Since the first plastic credit card was issued by American Express in 1959, payment tech progress has been growing exponentially. Magnetic stripe payments enjoyed a 30-year reign between the ’70s and ’90s. EMV chip card technology had a good two decades or so, beginning in the mid-’90s. And the winner of the 2010s and beyond is the NFC-powered, contactless sensation that is tap to pay.
Contactless payments became a must-have during COVID, and today, most modern card readers and payment terminals are NFC-equipped. But tap to pay is transcending that plastic card of the last 60+ years. NFC technology is in the midst of an evolution. Customers are driving digital advancements, and savvy small business owners should be aware of what’s to come.
In this article, we’ll dive deeper into the tap-to-pay movement, where it is now, where it’s going, and how businesses can implement tap to pay for smooth, future-proof card transactions.
TL;DR
- The 2010s marked the era of NFC-powered contactless payments, and unlike its predecessors, this technology has the sticking power to take it beyond our traditional plastic cards.
- NFC payments are faster, more secure, and more versatile than any other payment solution we have seen before
- Implementation is smooth, and the possibilities go far beyond accepting payments. Tap-to-pay technology will take us to advanced loyalty, marketing, and end-to-end customer satisfaction solutions.
History of tap to pay
Although contactless payments weren’t widely adopted until the 2010s, the technology actually dates back to 1995. In Seoul, South Korea, the Seoul Bus Transport Association introduced the UPass, a contactless payment card that commuters could tap on as they entered the bus. By the late 2010s, most major U.S. banks began a massive rollout of dual-interface cards, combining EMV chip security with NFC convenience.
Despite the “tap” technology being available on most major cards, it was the smartphone advancements that really pushed consumers to adopt it. Tapping their phone to a terminal proved far more exciting than tapping the card.
Google was the first, in 2011, to enable contactless payments via their mobile app. Apple Pay caught up in 2014; in 2015, the wearables market (such as the Apple Watch) made everyone aware of the tap’s potential.
Once the thought of the tap was there, the behavior followed. In 2015, many merchants switched to NFC-enabled terminals; by 2019, most banks were issuing contactless cards.
How tap to pay works
Tap to pay, whether used with a contactless card or a smart device, operates through near-field communication (NFC) technology. This short-range wireless communication technology allows data exchange between devices close to each other, typically within a few inches.
NFC operates on radio-frequency identification (RFID) principles and electromagnetic induction, enabling communication between devices without needing physical contact or WiFi connectivity.
Here’s how it works:
- NFC-enabled devices: The customer’s payment card (credit, debit, or mobile wallet app) and the merchant’s payment terminal must be equipped with NFC technology.
- Close proximity: The customer holds their NFC-enabled card or smartphone close to the merchant’s NFC-enabled terminal to make the payment.
- Data transmission: The NFC antennas in both devices communicate with each other. The customer’s payment information is securely stored in the NFC chip and transmitted to the merchant’s terminal.
- Authentication: The payment terminal validates the transaction by sending the payment details to the payment network (such as the card issuer—e.g. Visa, Mastercard, and the customer’s bank) for authorization.
- Secure transaction: The payment network verifies the transaction details, ensuring sufficient funds and confirming the transaction’s authenticity. A unique, one-time token is generated for that specific transaction if approved.
- Completion: The transaction is completed, and the customer receives a payment confirmation. The entire process is fast and secure and does not require physical contact between the card or smartphone and the payment terminal.
Safety and security
Within the NFC transaction process are encryption protocols to secure the data being transmitted. These protocols ensure that the data exchanged between devices is encrypted and cannot be easily intercepted or tampered with. The authentication methods verify each party’s identity before exchanging sensitive information. This prevents unauthorized devices from participating in transactions. In addition, many NFC transactions often use dynamic data, meaning that a new, unique token is generated for each transaction. This dynamic data makes it difficult for attackers to reuse intercepted information for fraud.
