and access to default wallet behavior and double-click gestures will affect whether a third-party wallet can match Apple Wallet on latency and reliability. The CMA proposal addresses price and standards access directly.

The practical question here is cost for UK fintech teams, not radio capability. If pricing falls and Wallet opens to international standards, a bank could ship tap-to-pay inside its own app without routing through Apple Wallet. That reduces dependency on one intermediary for provisioning, transaction flow, and customer relationship.

In my view, the consultation reads as procurement logic as much as competition policy. Contactless is now core payments infrastructure in the UK. Opening the NFC path would shift competition to fraud controls, provisioning speed, offline handling, and user experience. Those are areas where UK fintechs have executed well with stable APIs and predictable terms. What matters after 17 November is not only whether the requirement is confirmed, but how the CMA defines authorized access, fee methodology, and standards scope.