Apple has announced it will soon grant third-party app developers in a number of locations access to its near-field communication (NFC) contactless payment technology.
The company says that starting with iOS 18.1, developers in the US, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and the UK will be able to offer in-app contactless transactions “from within their own apps on iPhone, separate from Apple Pay and Apple Wallet”, by leveraging its NFC technology and the Secure Element (SE) chip, which safely stores sensitive information on the device.
Following the release of the iOS 18.1 update, supported transactions will include in-store payments, closed-loop transit, corporate badges, car keys, event tickets, home and hotel keys, student IDs, and merchant loyalty and rewards cards. Apple also announced that support for government IDs is planned for the future.
The move comes after the European Commission earlier this year accepted commitments by Apple to open up access to tap-and-go technology on iPhones to several European nations for the next 10 years to settle an antitrust investigation by the commission.
Apple, which recently declared it was discontinuing its BNPL service in the US, adds that to offer NFC transactions, developers will need to enter into a “commercial agreement” with the firm and “pay the associated fees”.
The tech giant explains the fees will ensure only “authorised developers” who meet specific industry and regulatory requirements and adhere to Apple’s “ongoing security and privacy standards” can access the company’s technology.
