EU antitrust regulators are seeking more information on Apple's mobile payment system, the European Commission said on Wednesday, a sign that the enforcer is looking to close any loopholes and boost its case against the iPhone maker.
The EU competition watchdog last year accused Apple of
restricting rivals' access to its tap-and-go technology, Near-Field
Communication (NFC), used for mobile wallets, making it difficult for them to
develop rival services on Apple devices.
EU antitrust regulators are seeking more information on
Apple's mobile payment system, the European Commission said on Wednesday, a
sign that the enforcer is looking to close any loopholes and boost its case
against the iPhone maker.
The EU competition watchdog last year accused Apple of
restricting rivals' access to its tap-and-go technology, Near-Field
Communication (NFC), used for mobile wallets, making it difficult for them to
develop rival services on Apple devices.
Apple declined to comment.
Apple has previously pointed to PayPal's success on its iOS
mobile operating system as an option for users as well as competition from
Danish rival MobilePay, Sweden's Swish and Belgium's Payconiq.
Norwegian mobile payment app and complainant Vipps said,
however, that alternatives to NFC are cumbersome and not competitive.
The commission's request for information to rivals and
retailers is unusual as it comes three months after Apple defended itself at a
February 14 hearing.
The regulator, which can fine Apple up to 10 percent of its
global turnover if found guilty of breaching antitrust rules, typically issues
decisions after such hearings.
Last month, Apple announced a new high-yield deposit account
with partner Goldman Sachs Group amid increased competition among financial
institutions for consumer dollars.
Apple said users of its Apple Card could earn 4.15 percent
on savings accounts, or 10 times higher than the national average, citing March
data from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation that showed consumers
earned an average of 0.37 percent on savings in bank accounts.
In March, Apple also launched its "buy now, pay
later" (BNPL) service in the US, a move that threatens to disrupt the
fintech sector dominated by firms like Affirm Holdings and Swedish payments
company Klarna.
The service, Apple Pay Later, will allow users to split
purchases into four payments spread over six weeks with no interest or fees,
the company said. It will initially be offered to select users, with plans of a
full roll-out in the coming months. © Reuters