Third-Party iPhone Apps Will Soon Offer Tap-to-Pay

Third-party apps will soon gain access to the iPhone's advanced NFC and tap-to-pay functionality. Additionally, Apple will allow you to choose which NFC app opens when you double-tap the iPhone's power button.

Plenty of iOS apps offer basic NFC functionality, such as the ability to write NFC tags, read chipped passports, or unlock NFC-protected doors. But advanced functionality, including tap-to-pay, is locked behind the iPhone's "Secure Element" chip—an environment that runs NFC-based applets and contains sensitive user data. By sequestering this stuff away from other parts of the iPhone, Apple can more effectively protect users' credit card details and other critical data.

Hardware security is great. But as the European Commission notes, Apple has used security as an excuse to lock third-party apps out of the Secure Element. Banks and transit companies are not allowed to build tap-to-pay into their iPhone apps. Digital hotel keycards, gym membership cards, and high-security doors that utilize advanced NFC applets for user authentication (to prevent people from copying keys) are also barred from the iPhone outside of some very niche Wallet integrations.

Now, Secure Element is opening. Advanced third-party NFC functions will arrive on the iPhone later this year. It's a move that should greatly benefit iPhone users, particularly those who already rely on NFC transactions for public transit or building access. We may also see increased support for tap-to-pay at some businesses, including Walmart, which has refused to pay the fees associated with smartphone wallet apps.

And, just to be clear, this decision is not limited to the EU (although it's probably inspired by recent EU regulations). Apple is opening the Secure Element in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Brazil, New Zealand, and Japan, too.

But there are some things to note. First, some users are concerned that banks will drop support for Apple Wallet and force their customers toward crappier tap-to-pay apps. This doesn't seem a problem on Android, and banks or lenders that leave Apple Wallet will miss out on transactions from hardcore Wallet users, so this may be a baseless worry.

More notably, developers that want to access the Secure Element must pay a fee and sign a "commercial agreement" with Apple. While an approval process is arguably a good thing (random apps or malware shouldn't be able to access Secure Element), fees may discourage certain app developers or businesses from taking up the endeavor.

Secure Element access will open with the iOS 18.1 update later this year. It may take a few months for third-party apps to complete the approval process and gain access.

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