Apple recently announced that it is expanding Tap to Pay on iPhone to five new countries in Europe (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Monaco, and Norway). This opens up a new opportunity for merchants who want to accept contactless payments directly from their iPhone — no external terminal is required. Here’s what you as a merchant should know — and how you can take advantage of this change for your business.
What is "Tap to Pay on iPhone"?
It's a technology that allows your iPhone (iPhone Xs and later) to act as a payment terminal. If you have an app that supports this feature, you can accept contactless payments with your card, Apple Pay, or other digital wallets — right on your iPhone. No additional hardware, no external terminal — just in-app support. Transactions are processed with Secure Element protection and encryption, so Apple doesn't know the details of who's buying what.
Where is it newly available?
Apple has expanded Tap to Pay on iPhone to the following countries:
- Estonia (platforms: SumUp, Revolut)
- Latvia (SumUp)
- Lithuania (SumUp, Revolut)
- Monaco (Adyen, BNP Paribas)
- Norway (Adyen, Nexi, PayPal, Stripe, SumUp, Surfboard Payments, Viva.com)
In total, Tap to Pay is now available in 43 countries and regions.
Benefits for merchants
Lower entry costs – You don't need to buy an external terminal — an iPhone is enough.
Mobility – You can accept payments anywhere — ideal for market vendors, food trucks, events.
Speed and simplicity – Payment is made in an instant, the customer just presents their card or device.
Safety – Everything is processed in an encrypted environment with Secure Element.
Compatibility – Works with Apple Pay, Visa, Mastercard, American Express.
What do you have to do to use Tap to Pay?
Find out if it's available in your country – Apple has already expanded the feature to the countries mentioned above, but the requirements for your country may vary. The service is available in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.
Use an app that supports Tap to Pay – Look to our catalog to all the applications offered by the terminal in the mobile for Apple. You will find all the applications available on the market with us. You can order some of them right away.
Have a compatible iPhone – iPhone Xs or later, with the latest iOS – that's what you need.
How to reflect this in your payments strategy
Show this service in marketing – “Pay by card? Just an iPhone!” sounds like a modern convenience.
Include in the offer – offer customers the “Tap to Pay” option.
Prepare processes for processing (refund, cancellation) in an application that supports this.
Measure the difference in conversion – you will see if usage has come close to the success of contactless payments.
