Apple is under growing pressure in the UK as regulators weigh rules that could force the company to allow app payments outside the App Store. If adopted, the change would give developers more room to steer users toward third-party payment systems and could also broaden competition around Apple Pay on the iPhone.
The issue matters on two levels. Developers have long complained about platform fees, while users may gain more payment choices if the new framework moves forward.
What the CMA is proposing
The UK Competition and Markets Authority, or CMA, has opened a consultation on new rules for Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store under the country’s digital markets framework. One of the key proposals would let developers direct users to payment methods outside those stores.
That matters because Apple is reported to block this practice today, while Google already allows it with several restrictions. The regulator says both companies would still be entitled to payment for the services they provide, but any charge for alternative payment methods should be fair, reasonable, and lower than existing app store commissions.
The CMA has also said developers should pass those savings on to consumers or reinvest them in innovation. In practice, that could mean lower costs, better offers, or more product development if companies decide to use the savings that way.
Why NFC access is part of the debate
The consultation is not limited to app checkout links. The CMA is also considering whether Apple should be required to widen access to near-field communication, or NFC, the technology used for contactless payments on iPhone.
If that happens, fintech firms and developers in the UK could build alternatives to Apple Wallet and Apple Pay inside iOS apps. The same access could also support account-to-account payments and newer technologies such as digital currencies.
For Apple, this would mark a meaningful shift in how tightly it controls payment experiences on the iPhone. Apple Pay and Apple Wallet currently serve as the main route for many contactless transactions inside the ecosystem.
Apple and Google are not in the same position
Google reportedly updated its Play Store terms earlier this month to allow developers to guide users to complete purchases outside the platform. The CMA plans to review that change before deciding later this year whether further obligations are still needed.
Apple, by contrast, is opposing the proposal. The company argues that opening external payment paths could weaken security protections and raise the risk of fraud.
Apple’s concerns include reduced transaction verification, misleading sales practices, and attempts to bypass parental controls. That leaves regulators focused on competition and choice, while Apple continues to emphasize stricter oversight as the safer model for users.
Commission pressure remains a major issue
Earlier this year, Apple and Google agreed to improve transparency in their app stores, including areas such as rankings, reviews, and developer access to platform features. But those changes did not address app store commissions, which can reportedly reach as high as 30%.
That is one reason alternative payment rules remain a priority for the CMA. The UK push also fits into a broader global trend, with the European Union, the United States, and Japan all examining similar concerns about app payments and the power of major digital platforms.
Apple has already opened NFC in some markets
Although the new UK rules could force a wider change, Apple has already expanded NFC access in certain markets through iOS 18.1 in 2024. That update allows authorized third-party developers to offer NFC-based transactions through their own apps using the Secure Element.
The supported uses include in-store payments, transit cards, digital keys, loyalty cards, and similar services outside Apple Pay and Apple Wallet. Even so, developers must still secure Apple’s approval and meet specific security requirements.
That makes the UK proposal less like a completely new idea and more like a regulatory push to extend access further. If the CMA moves ahead, Apple may be asked to open a payment layer on the iPhone that it has historically controlled very tightly.