Apple Opens Contactless Payment Up to App Developers

Developers building applications for iPhones will be able to take advantage of Apple’s contactless transactions starting in the upcoming fall release of iOS 18.1, the company announced on Aug. 14. This means that apps could include custom in-person payments, corporate badges and other IDs, rewards cards, and more.

The new feature will be available to developers in Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the U.K., and the U.S.

Contactless payments such as Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay have become common for their ease of use, allowing people to tap their phone to make purchases. Likewise, near-field communication IDs may be used on college or corporate campuses to let people access buildings without carrying a physical key or ID. Some of Apple’s examples for developers include corporate uses, such as “bank card issuers, car key manufacturers, and transit operators.”

This news comes after Apple had previously announced it would open the NFC chip to third-party apps in Europe while adhering to the Digital Markets Act. In August, it was reported that Apple Intelligence may launch on EU Macs, bypassing DMA rules.

NFC is part of the Secure Element platform

How does this work?

Tap-to-transfer apps like Apple Pay use the Secure Element, a certified chip, to keep transactions secure by storing sensitive information. Developers will have access to NFC and Secure Element APIs to add, store, and present contactless cards for NFC from inside their iOS app.

Using NFC will enable developers to make an app that could be used as the phone’s default contactless app. Users would also be able to select the app manually. If needed, the NFC app running in the foreground can prevent the system default contactless app from activating.

Apple says the Secure Enclave, biometric authentication, and Apple servers combine to provide security for the contactless payments. The company also noted that the use of NFC for government IDs for developers will be supported at an unspecified date in the future.

How do I use the NFC and SE API?

Developers who want to build for NFC will need to have a commercial agreement with Apple. Once they do, they can request the NFC and SE entitlement, which gives them access to the API on iOS 18.1 and later on iPhone. There is a fee associated with the entitlement.

Apple provided a detailed guide to requesting access to the NFC & SE Platform and designing an NFC app on iPhone.