Apple’s tap-and-go mobile payment system proposals might be approved by EU antitrust regulators as early as May, according to reports.

Accused by the European Commission (EC) of impeding competition, the IT business has suggested opening the system to competitors.

According to a report, the regulators are prepared to approve Apple’s recommendations after the corporation made certain adjustments and received input from users and rivals.

According to the article, Apple might be spared a verdict of misconduct and a fine equal to as much as 10% of its yearly global turnover if the investigation is settled.

Near-field communication (NFC), which enables mobile wallets to perform contactless payments, is the main focus of the inquiry, according to the article.

According to the study, the European Commission stated two years ago that Apple had hurt competition in the mobile wallet market by limiting competitors’ access to that technology on its mobile devices.

According to the article, Apple proposed in January to allow its competitors to do the same, as well as to provide further features and establish a dispute resolution process.

The report stated that although the EC hopes to accept the plan in May, or at the very least by summer, the timeline may alter if Apple needs to finish the last technical aspects.

Because third parties are prohibited from exploiting the iPhone’s NFC chip in this manner by the conditions of Apple’s development agreement, iPhone customers, unlike those who own Android phones, have no other options if they wish to make NFC payments.

With the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) highlighting Apple’s NFC chip policy in a September report, NFC technology has also become a flashpoint in the battle between Big Tech and US authorities.

Expanding access to the technology “may incentivize all of the providers to innovate, to develop new features and services that would keep their customers from switching,” according to the CFPB’s assessment.

The CFPB said that these providers might include banks, merchants, and well-known payment app developers, all of whom have an incentive to create tap-to-pay apps for Apple products.