To activate a TAP card on your iPhone, use the official TAP app to add a new virtual card or transfer an existing physical one by finding the "Add Card" option, selecting "Add a TAP Card to Apple Wallet," giving it a name, and following the prompts to enter any necessary codes; you can also sometimes add it directly in Apple Wallet as a Transit Card.
Setting up a TAP card is easy.
Turn on Auto Tap at Settings > Accessibility > Switch Control > Tap Behavior > Auto Tap. After you turn on Auto Tap, you can select an item and wait for the Auto Tap interval to finish. Set up a switch to perform the tap gesture at Settings > Accessibility > Switch Control > Switches.
You have 2 ways to tap to pay in a store:
Supported devices
Tap to Pay requires an iPhone XS or later running a one-year or later iOS version.
If you receive a “Something's wrong” message during a Tap to Pay sale, confirm the following: Your device is supported: Tap to Pay is currently available on iPhone XS and above running iOS 16.7 or later. Your device software is up-to-date: To update to the latest version, go to Settings > General > Software Update.
With Tap to Pay on iPhone, customers' payment data is protected by the same technology that makes Apple Pay private and secure. All transactions made using Tap to Pay on iPhone are encrypted and processed using the Secure Element and, as with Apple Pay, Apple doesn't know what's being purchased or who is buying it.
To enable NFC, go to your phone's Settings, search for "NFC," and toggle the switch on in Connections or Wireless & Networks, with slight variations for Android (search for 'NFC' or 'Contactless Payments') and iPhone (use the Shortcuts app for automation or check Wallet settings). On Android, it's usually under Settings > Connected Devices > Connection Preferences > NFC, while newer iPhones often have it active by default for payments, but you use the Shortcuts app to set up NFC tag reading.
Open your point of sale app and tap ≡ More > Settings > Account. Select Tap to Pay on iPhone and toggle Tap to Pay on iPhone ON. Verify the correct Apple ID is shown. If not, select Use a Different Apple ID.
Download the TAP App. the "Cards" tab on the bottom and then the "Add Card" Icon on the upper left-hand corner. Select "Add a TAP Card to Apple Wallet" (or Google Wallet if you have an Android).
To set up Tap to Pay, you generally need to enable NFC in your phone's settings, add your cards to a digital wallet like Google Wallet or Apple Pay, set your preferred default payment method, and ensure your payment app (like Square or your bank's) is configured to accept contactless payments. You then hold your phone near the payment terminal to pay, looking for a checkmark or beep to confirm the transaction.
Tap to Pay not working usually stems from phone settings (NFC off, locked screen), physical obstructions (thick case), expired/invalid card, merchant issues, or app glitches, requiring you to unlock your phone, remove/re-add cards, check NFC settings, update the app, or restart your device to resolve.
NFC tag scanning is always enabled on the iPhone 15 and cannot be turned off. There isn't an on/off setting. NFC can be turned off for payments if required.
More commonly known as contactless pay or tap-to-pay, NFC is a newer method of payment authentication than EMV.
Step-by-step instructions for activating tap to pay
Open Settings. In the “Search settings” bar, type NFC. Ensure NFC is turned on. Ensure that you enable contactless payments for the linked card.
Hold your Android device near the card reader and wait for the checkmark. Pay with your default card or select another.