UK CMA consults on steering and NFC access: payments and wallets become product decisions

The UK CMA is consulting on conduct requirements that would reduce restrictions on steering (developers communicating off-platform payment options) for Apple and Google, and also exploring a requirement around NFC access.

For app teams, the key shift is that payments stop being “just fees” and become a product and ops surface: link-out UX, receipts, refunds, support macros, and measurement definitions.

• Source: GOV.UK (CMA), “CMA consults on new requirements for Apple and Google’s mobile platforms” (published Jun 30, 2026)
• Read: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-consults-on-new-requirements-for-apple-and-googles-mobile-platforms

What’s being discussed (high signal)

• Steering constraints: lifting bans or limits that stop developers from telling users about off-platform options.
• Steering fees: CMA signals that fees should be “fair and reasonable”, and likely lower than current store charges.
• NFC access on iOS: a potential requirement to let developers access NFC functionality, including for contactless payments and wallets.

Practical takeaways

• If steering becomes viable, your checkout is now a multi-path system. You will need explicit measurement labels (what revenue is in-store vs off-store) or growth teams will optimize the wrong thing.
• Support load is part of the decision. More payment paths usually means more “where is my purchase?” tickets unless receipts and refund rules are tight.

Tiny win (45 minutes)

Draft a UK-only “payments decision memo” template:

• default payment path,
• link-out UX rules,
• receipt and refund handling,
• and how you will report revenue by path.

Read the source: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/cma-consults-on-new-requirements-for-apple-and-googles-mobile-platforms