Apple has made a legally binding commitment to allow more third-party mobile payments and e-wallets to be used in response to the European Commission's request.Can use iPhone's NFC functionLater, when the iOS 18.1 beta version was released to developers earlier, it also began to allowDevelopers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, and JapanIt can use the NFC and secure elements in the iPhone to create applications such as mobile payments, digital keys, transportation cards, point cards, digital tickets, and even digital ID cards.
Compared to the past where mobile payments on iPhone could only be made through Apple Pay and Apple Wallet functions, after reaching an agreement with the European Commission, Apple allowed the relaxation of relevant API usage specifications, allowing more third-party mobile payments to directly use the iPhone's built-in secure element and NFC functions.
Not only can developers in the EU now more easily access the iPhone's built-in secure element and NFC functions to create application services including mobile payments and digital IDs, this update also allows developers in more regions to conveniently use iPhone functions to create related application services, thereby giving rise to more convenient mobile payment services.
Apple has actually allowed developers to access the NFC function on the iPhone a long time ago, but when it comes to financial transactions, there are often strict conditions involved, making it difficult for most third-party e-wallets and mobile payments to conduct contactless transactions through the built-in NFC function of the iPhone. Payment can only be made through methods such as QR Code.
Since 2020, the European Commission has been investigating Apple's use of the iPhone's built-in NFC function, which was questioned as being too stringent. The Commission initially determined that Apple currently has a certain scale of influence in the mobile device market, and therefore believed that Apple's approach has made Apple Pay the only service on the iPhone that can complete payment transactions using NFC sensing. Therefore, it believes that Apple is involved in a monopoly.
Therefore, in the subsequent agreement reached with Apple, Apple will agree to open up access to the iPhone's built-in NFC function to third-party mobile payment and e-wallet operators, and will be able to sense and complete payments like Apple Pay.
