Apple iPhone users know how easy it is to make payments. Until now, the convenient tap-to-pay system has been restricted to Apple Pay. But now, users in Germany can use their iPhones for PayPal payments as well — a move that will see the iPhone quietly transformed forever. Users in Germany can now use PayPal without using Apple Pay on the iPhone. Getty Images Apple users in other countries can expect to be able to use PayPal instead of Apple Pay on their devices in the future, and since PayPal is such a trusted brand, it’s likely many will switch. ForbesApple Now Has iPhone 15 Pro And iPhone 15 Pro Max At Lower PricesBy David Phelan This capability came about because of the Digital Markets Act which saw Apple open parts of iOS up to other companies in EU countries. Now, third-party apps can access payments, too. It means that users such as the ones in Germany, PayPal’s test market, can make payments without using Apple Pay, through the same NFC chip built into the iPhone and its Secure Element. PayPal is the first major company to introduce this feature. “A Norwegian payment app called Vipps became the first to take advantage of Apple’s changing ecosystem, nearly a year after Apple first announced it was opening up its NFC hardware to third-party wallet apps for EU users last year,” The Verge reports, but PayPal’s introduction is a development of a whole different order, not least because its major international presence will almost certainly see this development go global. Though the initial impetus came from the Digital Markets Act, Apple announced last August that it would open up NFC transactions in the U.S. and other regions such as Australia, Brazil, Canada, Japan, New Zealand and the U.K., with more places to follow. These use the Secure Element in devices such as the iPhone and Apple Watch, though the initial reports say that PayPal has only put this feature on the iPhone so far. It’s also for Mastercard payments only right now. MORE FOR YOU iOS 18.5—Apple Just Gave All iPhone Users 33 Reasons To Update Now ‘NYT Mini’ Crossword Hints And Answers For Wednesday, May 14 Trump Meets Syrian President And Says Dropping Sanctions Would ‘Give Them A Chance’ Developers need to enter into a commercial agreement with Apple and pay associated fees as well as requesting the NFC and Secure Element entitlement. “The company also allows businesses to use iPhone NFC readers to accept contactless payments in third-party apps, which is a capability PayPal started offering in Venmo and PayPal Zettle in March last year,” The Verge adds. ForbesiOS 18.5: Apple’s New iPhone Release Has Key Fixes And Critical Update WarningBy David Phelan Follow me on Twitter or LinkedIn. Editorial StandardsForbes Accolades