A proposed class action lawsuit accuses Apple of violating U.S. antitrust law by ensuring that Apple Pay is the only mobile wallet for making tap-to-pay payments.
According to the complaint, Apple is making at least $1 billion a year by blocking rivals from using Near Field Communication technology on its devices.
issuer's payment card, the issuer must pay Apple a fee of 0.15% for credit cards and 50% for debit cards, according to the complaint. A fee from U.S. card issuers for tap-to-pay payments is not collected by Google.
Steve Berman, co-founder and managing partner of Hagens Berman, said that Apple Pay and other mobile wallet options are essentially the same. The same service that card issuers pay nothing for costs them $1 billion a year through Apple Pay.
If there was competition on Apple devices, Apple would not be able to sustain its substantial fees for Apple Pay.
The complaint accuses Apple of violating the federal Sherman Act by "tying" Apple Pay to its mobile devices and monopolizing the mobile wallet market.
All U.S. card issuers that paid Apple a fee for Apple Pay transactions should get monetary relief.
Apple has been sued three times for antitrust violations. In 2015, the law firm secured a combined $560 million settlement against Apple and publishing companies regarding price fixing of e-books, and earlier this year it secured a $100 million settlement from Apple on behalf of iOS developers who alleged that Apple's then-standard 30% commission on app store purchases was
Similar scrutiny has been faced by Apple Pay in other countries. Apple was told by the European Commission that it abused its position in the mobile wallet market by limiting access to Near Field Communication technology on its devices.
You can find the full complaint on the website.
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