Apple reaches agreement with EU Commission regarding Apple Pay payment service
Other providers, such as the planned payment service Wero from German banks, will from now on be able to compete with Apple Pay in merchants using iPhones, EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager stated. "Consumers will therefore have a greater selection at their disposal."
Up until now, iPhone users could only use Apple's service for contactless payment with their devices. By doing so, Apple had allegedly abused its dominant position as an iPhone manufacturer and given its own service an unfair advantage, Vestager emphasized.
According to the Commission, Apple has agreed to make the necessary NFC interface available for competitors. Apple may not charge fees for this from competitors. The commitments are legally binding from July 25 for ten years and apply in all EU countries, as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway.
There are ongoing proceedings against Apple in Brussels. The Commission estimates that Apple violates European competition rules with its App Store, for example. The company must comply with the Digital Markets Act (Digital Markets Act, DMA) since March, with which the EU aims to limit the market power of so-called gatekeepers - that is, gatekeepers - of the internet.
Margrethe Vestager, the EU Competition Commissioner, announced a billion-dollar fine against Apple for alleged anticompetitive practices. apple has agreed to make its NFC interface available to competitors without charging fees, which will enable other payment services like Wero to compete with Apple Pay. This decision by the European Commission in Brussels will expand consumer choices and promote fair competition in the EU, Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. The fine and the commitments are binding for ten years, and Apple must also comply with the Digital Markets Act (DMA) to limit its market power.
