UK consults on wider iPhone contactless technology access

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority is consulting on proposals to give businesses broader and more commercially viable access to contactless technology on Apple's iPhone. Its October 20 announcement addresses near field communication, or NFC, used in services such as payments, passes and digital keys.

The authority says businesses have raised concerns about fees, terms and technical restrictions. Those are the regulator's reported concerns and grounds for consultation, not a final decision that the proposed conduct requirement has taken effect.

Technology choice and pricing principles

The proposals would require access through the main contactless standards used internationally. The CMA says access must work commercially as well as technically so challengers can develop viable services.

The authority is proposing principles for determining charges and terms rather than directly setting a price. It expects substantially lower access fees than Apple's current arrangements, while fairly rewarding Apple for providing access. That expected outcome is not an announced price reduction already available to consumers.

Consultation precedes a final decision

Responses are due by November 17, 2026, and the CMA says it will make a final decision after assessing them. The proposals concern the UK mobile-platform market; they do not establish an identical change in India or every jurisdiction.

The immediate opportunity is for affected parties to examine the official consultation and respond. New wallets, digital IDs, tickets or keys discussed in the announcement are possible uses of improved access, rather than products the consultation itself has launched.

Source: UK Competition and Markets Authority. Adapted and translated from Crown copyright material under the Open Government Licence v3.0: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/ . This is not an official government translation or endorsement.