You may not need Apple Pay to tap and pay with your EU iPhone soon

Apple could soon let developers in the European Union use its tap-to-pay technology. A report from Reuters reveals that EU regulators could sign off on Apple’s proposal to open the payment system next month, putting a two-year-long legal battle to rest.

In 2022, the European Commission accused Apple of abusing “its dominant position in markets for mobile wallets.” It claimed Apple prevented third-party payment apps from using the iPhone’s NFC (near-field communication) hardware “to the benefit of its own solution,” Apple Pay.

The European Commission announced earlier this year that Apple committed to allowing third-party payment providers to freely use the iPhone’s NFC capabilities. Apple’s proposal would also give developers access to Face ID for user authentication and let iPhone users set third-party apps as their default payment option, Reuters reports.

The Commission is reportedly expected to accept Apple’s offer in May, but it has asked Apple to make some changes first. If approved, the proposal would remain in place for 10 years. We might not see these changes outside the EU, however, as Apple still hasn’t confirmed whether it will open NFC to developers located elsewhere.