Volksbanks bring Girocard to the iPhone – away from Apple Pay
The Volksbanken and Raiffeisenbanken are using the NFC opening wrested from Apple to integrate the Girocard into their own banking app – apart from Apple Pay.
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Until now, iPhone users and banks have had no way around Apple Pay when it comes to mobile payment. This is about to change: the Volksbanken and Raiffeisenbanken want to give customers the option to make contactless payments in stores with their iPhone before the end of the year – outside of Apple's central payment service. "The first girocard transaction on the iPhone – without Apple Pay – was successfully carried out in our test systems," as the Federal Association of German Cooperative Banks (BVR) announced on Linkedin.
With this step, the cooperative banks are getting closer to "their own, independent payment solution for Apple smartphones", the BVR emphasized. From September 5, the VR banking app on iOS will offer the corresponding functionality, as the BVR explained on request. This is already integrated on Android. "In the first step, however, only girocard will be integrated on iOS. Debit and credit cards are still being evaluated by us," a spokesperson for the association explained to Mac & i. Volksbanken and Raiffeisenbanken are free to continue offering a virtual Mastercard for Apple Pay, according to the BVR.
VR banking app becomes iPhone wallet
From September, the VR Banking app will also be able to be set up as a new standard wallet on iPhones. The selected standard wallet will open – in the same way as Apple Pay / Apple Wallet – by approaching an NFC payment terminal or by pressing the iPhone standby button twice.
The BVR's interest in processing Girocard payments on the iPhone itself is no surprise: the association announced its intention to make this possible at the beginning of 2024. In order to dispel accusations of distortion of competition and avoid a fine, Apple made a commitment to the EU Commission last year to open up the iPhone's NFC interface. Under the Digital Markets Act, which came into force shortly afterwards, the original blocking of the iPhone NFC interface with Apple Pay is no longer permitted anyway.
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Apple opens iPhone NFC under pressure in many regions
In the European Economic Area, Apple relies on "Host Card Emulation", which is also used in Android. Last year, Apple also opened up the iPhone to other payment services in other regions, where payment services can also use the "Secure Element" integrated in iPhone chips.
So far, only one major Scandinavian mobile payment service has taken advantage of this new freedom. Apple's payment service is now supported by practically all major banks in this country with credit and debit cards. However, the Girocard (sometimes still mistakenly called an "EC card") in Apple Pay has remained a rarity and can mainly be found at savings banks and Commerzbank. Not every bank is completely happy with Apple Pay, as a commission is paid to the US company for every customer transaction. Some customers are also unlikely to be happy if their bank suddenly drops out of Apple Pay.
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