To tap and pay with your phone, turn on NFC in your phone's settings, set up a digital wallet (Google Wallet, Apple Pay, or Samsung Pay) by adding a credit/debit card, and unlock your phone to hold it near the contactless reader at checkout until a checkmark appears. It is a secure, fast, and, contactless method for in-store transactions.
Quick Steps
To pay with your phone, set up a digital wallet like Apple Pay (iPhone) or Google Wallet/Pay (Android), add your debit/credit cards, ensure your phone's NFC is on, then simply unlock your phone and hold the back near a contactless payment terminal (look for the symbol) to tap and pay.
Set up tap to pay
How it works
Yes, you can tap a card on an iPhone in two main ways: customers can tap their contactless cards/devices on a merchant's iPhone using Tap to Pay on iPhone (requiring an app like Square or Stripe), and users can tap their own iPhone (with Apple Pay loaded) on compatible readers to pay, by double-clicking the side/home button and holding the top of the phone near the symbol.
Pay with your default card on an iPhone with Face ID
Tap to Pay is our quick and easy feature that allows you to make contactless payments with just a tap of your Android phone. It uses Near Field Communication (NFC) technology for secure and instant transactions, so you can say goodbye to carrying cash or cards.
Jun 2, 2025 Knowledge
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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; you can find it under Connections or Connected Devices, or use the Quick Settings panel by swiping down from the top for a fast toggle, but remember the exact path (like 'NFC & contactless payments' on Samsung) can vary by phone model.
To use Tap to Pay on your iPhone, you typically double-click the side button (or home button), authenticate with Face ID/Touch ID/passcode, then hold the top of your iPhone near the contactless symbol on the card reader to pay with your linked cards in the Wallet app; for accepting payments as a business, you use a supported payment app (like Square, PayPal) where you start the payment and the customer taps their device or card on your iPhone's top.
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.
Supported devices
Tap to Pay requires an iPhone XS or later running a one-year or later iOS version.
Set up pay contactless
To pay with your phone, set up a digital wallet like Apple Pay (iPhone) or Google Wallet/Pay (Android), add your debit/credit cards, ensure your phone's NFC is on, then simply unlock your phone and hold the back near a contactless payment terminal (look for the symbol) to tap and pay.
Easy to pay
Connect your credit or debit card to your PayByPhone account, and pay quickly and securely. Or, where available, opt for Google Pay or Apple Pay to complete transactions.