UK iPhone owners could one day tap to pay with wallets other than Apple Wallet. On October 20, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) proposed that Apple open the iPhone’s contactless NFC chip on both main technical standards. It also wants Apple’s access fees to come down sharply. Nothing changes yet, because the consultation runs until November 17, 2026.
The CMA points to the EU as a test case. There, after Apple opened NFC for payments, Vipps launched the first rival app within six months. PayPal, Klarna, Curve and BBVA followed. In the UK, no firm has launched a rival iPhone wallet, the CMA says.
What the CMA’s iPhone NFC proposal would require
Contactless payments on phones work through two standards. Host-based card emulation (HCE) stores payment data off the device. Secure element (SE) stores it on the device itself. In the UK, Apple currently offers only SE.
The CMA wants Apple to provide access through both. It says the evidence it has seen suggests neither standard raises inherent security concerns.
On fees, the regulator won’t set a price. Instead, it has proposed principles for what Apple can charge. The CMA expects charges substantially lower than Apple’s current fees, while still fairly rewarding Apple for providing access.
Payments aren’t the only possible use. The CMA lists account-to-account payments, digital IDs, travel passes and digital keys as products rivals could build.
“We have heard that high fees, strict terms, and technical restrictions relating to Apple’s contactless technology make it too difficult for challengers to innovate and compete.”
— Sarah Cardell, Chief Executive of the CMA
The proposal is a conduct requirement under the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. It follows the CMA’s designation of Apple as having Strategic Market Status for its mobile platform. David Geale of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) welcomed the steps. He is the FCA’s Executive Director for Consumers, Payments and Competition.
Why tap-to-pay on iPhone matters in the UK
The CMA cites UK Finance figures showing contactless made up 39% of all UK payments in 2025. A decade earlier, it was 3%. Research by Which? in 2026 found 62% of UK adults use a digital wallet, with Apple Wallet (50%) being the most popular.
For a reader, the practical upside is choice. A bank, transit operator or ID provider could offer its own tap-to-use app on iPhone. That only happens if the rules go through and firms decide the fees are worth paying.
Apple pushes back
Apple rejected the proposal in a statement reported by 9to5Mac. It said it doesn’t believe the CMA should require it to adopt an approach with lower privacy and security protections. Apple added that it will continue to engage constructively with the regulator.
That privacy and security argument sits directly against the CMA’s view. The regulator says the evidence it has seen points to no inherent security problem with either standard. The consultation is where those claims will be tested.
What happens next
The consultation closes on Tuesday, November 17, 2026. The CMA will make its final decision after assessing the responses. Until then, iPhone payments in the UK work exactly as they do today.
The CMA has also been looking at Android. It has proposed a yearly search choice screen on Android that would include AI assistants.
Sources: CMA / GOV.UK, 9to5Mac
