Following the announcement that Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) will open up its NFC ecosystem to outside payments providers, UK Fintech Curve has announced its intent to join the giant tech firm’s platform.
Curve CEO and founder Shachar Bialick has issued the following statement:
“We welcome Apple’s latest announcement, which will see more consumers around the world gain access to third-party payment wallets and is a positive move for consumers who will benefit from choice and innovation in payments on iOS for the first time. What remains unclear is how onerous Apple’s access fees will be, and whether there is enough profit left for third-party developers to encourage more customer-centric innovation.
“As the leading alternative to Apple Pay, Curve is thrilled to bring unique benefits to customers worldwide. Curve Pay goes beyond traditional wallets by being the only wallet that eliminates foreign transaction fees from linked cards and offers cashback on top of linked cards rewards. This exemplifies the innovation in digital payments, and Curve is committed to staying at the forefront, driving progress and delivering unmatched value to consumers.”
For years now, Apple has been pressured to allow outside firms to enter its walled garden of services. Much of the criticism has come from the European Union. Apple, from its vantage point, emphasizes its high bar of security of user information while questioning why the company should be forced to allow competitors onto its devices.
Today, the debate is a moot point as Apple announced this past week that APIs, developers etc., will be able to offer in App payments. Other services that will be allowed to enter the Apple platform include identification documents, keys, tickets and more.
Curve is a popular Fintech that enables users to combine multiple cards into one while giving the user other tech enhanced options and features