Tap to Pay on iPhone and Android: taking card payments without a terminal
Compayr Research · · 5 min
You can now take a contactless card payment with nothing but a phone. Sometimes called softPOS, "Tap to Pay on iPhone" and its Android equivalents let a customer tap their card, phone or watch straight onto your device — no separate terminal, no hardware to buy. For mobile and low-volume businesses it removes the biggest fixed cost of accepting cards.
What Tap to Pay is
Tap to Pay (softPOS) uses the contactless reader already built into a modern smartphone to accept card, mobile-wallet and smartwatch payments through a provider's app. There is no dongle and no terminal: the phone is the reader.
Which providers offer it
Several of the providers we track offer a phone-based acceptance option alongside their physical terminals — typically as a free app tied to their standard in-person rate. Availability and device support vary, so check the provider's current list of supported phones and operating systems before you rely on it.
What it costs
The appeal is the hardware cost: usually nothing, because you use a phone you already own. The processing rate is generally the provider's standard in-person rate, so the way to compare Tap to Pay options is the same as any terminal — the percentage you pay at your volume and card mix. Because there is no terminal, there is no terminal rental to weigh up. Least-cost routing for contactless debit can apply to phone-based acceptance too, so it is worth confirming that is switched on.
Where it fits (and where it doesn't)
Tap to Pay suits mobile trades, market stalls, pop-ups, food trucks and low-volume or occasional sellers — anyone who wants to start taking cards without committing to hardware. It is contactless-only, depends on your phone model and battery, and a busy high-turnover counter may still prefer a dedicated terminal for speed and resilience.
After October 2026
The 1 October 2026 surcharge ban applies however you accept the payment [1] — phone or terminal — so the cost of each tap is yours to carry either way. That makes choosing a competitive rate, and skipping unnecessary hardware, worth the few minutes it takes.
Compare phone-based and terminal options at your turnover — ranked by estimated card acceptance cost, with any hardware shown separately. Compare now →
See the in-person provider comparison or read how we compare.
Provider features and device support are indicative and change — confirm current availability and pricing directly with the provider. General information, not financial advice.
References
- [1] Reserve Bank of Australia, "Review of Merchant Card Payment Costs and Surcharging — Conclusions Paper", 31 March 2026. https://www.rba.gov.au/
See what you'd really pay — compare the major providers we track at your turnover
Compare nowRates and provider details are indicative, last verified July 2026 — verify with providers. Compayr may earn a referral fee when a merchant switches via our comparison.
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