The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority is officially moving to crack open the walled gardens of mobile app stores. Regulators launched a formal consultation on Tuesday outlining draft conduct requirements for Apple and Google. The goal is to give developers the freedom to steer users toward alternative payment options outside the iOS App Store and Google Play. But the biggest hardware shakeup targets Apple directly. The CMA is pushing to compel the iPhone maker to open up its Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. This would allow third-party creators to bake contactless payments straight into their own iOS apps without relying entirely on Apple Pay.
It all traces back to the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024. That legislation went live on January 1, 2025. By October 2025, the CMA had officially tagged both tech giants with Strategic Market Status. That specific label gave regulators the legal teeth to step in and enforce market competition. And now they are using it. Any steering fees charged by Apple or Google for off-platform transactions must be fair, reasonable, and noticeably lower than current steep commission rates. Will Hayter, the CMA’s executive director for digital markets, specifically pointed to competitive pressure as the driving force behind the draft rules.
How the Proposed Changes Impact Your Devices
If these conduct requirements stick, the day-to-day experience of using a smartphone in the UK could look entirely different. Here is the step-by-step breakdown of what developers might soon be able to build:
- Independent Digital Wallets: Fintech startups could create their own tap-to-pay apps on the iPhone.
- Direct Account Payments: You might pay for a streaming subscription or a game directly through your bank inside an app, bypassing the standard iOS payment sheet.
- Stablecoin Integration: Crypto developers could theoretically build contactless cryptocurrency transactions right into native software.
What Open NFC Means for the UK Fintech Sector
The implications here stretch far beyond simple app store fees. Independent UK fintech developers are positioned to be the biggest winners if Apple is forced to uncouple its NFC chip from Apple Pay. Right now, contactless functionality on an iPhone is a highly restricted, heavily guarded hardware pipeline. Opening that gate means developers can finally build independent digital wallets and account-to-account payment systems that rival native Apple services. We could see a sudden rush of alternative stablecoin transaction apps hitting the UK market. The regulatory framework established back in 2025 is finally resulting in physical hardware compromises.