Starting today, Vipps users in Norway can tap their phones with Vipps to pay in stores. „With this launch, Vipps MobilePay becomes the first company in the world to offer a competing solution to Apple Pay on iPhone.” – according to the press release. Customers of SpareBank 1, DNB, and over 40 other local banks will be the first who can tap with Vipps. Vipps are working to include more banks. Vipps MobilePay plans to launch the ‘tap and go’ solution Denmark, Finland and Sweden in 2025.
„We have fought for years to be able to compete on equal footing with Apple, and it feels almost surreal to finally be able to launch our very own solution. This will now be a very exciting battle between the world’s biggest brand and Vipps,” says Rune Garborg, CEO of Vipps MobilePay.
The agreement between the EU and Apple, which was finalized in July, ensures that other mobile wallets like Vipps gain access to the iPhone. This means that for the first time, consumers can choose which payment solution they want to use on iPhone. It will also be possible to tap with Vipps on Android phones.
„Being the first in the world to offer an alternative to Apple Pay on iPhone is a huge achievement for us. It demonstrates our ability to compete with larger global players. I’m so proud of my colleagues who have worked hard to achieve this, and thankful for excellent collaboration partners in BankAxept and Thales,” says Garborg.
One payment app
With ‘tap with Vipps’, you can now use Vipps for all types of payments. You can send money to friends, pay in stores, pay online, pay organizations and associations, settle payments, send money requests, join customer clubs, raise money for private purposes, and send money gifts.
„We believe that Vipps users find it advantageous to only have to deal with one payment app and finally have the opportunity to use Vipps in situations where they would normally use their plastic card. After Apple opened up, it has been important for us to launch as quickly as possible, to meet tough competition. However, we will continuously add more simplifications, international cards, and more banks,” says Garborg.
“We have fought for years to be able to compete on equal footing with Apple, and it feels almost surreal to finally be able to launch our very own solution. This will now be a very exciting battle between the world’s biggest brand and Vipps” – said Rune Garborg – CEO of Vipps MobilePay.
Tap with Vipps worldwide before summer
Tap with Vipps will work on all card terminals that accept BankAxept cards , which corresponds to almost all card terminals in Norway. BankAxept is the national payment system in Norway. In a few months, and well before the summer vacation, the service will also be available for Visa and Mastercard cards, making it possible to tap to pay with Vipps worldwide.
„Tap with Vipps is very, very easy. Hold your phone close to the card terminal, and vipps, you’ve paid. It will be possible to set Vipps as the default payment app on iPhone and Android, so you don’t have to open Vipps to pay. On iPhone, you double-click the side button, and on Android, you just unlock your phone.” – the company explained.
Read more about the agreement with EU and Apple.
Banking 4.0 – „how was the experience for you”
„So many people are coming here to Bucharest, people that I see and interact on linkedin and now I get the change to meet them in person. It was like being to the Football World Cup but this was the World Cup on linkedin in payments and open banking.”
Many more interesting quotes in the video below:
