Vipps MobilePay has made history by becoming the first company to offer an alternative to Apple Pay for iPhone users. With the new "tap with Vipps" feature, Norwegian users can now pay in stores simply by tapping their phones. This launch challenges Apple's dominance in mobile payments, marking a significant step forward for consumer choice and competition.
"We have fought for years to compete on equal footing with Apple, and it feels surreal to finally launch our own solution," said Rune Garborg, CEO of Vipps MobilePay. "This is an exciting battle between the world's biggest brand and Vipps."
The launch follows an EU agreement finalized in July, which granted mobile wallets like Vipps access to iPhone’s NFC technology. This enables users to choose their preferred payment solution on iPhone for the first time. The feature also works on Android devices, ensuring broad accessibility.
One app for all payments
Vipps aims to simplify payments with a single app. Users can send money to friends, pay in stores, shop online, settle payments, and more—all through Vipps. "We believe users value the convenience of one payment app, especially now that they can use Vipps instead of plastic cards," Garborg added.
Initially available to customers of SpareBank 1, DNB, and over 40 local banks, the service will expand to include more banks soon. By summer, Vipps will support Visa and Mastercard, enabling worldwide usage at card terminals accepting BankAxept, Norway’s national payment system.
A seamless payment experience
Tap with Vipps is easy to use: hold your phone near a card terminal, and the payment is done. Users can even set Vipps as their default payment app for quick access on iPhone and Android.
Looking ahead, Vipps MobilePay plans to expand its "tap and go" feature to Denmark, Finland, and Sweden in 2025.