Despite the thorough processes embedded in this transaction type, merchants still play a role in enhancing security through considerations like:
- Only using EMV-compliant terminals
- Ensuring network connections are secure
- Implementing tokenization via their payment processor
- Regularly updating software
- Monitoring transactions
- Implementing strong access controls.
Customers can also take precautions to protect their information when using NFC, particularly when using it through a mobile device. These include:
- Using secure devices
- Enabling device lock
- Only using official payment apps
- Turning off NFC when not in use
- Using strong authentication
- Customers keeping their mobile wallet app and device OS updated to ensure the latest security patches
Tools compatible with contactless payments
Contactless cards are most commonly used for contactless payments, but smartphones, smartwatches, and other smart mobile devices (even implants) are now enabled with this technology through their digital wallets.
Contactless cards
All cards today can come contactless. There are contactless credit cards, debit cards, and even gift cards. If it has a contactless symbol, such as the universal contactless symbol (four curved waves), indicating a communication frequency, it’s NFC-enabled and can be used in-store wherever the merchant has an NFC reader.
iPhone
Apple’s iPhone and Apple Watch use Apple Pay.
Android
Google’s Android devices use Google Pay, and Samsung’s Android devices use Samsung Pay.
These are all enabled through the respected device’s payment app, where the cardholder can store their card information on their phone or device to enable secure contactless transactions. Samsung Pay is unique for its legacy MST support on older devices, though it has pivoted primarily to NFC for newer hardware.
Benefits of using tap to pay
During the pandemic, the number one benefit of contactless technology was the simple fact that it is contactless. No contact, no germs. But the benefits made known during that time were more aligned with the original reason for its development.
It’s faster
Contactless technology speeds up the payment process. Instead of the slower “dip and wait” required by EMV chips, customers simply tap their card or device to the terminal for near-instant authorization. The customer taps the card, and the transaction is complete. NFC devices facilitate the fastest and most convenient data exchange available today.
It’s secure
NFC transactions are inherently secure because they utilize tokenization, replacing sensitive card data with a unique, one-time encrypted token. Moreover, NFC devices can be secured with encryption and authentication protocols that ensure the confidentiality and integrity of the transmitted data, such as the cardholder’s personal information and card number.
It’s universally compatible
Unlike the chip card and magnetic stripe, NFC technology is standardized. This ensures compatibility between different devices and applications. Standardization enables seamless integration of NFC into more devices, including smartphones, tablets, payment cards, and other smart gadgets. It can power a payment future beyond our current plastic cards.
It’s versatile
One way to verify the longevity of a technology is to look at its usability outside of the obvious application. Businesses are using contactless loyalty cards and even loyalty apps that allow customers to store those loyalty cards digitally. Interactive marketing lets customers tap NFC-enabled promotional material to access offers, discounts, and product information. Beyond retailers and accepting payments, NFC is used for public transport, access control systems, smart advertising, data exchange between devices, and interactive gaming. NFC even enables smart packaging to provide customers with product and usage information at the point of sale.
How businesses can implement tap to pay
The tap-to-pay revolution is here, and it’s not going anywhere. Ready to start accepting tap to pay? Here’s how:
Research and choose the right vendor
Many different POS (point-of-sale) providers offer contactless payment capabilities. There will be a long list with a search online, but not all providers suit all businesses. There are a few options.
Full-service POS and credit card payment providers
Full-service providers like Stax offer complete POS solutions and backend payment processing, which are essential to accepting contactless payments.
At the front end (the POS), all-in-one providers like Stax offer software and additional services tailored to specific industries. Stax curates and supports best-in-class hardware rather than manufacturing it, which is exactly why we can remain POS-agnostic, allowing merchants to use any preferred POS hardware, unlike many POS specialists that force merchants to use theirs only. We also handle payment processing services in the backend, ensuring seamless transactions by securely authorizing and settling payments.
These types of all-in-one providers often have direct relationships with card networks, allowing for competitive transaction rates.
Specialist POS providers
Specialist POS providers offer simple solutions, often appealing to smaller businesses and individuals. The emphasis is on user-friendly interfaces and quick setup. They may lack some advanced functionality but often have low entry costs, making them attractive to small businesses with limited budgets.
