Apple Stands Firm on NFC Fees as Brazilian Regulator Probes New Payment System

Apple is facing scrutiny from the Brazilian antitrust regulator, CADE, over its NFC (Near Field Communication) rules for the iPhone. Since 2020, Brazilians have been using Pix, a free and instant payment system created by the Central Bank of Brazil. Recently, Proximity Pix was introduced to allow contactless payments, with Google adopting it without charging fees. However, Apple has not adopted this feature due to its strict rules, including a fee of up to 0.17% per transaction. Banking institutions claim these rules create barriers to competition and have brought the case to CADE. The regulator opened a preliminary probe into Apple’s practices, accusing the company of imposing restrictions to favor its own digital wallet. Apple defended itself by stating there is no law prohibiting it from charging fees and that the iPhone's market share in Brazil (10%) does not constitute a monopoly. The company also claimed there is no evidence of harm to mobile payment services or consumers.