UK Regulator Presses Apple And Google To Open App Payment Routes
The UK Competition and Markets Authority has proposed letting app developers direct users to alternative payment options and is also considering NFC access requirements, but final fees and compliance timing remain unsettled.
CMA Proposal Targets App Payment Steering
The UK Competition and Markets Authority has proposed changes that would let app developers direct users toward alternative payment methods inside Apple and Google mobile ecosystems.
The proposal targets restrictions that stop developers from telling users about other ways to pay.
Will Hayter, the CMA executive director for digital markets, said the regulator wants developers and users to have more choice over how they communicate and transact.
The regulator said the intervention is intended to add competitive pressure in mobile platforms where Apple and Google hold strategic market status.
Steering Fees Would Need To Sit Below App Store Charges
The CMA said any steering fees should be lower than current app store charges.
It also said savings should return to British consumers or be invested in developers’ businesses.
The proposal does not remove all app-store economics at once.
Apple and Google could still face a fee structure, but the regulator said those fees should not undermine the benefit of letting developers point customers toward other payment options.
NFC Access Could Affect UK Fintech Apps
The regulator is also designing a potential requirement that would permit developer access to near field communication functionality.
The CMA said businesses had raised concerns that high fees and strict terms had limited access to NFC features.
NFC access would matter for UK fintechs and developers that want to support contactless transactions from inside iOS apps.
The CMA cited card-based payments through digital wallets and said future payment methods could include account-to-account payments, digital currency and stablecoin services.
Consultation Leaves Final Requirements Undecided
The app-payment proposal sits inside the UK digital markets competition regime.
The CMA said the consultation also covers how mobile platforms rank apps, review submissions, write developer terms and control access to platform features.
Apple and Google have not received a final payment-steering order in the disclosed proposal.
The CMA has not set final steering-fee levels, named a compliance deadline or confirmed the final NFC access requirement for developers.
