Payment methods have evolved. There were days when exchanging cash was the only method for transacting, which later advanced with debit cards. Debit cards were fancy, but credit cards took the score, and now we have entered the world of contactless payments.
Debit and credit cards have also evolved into distinct types, and now, we have NFC or chip cards, giving access to contactless payments with the tap-to-pay feature.
What is Tap to Pay?
Tap and Pay is the modern method of sending and receiving payment via chip-based debit and credit cards.
Additionally, users can use the taps payments using NFC-enabled smartphones or wearables. (Near Field Communication (NFC) refers to short-range technology that helps transfer contactless data between two devices.)
Tap to pay, being a contactless payment method, serves quick transfer of money without compromising hygiene as there isn’t any physical handling of cards.
How Do You Know If Your Machine or Card Has Tap to Pay Technology?
The payment terminal and card have four curved lines with a contactless symbol or radio frequency identification, indicating that tap-to-pay technology is enabled. Cards or terminals that don’t have this contactless symbol are ordinary and cannot help with NFC or taps payments.
If you are a retailer or looking to open a new store, ensure your payment terminal has this radio symbol encrypted for faster and more secure payments via NFC tap-to-pay technology.
How Does Tap to Pay Work or Accept Payments?
Tap-to-Pay works with the help of NFC. Using radio frequency technology, the NFC is entitled to receive fast, convenient, and secure payments. One of the ultimate benefits of using taps payments is that it is wireless and doesn’t require any hardware contact with the device or the card.
The tap-to-pay technology works only nearby, being a contactless payment method. It can be best described in the following manner:
The Touch-to-pay payments undergo a series of stages to make it work
Compatibility
The first thing to check is the device’s compatibility to make the taps payment work efficiently. You need a payment card and a mobile device with NFC to send and receive contactless payments.
Setup
Well, the payment card issued by the bank must be activated for NFC payments. Also, it will be best to check and ensure that all the payment card information is linked correctly for mobile wallet, Apple wallet, or any other digital wallet app.
Transaction
To make the transaction successful, holding the mobile phone or payment card perfectly and close to the terminal is essential. Identify the NFC symbol on the terminal or the card to transact successfully.
Communication
As soon as the transaction is initiated, there is a communication between two devices. This communication includes sharing the customer’s card details and the purchase amount to complete the transaction.
Authentication
If any additional authentication is enabled on the card or mobile device, the user must complete the authentication by providing the correct details to make the transaction successful. It may be a fingerprint, PIN or password.
Confirmation
After the details are authorized, the transaction confirms that both parties are on their respective devices. Many payment terminals also generate a receipt after the transaction is complete.
Receive Payments Effortlessly with Tap to Pay
Set up a tap-to-pay method in your retail or restaurant outlets to receive quick payments.
Advantages of Using Tap to Pay
The Tap-to-pay technology is getting popular across various countries. It would be correct to state that educated youth demand contactless payments to keep their bank details and cards safe.
Here is one of the infographics from Grand View Research that throws light on the U.S. Contactless Payment Market in size and type.
The contactless payments have increased with time and are all set to grow with a Market CAGR of 18.8%.
The touch-to-pay market is emerging very fast, and here are some of the popular reasons why the world is so happy using contactless payments.
1. Convenience
One quickest and most hassle-free transaction methods is choosing the tap-to-pay payment method. Here there is an NFC-enabled phone and payment terminal that can be easily communicated via radio frequency for completing a purchase. Billings are made more accessible and quicker, and customers feel relieved as they do not have to share their cards with the storekeeper or cashier.
They will be disappointed if your store doesn’t have an NFC-enabled payment terminal. Because for customers paying via short-range wireless technology is convenient.
2. Speed
When talking about speed, let us talk about the transaction processing time. NFC payments take less time to complete than traditional payment methods or terminals. The waiting time at the checkout centres can be easily reduced by introducing NFC payments.
People care about time. The more you save their time, the happier they are. Tap-to-Pay is one of the best payment methods to make customers feel privileged offering quicker transactions.
3. Security
NFC payments or tap-to-payments use a unique encrypted code for each payment transaction, making it more secure than other payment modes. As the sensitive card details of the customer are hidden, there is no chance of any data theft or misuse. Payments here are made in close proximity to the device, assuring high-end security.
Apple Pay verifies each tap-to-pay transaction with Face ID, which gives additional security.
4. Hygiene
Because the tap-to-pay technology is contactless, it has recently gained massive exposure. During the global health crisis, where we were striving for everything contactless, the NFC payments turned out as a real help. The touch-to-pay payments eliminate the need to exchange cards or handle cash, making it hygienic and safe for people.
Avoid the physical exchange and let your customer feel safe using the tap-to-pay method even during the global pandemic.
5. Acceptance of New Technology
One of the benefits of using tap payments for your store or mall is that it helps modernize your store. New technologies and tools inspire the youth of any country. Adapting to the more modern and better payment methods can be a win-win for you and them in many ways.
The younger generation uses smartphones to pay. They aren’t carrying any cards along.
What is the Anticipated Market Scope for Tap-to-Pay?
Since partnerships have been the main motto of the big payment integration giants such as Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and Apple Pay, the market scope for tap-to-pay has enhanced in a short time.
Here are the detailed insights into the contactless payment market scope regarding market size value, revenue forecast, growth rate, the base year of estimation, country scope, regional scope, and key companies profiled.
What are the Different Tap-to-Pay Methods?
Tap payments have advancements in a short period. The tap-to-pay technology was supported using contactless cards, but now the technology has advanced, adding new transaction methods.
