The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority on 20 October 2026 opened a consultation on proposals that would require Apple to give other businesses access to the iPhone’s contactless technology, known as near field communication (NFC), on terms it says must be commercially viable.
The CMA says contactless now makes up 39% of all UK payments, against 3% a decade ago, and that not a single firm has launched a wallet-type product in the UK to compete with Apple’s. The consultation closes on 17 November 2026.
Business Pill · CONCENTRATION
A one-minute explainer of concentration: when a few big pieces make up most of a total. It teaches the general idea only and says nothing about Apple or the CMA.
The key insight: As we read it, the CMA is targeting two things at once: which contactless standards Apple must open, and what it can charge for them, since it says access needs to work “both technically and commercially”.
The CMA says its proposals address two barriers: “giving businesses access to the technologies they need and ensuring that access is available on terms which allow viable business models to develop.”
On technology, the proposals “would require Apple to provide access through the main contactless technology standards used internationally.” Patently Apple identifies these as Secure Element and Host Card Emulation. The CMA says evidence it has seen suggests that “neither technology raises inherent security concerns.”
On price, the CMA says it “is not proposing to set the price and terms of contactless functionality access.” It has instead proposed principles for how fees should be set, with the expectation that charges would be “substantially lower”.
Contactless payments as a share of all UK payments: 3% a decade ago and 39% today, according to the CMA, which says no firm has yet launched a rival wallet-type product in the UK. Circles drawn to scale by area. Source: CMA press release (20 Oct 2026).
Patently Apple published an article on X summarising the CMA’s proposals and Apple’s response. This piece cites it for the two standards, Secure Element and Host Card Emulation, and for Apple’s statement that it opposed an approach with weaker privacy and security protections.
The UK Against the EU
The CMA draws the contrast with Europe directly. It says that “Just six months after Apple agreed to provide NFC access for payments in the EU, Vipps launched the first alternative payment app, followed by PayPal, Klarna, Curve, and BBVA.” In the UK, it says, no firm has yet launched a rival wallet.
The regulator puts the UK fintech sector at around £214 billion in turnover and more than 360,000 jobs. It says more than 60% of UK adults now use a digital wallet, with Apple Wallet the most popular.
CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell said: “We have heard that high fees, strict terms, and technical restrictions relating to Apple’s contactless technology make it too difficult for challengers to innovate and compete.” The FCA’s David Geale said improved access and “substantially lower fees should create greater competition and more choice for consumers and businesses.”
What Apple Says
According to Patently Apple, an Apple spokesperson said the company opposed requiring an approach with weaker privacy and security protections, and pledged continued engagement with British regulators. Apple argues that its Secure Element architecture offers strong safeguards for payment credentials, the report says.
Connecting the Coverage
Apple’s dealings with European regulators keep surfacing in our coverage. On 13 October we reported that Apple’s $299 HomeView is not available for sale in the European Union, with Apple saying it is “working constructively with the EU in an attempt to find a path forward.”
On 19 October we reported that Apple’s purchase of assets from Samplab, which the register describes as a developer of audio editing tools, appeared in the European Commission’s Digital Markets Act list of acquisitions.
The Structural Read
As we read it, the CMA leans on the EU as its evidence: it says Vipps launched the first rival payment app six months after Apple agreed to NFC access there, while in the UK no firm has launched a wallet-type product to compete with Apple’s.
As we read it, the CMA is setting principles rather than a price: it says it is not proposing to set the price and terms of access, but expects charges to be substantially lower.
As we read it, the uses the CMA lists go beyond payments, to digital IDs, car, hotel and workplace keys, and tickets and travel passes.
CMA chief executive Sarah Cardell, 20 October 2026
“These proposals open the door to more innovation, more choice and economic growth, including in the UK’s important fintech sector”
Three Implications
TWO STANDARDS The CMA would require Apple to give access through the main contactless standards used internationally.
FEES SET BY PRINCIPLE The CMA says it is not proposing to set prices, only principles, with charges expected to be substantially lower.
A DEADLINE The consultation closes on 17 November 2026, and the CMA says a final decision follows once responses are assessed.
The framework says: “Close the SCARCE layer (keep proprietary) + Open the ABUNDANT layer (commoditize)”.
As we read it, contactless access on the iPhone is a layer Apple controls in the UK through its current fees and access terms, and the CMA’s proposals would open it further. The framework was published in March 2026 and does not discuss Apple Pay.
What Is Not Established
These are proposals under consultation, not a final decision; the CMA says a final decision will be made after responses are assessed. The fee level is not set, and we have not read Apple’s full response, only Patently Apple’s account of it.
The CMA wants Apple to open the iPhone’s contactless chip to rivals through both main international standards, at fees it expects to be substantially lower, and it points to the EU, where Vipps launched the first rival payment app six months after Apple agreed to NFC access, followed by PayPal, Klarna, Curve and BBVA. Apple says it opposes an approach with weaker security, according to Patently Apple.
A note on sourcing. This piece is built on the CMA’s press release of 20 October 2026, read in full, Patently Apple’s article on X for Apple’s response, and our own earlier pieces on Apple. All figures are the CMA’s; we have not read the consultation documents or Apple’s full statement. Nothing here is financial or investment advice.
Gennaro Cuofano is a CRO and tech executive who has worked in AI since late 2015, starting with bringing NLP, natural-language generation, voice and chatbot products to the marketing industry. His background is in law and finance: he holds a Master's degree in Law and an International MBA with an emphasis on corporate finance (LUISS Business School and the University of San Diego, 2012), and worked as a financial analyst at a real-estate investment firm in San Diego and as an assistant controller. His work focuses on business model strategy, business engineering and, more broadly, structural analysis: how companies make money, read from their own filings. He created FourWeekMBA and leads research there and at The Business Engineer, his newsletter on AI and business strategy, with over 95,000 subscribers and more than 1,000 published analyses. His writing has also appeared on Entrepreneur (for example, How to Digitize a Family Business in Europe) and HackerNoon. Find him on LinkedIn and Substack. See how we source.
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