[frb]

> Apple will work closely with leading payment platforms and app developers across the payments and commerce industry to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone to millions of merchants in the US.

Is it just me feeling that Apple is again playing gatekeeper to iPhone APIs and hindering true competition by "working with leading platforms" aka. the big players, like Stripe or PayPal, essentially leaving startups and smaller players disadvantaged.

Why not just finally open the NFC API?

[dagmx]

They do that when they're concerned about bad actors or want to prove out the API first with a controlled set of people who are willing to experience breakage

[alwillis]

They do that when they're concerned about bad actors or want to prove out the API first with a controlled set of people who are willing to experience breakage

Not only must you be reviewed by the App Store, but your app will require security entitlements to act as a payment processor. And you'll have to be a registered Apple developer in good standing.

If a malicious actor went through all this trouble to grab some transactions, they'd be shutdown within hours of the scam and Apple would refund the money.

Also, who's going to trust or want to use "Bob's rando payment processor"? No merchant is going to do that.

[frb]

Isn't that what the AppStore review process is for?

Or why not provide an extra approval process for the NFC API?

On the other hand they were not so concerned with bad actors when releasing AirTags.

Feels more that it's about control than safety and like that kind of decision that got them into all the antitrust probes in the first place.

[fomine3]

NFC API itself don't enable user to steal from contactless credit card. See Android.