Apple Pay gets its first rival after opening access to its ‘tap and go’ tech

Vipps Mobile Pay became the first alternative mobile payment app available for iPhone users.

Apple Pay marks its 10-year anniversary this year. During this time, the company also revealed that it would open its near-field communication (NFC) technology to competitors.

The decision was made after the European Commission stated that “Apple abused its dominant position by refusing to supply the NFC input on iOS to competing mobile wallet developers while reserving such access only to Apple Pay.”

The company then made some commitments, one of which was “to allow third-party wallet providers access to the NFC input on iOS devices free of charge, without having to use Apple Pay or Apple Wallet.”

The agreement between Apple and the institution was finalized in July 2024.

Now, Vipps, a Norwegian mobile payment application, has taken the opportunity to become the first application that iPhone users can use for contactless payments.

The application can be used for all types of payments, including sending money between users, paying in physical or online stores, sending money as gifts, raising money for various purposes, and more.

Vipps is now available for users of SpareBank 1, DNB, and over 40 other local banks. The application works on all card terminals that accept BankAxept – Norway’s national payment system – cards.

The company plans to expand the service to Visa and Mastercard cards, making it possible to use Vipps worldwide.

In 2025, Vipps will expand its contactless payment solution to Denmark, Finland, and Sweden.

Vipps Mobile Pay also works on Android smartphones.