What is tap to pay on a phone? Taking cards without a card machine
By SendPay Business · · 2 min read
- 1Your card appears in your app
- 2Tap it to pay in a shop
- 3See every payment as it happens
Tap to pay on a phone, sometimes called SoftPOS, turns a compatible smartphone into a contactless card reader. The customer taps their card or phone on the seller's phone, and a payment provider's app processes it, with no separate card machine.
How it works
- The seller signs up with a payment provider that supports tap to pay and installs its app.
- They enter the amount, and the customer taps a contactless card or phone wallet on the seller's phone.
- The provider approves the payment and pays the money out to the seller's account.
What you need
A recent phone with NFC that the provider supports, the provider's app, and an account with that provider. Fees are usually a percentage of each payment.
Try it
Name your platform and watch it come to life
Type a name, tap a colour and pick what it does. The phone changes as you go.
Colour
What it does
Design and preview your whole platform free, then launch when you are ready.
The limits
It only takes contactless payments, so there's no chip and PIN slot. Bigger payments may need the customer to confirm on their own device, and not every phone model is supported.
Other ways to get paid without a card machine
SendPay doesn't sell card machines or tap to pay apps. SendPay platforms let businesses send payment links and invoices that customers pay on their own phone, under your own brand and powered by licensed partners.
How it works
Your own money app- 1Name it and pick your colours
- 2Choose what it does
- 3Launch when you are ready
Why sign up
Create your free SendPay account
It's all about creating your own financial platform with ease. Start with a free account today.
- 🪪A free business accountOpen it in about a minute with your business name, email, password and mobile. No card and no documents to start.
- 💳Get paid from day oneTake card payments, and share your own payment link and invoices so customers pay in a click.
- 🌐A free business websiteFree to build, free to publish and free to keep, with unlimited visits.
- 🚀Your own financial platformDesign and preview your whole platform free, then launch when you are ready.
SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank. Accounts, cards and payments are powered by licensed partners.
Questions people ask
What does a card machine really cost?
Compare two deals on price, fees and monthly charges.
Card machine cost calculator →Read next
Spotted a mistake or something out of date? and we'll fix it. How our guides are made
This guide is general information, not legal or financial advice. SendPay Business is a technology company, not a bank, and does not take deposits; regulated services on the platforms are provided by licensed partners. Other companies named in this guide are reference points only and are not affiliated with SendPay Business.