EU accepts Apple’s pledge to give rivals access to iPhone’s ‘tap to pay’ technology to resolve antitrust case

LONDON — The European Union said on Wednesday it was accepting Apple’s pledge to give rivals access to its “tap to pay” iPhone payment system as a way to resolve an antitrust case and avoid a hefty fine.

The European Commission, the EU’s executive arm and chief antitrust enforcer, said on Thursday it accepts the commitments made by Apple earlier this year and will make them legally binding.

In 2022, the Commission accused Apple of abusing its dominant position by restricting access to its mobile payment technology.

In response, Apple proposed in January to allow third-party mobile wallets and payment service providers to access the contactless payment features on its iOS operating system.

After Apple modified its proposals following the tests and feedback, the Commission said it “concluded that Apple’s final commitments would address its competition concerns.”

The changes Apple is making will be in place for 10 years and will apply to all 27 EU countries, as well as Iceland, Norway and Liechtenstein. They will also be monitored by a trustee.

Apple said in a statement that it is enabling European developers to enable contactless payments and transactions for a range of apps, while its Apple Pay and Apple Wallet services will continue to be available to users and developers.