Digital Wallet Curve has launched Curve Pay on iOS, providing an alternative to Apple Pay in the European Economic Area (EEA) and positioning itself as the first direct competitor to the tech giant in the region.

Also available on Android, Curve’s mobile payment solutions enable customers to complete contactless payments. It also includes features such as the ability to retroactively change cards used, split payments, cashback and spend tracking on accounts like PayPal.

The payment solution is the first to leverage the iPhone NFC interface after Apple accepted a European Commission ruling which granted rivals access to the technology for contactless payments In July last year.

“Until now, iPhone users have been locked into Apple Pay, with no way for banks or wallet providers to compete on experience, insight, or economics,” said Curve.

Shachar Bialick, chief executive and founder of Curve said that the company’s technology aims to “end Apple’s monopoly”, with the ruling forcing the business to provide new choices for consumers.

He added: "Curve Pay empowers users to see and spend their money differently and opens a gateway to more intelligent spending and we are the first in the European Economic Area to give iOS users a choice which previously did not exist.”

Data from Curve registered a sharp increase in the use of mobile contactless payments in Europe last year, with digital payments adoption exceeding 60 per cent for online transactions and 25 per cent for payments in-store.

Available across the UK and EEA, Curve has over million users and processes billions in annual payments.

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