The Digital Markets Act (DMA) from the European Union has mandated Apple to provide developers with enhanced access to the iPhone’s NFC reader, a change that was rolled out with iOS 17.4 earlier this year. The Norwegian payment service “Vipps” is the first to leverage this new API, enabling users to process NFC payments directly through its iPhone application.
Vipps is the pioneering app to offer NFC payments for iPhone users
As reported by Tek.no, the recent update to the Vipps app allows iPhone users to make contactless transactions in stores using their cards without needing to exit the app or utilize Apple Wallet. Users have the option to set Vipps as the primary app, so double-clicking the side button opens Vipps instead of Wallet.
Currently, Vipps supports only Bankaxept cards, part of Norway’s national payment system. However, the platform indicates that it will introduce support for Visa and Mastercard “in a few months,” enabling users to make contactless payments with Vipps globally.
“For years, we’ve been advocating to compete on equal terms with Apple, and it feels almost surreal to finally launch our own solution. This sets the stage for an exciting competition between the world’s biggest brand and Vipps,” stated Rune Garborg, CEO of Vipps MobilePay.
In August, Apple announced plans to extend the capability for third-party applications to act as NFC wallets to additional countries. With the release of iOS 18.1 in October, the NFC & SE Platform API became accessible to developers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
This API allows developers to create wallet applications that handle payments, digital keys, IDs, and even tickets. Apple highlights that the API utilizes the iPhone’s Secure Enclave to safeguard that all data is handled securely.
For further information regarding the NFC & SE Platform API, visit the Apple Developer website.
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