Apple faces US antitrust lawsuit over Apple Pay NFC access

Apple is facing legal and technical scrutiny regarding its Apple Pay service. In the United States, a class-action lawsuit has been permitted by a federal judge, with credit unions alleging that Apple’s control over NFC technology constitutes an antitrust violation. Plaintiffs claim Apple collects up to $1 billion annually in transaction fees by restricting competing payment services from accessing the iPhone's NFC chip.

In response to technological shifts, Apple has introduced updates in iOS 27 to redesign the Apple Pay checkout experience. The new interface allows users to switch between cards more easily and view key information such as rewards and balances. While Apple has recently opened NFC access in the EU and internationally via iOS updates, the company continues to face questions regarding its fee structures and market dominance.

Separately, consumer trends in Germany show that contactless payments have become a standard, with 87 percent of consumers using contactless bank or credit cards. While mobile payment methods via smartphones and smartwatches are growing, adoption rates vary significantly across different age groups.