Vipps has officially launched support for contactless payments using iPhones in Norway, marking a significant milestone as the first third-party application globally to offer tap-to-pay functionality on iOS, similar to Apple Pay. Historically, only Apple’s own Pay and Wallet apps could utilize the NFC chip for contactless transactions. However, the recent iOS 18.1 update has expanded access to this technology for select regions, as previously announced by the company.
Contactless Payments Enabled by Third-Party Apps on iOS
The company reported that this new capability was made possible after Apple granted third-party developers access to the necessary hardware on iPhones, pursuant to an agreement with the European Union (EU). This change allows Apple’s devices to offer functionality previously exclusive to Apple Pay and Wallet through various third-party apps.
Beginning Monday, users in Norway can utilize the Vipps app on their iPhones for contactless payments. The company currently collaborates with 40 banks, including SpareBank 1 and DNB. The app facilitates transactions between Vipps users, in-store and online payments, and features for sending money gifts, payment requests, and transactions with organizations.
Third-party contactless payments on iOS
Photo Credit: Apple
To implement this contactless payment feature, Vipps collaborated with BankAxept and Thales, ensuring compatibility at around 90 percent of payment terminals in Norway that support BankAxept cards. The firm aims to introduce support for Mastercard and Visa cards “before the summer holidays,” according to translations from Norwegian sources.
Vipps users with compatible cards can now easily execute payments by positioning their iPhones near payment terminals. Furthermore, users can quickly access the app by double-clicking the side button. The app leverages Apple’s Secure Element microprocessor to facilitate secure contactless transactions.
This newly introduced capability was part of the updates included in iOS 18.1, which was made available to developers in several regions, including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand, the EU, the UK, and the US, all of whom can now integrate support for contactless payments on iPhones.
Rune Garborg, CEO of Vipps MobilePay, expressed enthusiasm over this development, stating, “We have fought for a long time to be able to compete on an equal footing with Apple. Therefore, it feels almost surreal to finally launch our very own solution. This will now be an unusually exciting battle between the world’s strongest brand and Vipps.”
