trending
British fintech Curve has become the latest player to disrupt Apple’s long-held dominance over iPhone tap-to-pay functionality.
Curve challenges Apple monopoly
In a move made possible by the European Union’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), Curve has launched NFC payments for iOS, offering iPhone users a robust alternative to Apple Pay for the first time.
Until recently, Apple’s proprietary control over the iPhone’s NFC chip prevented any third-party wallets or banking apps from offering contactless payments, effectively locking consumers into the Apple Pay ecosystem.
But following a July 2023 ruling by the European Commission — which addressed competition concerns — Apple agreed to open its NFC interface to rivals across the European Economic Area (EEA), paving the way for wallet innovation on iOS.
Curve Ball
Curve, which already supports Android users, is now bringing its distinctive financial experience to iPhone owners across the EU.
The firm’s solution goes beyond simple tap-to-pay.
Curve Pay consolidates multiple cards into a single digital wallet, allowing users to switch the funding source after purchase, split transactions, stack rewards, and gain real-time insights into their spending habits.
“The payments ecosystem has long been a closed shop,” said Shachar Bialick, Curve’s founder and CEO.
“With Apple finally opening its doors to competition, Curve Pay gives iOS users the freedom to manage their finances on their terms — with all the smart features our platform brings.”
Curve claims to be the first fintech in Europe to offer this level of NFC-enabled functionality on iPhones, though that status may be contested by Norway’s Vipps, which rolled out a competing service in late 2024.
PayPal, too, launched its own iPhone NFC payments feature earlier this month in Germany.
What sets Curve apart is its “staged wallet” infrastructure, which operates independently of traditional card tokenisation methods.
This design grants greater control and transparency, as well as direct integration with other payment sources, including PayPal.
Users benefit from automatic cashback and categorised analytics — features typically absent from native wallet apps like Apple Pay.
The move could signal a broader shake-up in mobile payments across the EEA.
German cooperative banks are planning their own NFC-capable payment solution this autumn, signalling rising demand for platform-agnostic alternatives.
With more than 6 million users to date, Curve’s expansion onto iOS represents a milestone not only for the company, but also for the competitive landscape of European mobile payments.
The age of Apple’s unilateral control is ending — and consumer choice is finally gaining ground.
Comments