Tap to Pay: Accept in-person payments with any compatible device

Tap to Pay lets shoppers make contactless purchases by “tapping” their card, phone, or compatible smartwatch.

This way, they don’t have to swipe their card or use cash. It’s an easier and faster way to pay, enhancing the overall shopping experience.

The rise of Tap to Pay and cashless payments

In recent years, contactless and cashless payments have seen a global surge in popularity.

Case in point: The UK saw a 36% year-over-year increase in Tap to Pay card transactions in 2021. And in the US, two-fifths of shoppers embraced cashless transactions in 2022.

The takeaway? Shoppers are increasingly looking for more flexible payment options, and businesses who adopt Tap to Pay technology can see massive growth.

Adyen’s Tap to Pay is a go-to payments solution for leading businesses. Easy install. Secure transactions. Fast checkouts. Contact our team to learn more.

Tap to Pay uses near-field communication (NFC) technology on compatible devices to accept contactless payments.

As the name suggests, NFC only works if the communicating device is very close by (ie tapping the reader). This safeguards against accidental payments.

By leveraging the NFC capabilities of devices you already use, you can eliminate the reliance on additional payment hardware.

Is Tap to Pay safe?

Yes, Tap to Pay is a secure way to make payments and is less susceptible to fraudulent activities that can occur after swiping your card.

With Adyen’s Tap to Pay for iPhone, payment transactions are encrypted and payment data isn’t stored locally on your phone.

Encryption is a protective measure used to protect personal data from being stolen or compromised — making every transaction safer.

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In 2024, businesses of all types are using Tap to Pay — including SaaS platforms serving brick-and-mortar SMBs and retail and hospitality brands.

Here are the top benefits of using Tap to Pay for each:

Benefits of Tap to Pay for SaaS platforms

Hardware needs for SMBs can differ but they all have one thing in common: to be cost-efficient.

By offering Tap to Pay to your users, you’re reducing the cost of in-person payments by removing the need to invest in additional hardware.

It also has the advantage of being lightweight and portable so payments can be taken from anywhere.

At a small café, for example, customers no longer have to pay at the counter and waiters don’t have to go grab (or carry) clunky terminals.

By supporting Tap to Pay, you remove the need for SMBs to invest in additional hardware while streamlining their in-person payment experience.

The result? Your platform becomes a go-to choice, which will help increase loyalty and reduce churn.

Tip: Discover how BT Group enables small business customers to accept in-person contactless payments with Tap to Pay on iPhone.

Benefits of Tap to Pay for enterprise retail and hospitality brands

In the world of retail and hospitality, flexibility is key.

You might need to scale up payment acceptance during peak trading periods, furnish a new pop-up with a POS solution, or facilitate on-the-spot payments in a luxury environment.

Tap to Pay makes it quick, cost-effective, and simple to scale payment acceptance.

For example, say a customer is trying on shoes near a display area. Rather than queuing to buy them, they can tap their payment method on your smartphone and walk out the door. Simple.

And in a high-end hospitality setting, customers can be served from anywhere. If they want to order and pay for drinks by the pool or from the tennis courts, it's no problem.

Tip: Read our latest hospitality report that uncovers what today's guests expect and how financial technology can help hotels provide a five-star experience.

The speed and contactless nature of Tap to Pay is resonating with consumers and businesses alike.

With our Tap to Pay solution, you can accept contactless in-person payments using an iPhone or Android device as the payment interface and process these payments on the Adyen payments platform.

Our customers benefit from: 

• No need for extra hardware

• Easy installation

• Streamlined payments

• High-security thanks to encryption 

• PCI compliance built-in

• Tipping options

• Integration with PoS

Ready to enable Adyen’s Tap to Pay solution? Contact our team to learn more.