Vipps is the first third-party payments system for iOS

Vipps is a Norwegian payments app that is the first of its kind to offer access to the NFC chip on Apple devices, making it a viable alternative to Apple Pay. It is now available to users in its home market of Norway for online and NFC payments at terminals, with the ability to set the app as a default payment option on iPhones.

The current development comes after the European Commission forced Apple to open up access to the NFC chips on its iPhones as the service was ruled anti-competitive.

Vipps supports all kinds of transactions ranging from in stores and online payments to sending money to friends and organizations and raising money for private purposes. The service currently supports SpareBank 1, DNB, and over 40 other Norwegian banks.

We have fought for a long time to compete on equal terms with Apple. That’s why it feels almost surreal to finally launch our very own solution. This will now be a rare and exciting battle between the world’s strongest brand and Vipps. – Rune Garborg, Vipps MobilePay Manager

Vipps works with BankAxept cards, which represent over 90% of payment terminals in the country. Vips is planning to add Mastercard and Visa support in the coming months and to expand its tap-to-pay services to Denmark, Finland, and Sweden in the coming year.