EU rules force Apple to allow third-party NFC access.
PayPal has launched its tap-to-pay feature for iPhone users in Germany, allowing contactless payments at terminals that support Mastercard.
The rollout follows pressure from the European Union under the Digital Markets Act, which forced Apple to open up its NFC chip to third-party apps.
Currently, the feature is exclusive to iPhones and does not support Apple Watch. It mirrors earlier moves by other apps like Norway’s Vipps, which began using Apple’s newly accessible NFC hardware late last year.
Apple has also started expanding NFC access globally, enabling developers to integrate in-app payments and allowing businesses to accept contactless payments via iPhones using third-party apps like Venmo and PayPal Zettle.
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