Let’s talk about the most popular and available tap payment methods.
1. Chip Cards
NFC-enabled credit and debit cards, popularly known as chip cards, are the first and foremost methods enabling contactless payments with the tap-to-pay feature. Here the customer hovers the card over the contactless terminal for transaction success. These are EMV chips that help with data exchange for payment success. EMV chips credit or debit card are known as Euro, Mastercard, and Visa chips.
2. Mobile Payments
People spend 88% of their mobile time accessing applications, and payment information apps are one of the most popular applications that users have been accessing for sending and receiving payments.
Mobile tap-to-pay is slightly different from contactless chip cards. In the smartphone touch-to-pay method, the customer uses the card & hovers over the payment terminal, whereas in the mobile tap-to-pay, the customer uses the application for transactions.
Here the customer can hover the NFC-enabled smartphone over the terminal or POS or any other NFC-enabled smartphone, such as an iPhone. Once the user hovers over the phone to the terminal or device, the encrypted card details are exchanged to authenticate and confirm the transaction.
3. Wearables
Do you know the wearable payment market is estimated to reach an expected value of 2525 USD billion by 2023, registering a CAGR of 21.9%?
Wearables have taken the next-level payment transactions by offering seamless contactless payments with tap-to-pay technology. Here the customer hovers the wearable device integrated with NFC, such as a smart watch, smart bracelet, or ring, to the payment terminal or other device to complete the transaction.
Do You Wish to Offer 100% Payment Convenience to Your Customers?
Let your customers pay with their smartphones & wearables with Moon Invoice.
Types of Industries That Use Tap to Pay
Businesses that must attract more customers, or specifically more youngsters as their loyal customers, need to update their traditional payment methods. Incorporating the taps payments into your business is best for delivering an excellent user experience to your customers at the billing counter.
1. Super Stores
Well, if you are running a super mall or have a super store for selling vegetables, groceries, fruits, and other home maintenance items, you must have payment terminals supporting tap-to-pay technology. It helps with quick and efficient billing, offering customers extreme convenience and time savings.
2. Restaurants & Cafe
Restaurants and cafes can avoid the billing rush by introducing tap-to-pay technology. Contactless payment methods can quicken the billing process and help the restaurant serve more customers.
3. Spa & Salon
Spa and Salon owners have the youngest customers as their primary or loyal base. By incorporating the latest payment methods, such as touch-to-pay, customers can experience a speedy billing process, which helps them save time. On the other hand, the contactless payments are safe to proceed with.
4. Events & Concerts
Event and concert organizers can help their participants to experience an easy registration and payment process with the tap-and-pay option. It can help ease the transaction process, eliminating long queues at the counter.
5. Retailers
Brick-and-mortar stores can ease the billing and checkout with the touch-to-pay contactless payment method. It is a highly secure and fast payment method offering convenience to customers. Impress your customers at the billing by offering the latest payment methods, including the tap to pay for iPhone and Android.
How to Securely Accept Contactless Payments at Your Retail Store or Restaurant?
If you want your retail store, restaurant, or food truck to stand apart from competitors, it’s time to securely accept contactless payments using tap-to-pay.
Use a Chip Reader
A chip reader with the NFC (Near Field Communication) symbol must accept contactless payments from your customers. So, firstly you need to get a modern chip reader terminal to allow your customers to pay using their contactless enabled card or mobile phone.
Tap to Pay for iPhone
If you do not need any hardware to accept payments with the tap-to-pay technology, then get an iPhone with the application installed that accepts payments from the tap-and-pay feature Pay on iPhone is available with our Moon Invoice app that supports thousands of businesses in accepting contactless pay on their iPhone.
Tap to Pay for Android
For Android devices, the taps payments work similarly, allowing the users to pay you contactless, hovering their card or phone over their Android smartphone. In Android, the technology is popularly known as Tap to Phone.
Tap to Pay Using a Tablet
If you have a tablet supporting the NFC, you can have the right app installed to accept tap-to-pay. Mostly, retailers or restaurant owners can incorporate this technology to experience seamless payments. It is fast, secure, and easy!
Accept Tap-to-Pay with Moon Invoice
Moon Invoice is an online invoicing software offering tap-to-pay technology on their iPhone app. In the coming time, Moon Invoice will also provide the taps payments for Android and other apps, but for now, iPhone users can get Moon Invoice installed on their device to start accepting contactless payments in their brick-and-mortar store.
Say Good-Bye to Long Billing Queues with Tap-to-Pay
Get Moon Invoice on your iPhone to eliminate the billing queues with quick contactless payments.
How Does Moon Invoice’s Tap-to-Pay for iPhone Work?
Moon Invoice’s tap-to-pay on iPhone works in the following way.
- Download the Moon Invoice app on iPhone
- Register and Add Company Details
- Setup Payment Method Using Stripe- Tap-to-Pay
- Create Bills & Invoices, Let the Customer Pay Using Tap-to-Pay
- Start Accepting Tap Payments on Your iPhone
Moon Invoice offers a quick and easy tap-to-pay method for receiving contactless payments.
FAQs
Jayanti Katariya is the founder & CEO of Moon Invoice, with over a decade of experience in developing SaaS products and the fintech industry. He holds a degree in engineering. Since 2011, Jayanti's expertise has helped thousands of businesses, from small startups to large enterprises, streamline invoicing, estimation, and accounting operations. His vision is to deliver top-tier financial solutions globally, ensuring efficient financial management for all business owners.