Some specialist POS providers offer payment processing services but do not have direct relationships with the card networks. At the entry-level, their fees are low, but once businesses are processing high volumes, these often work out much more costly than full-service providers.
Payment aggregators
Payment aggregators have a unique system that doesn’t require businesses to set up a merchant account. Instead aggregators group all of their clients’ transactions into one. This makes businesses sub-merchants under an aggregator’s own merchant account.
Aggregators are appealing for their convenience, but they can be very expensive for merchants processing a high volume of transactions.
Evaluate costs, fees, and customer support
Providers often have different costs and plan structures as they serve different types of businesses. Full-service providers like Stax use flat-rate subscription pricing, which keeps fees low when businesses process high volumes. However, subscription pricing may seem high for businesses with a low transaction rate. So always run the numbers and consider your transaction volume when selecting a merchant service provider.
Fees, too, differ among providers. Cheap vendors often have hidden fees. Look out for:
- Transaction fees
- Chargeback fees
- Monthly minimums
- Statement fees
- Gateway fees
- PCI compliance fees
- Upgrade and support fees
- Cancellation fees
- Additional hardware costs.
Once the provider is identified, the steps are simple.
Upgrade or purchase necessary hardware
As technology advances quickly, even merchants with NFC-enabled terminals or readers should look at whether theirs is up to date. There may be a need for additional infrastructure, like WiFi or data connectivity, which is not essential for the transaction but is necessary for some of the advanced features this technology offers.
Train staff
To achieve the smooth process promised by contactless card or mobile payments, staff must know how to use and troubleshoot the system. Formal training helps bring everyone up to speed, developing super users who can use the technology and effectively educate customers on the benefits.
Promote the new payment option
The extra security offered by NFC technology is a great benefit to customers. It should be promoted and used to emphasize that customer privacy and security are important. This message will bode well for building loyalty. It may also be worth offering promotions and incentives to encourage the initial usage of this technology, especially for businesses that plan to utilize NFC loyalty cards or other NFC-enabled solutions.
Regularly review and update the system
Providers will regularly update software to improve services. These improvements then flow onto customers and merchants alike. Keeping the software updated ensures it will run for optimal security and performance.
Finally, it’s worth soliciting customer feedback to learn what they think of these NFC-enabled solutions. This insight can inform how advancements in this technology may be used to improve business offerings.
The future is tap to pay
The era of traditional payments is coming to an end. Tap-to-pay has ushered in a new direction for the payments industry.
For almost a decade, tap to pay has offered seamless, secure transactions that can be made in seconds with the wave of a hand. That convenience and advanced security capabilities have solidified this technology as the go-to payment method.
We are entering an era where your smartphone is the terminal. Solutions like Tap to Pay on iPhone allow merchants to accept payments directly on their mobile device—no extra hardware required.
NFC technology has already given businesses the tools to introduce tech-advanced payment solutions, from mobile wallet payments to digital loyalty programs on both cards and phone apps. For those that it benefits, this technology can extend to in-store NFC promotions and pioneering packaging that takes customers straight to the information they need at the moment they need it.
Tap to pay is the future, and Stax Payments offers the front and backend tools to power this progress. Start accepting tap to pay with the Stax iOS mobile app today.
FAQs about tap to pay
Q: What is tap to pay?
Tap to pay is a technology allowing users to make payments by tapping or hovering their contactless card or NFC-enabled device over a payment terminal. It’s a fast, secure, and convenient way to handle transactions.
Q: How does tap to pay work?
Tap to pay operates through near-field communication (NFC) technology, a short-range wireless communication system that allows data exchange between devices in close proximity. The customer’s payment information is securely stored in the NFC chip and transmitted to the merchant’s terminal for authorization. The process is fast, secure, and does not require physical contact between the card or smartphone and the payment terminal.
Q: What are the benefits of tap to pay?
Tap to pay offers several benefits. Firstly, it is faster and more convenient than traditional payment methods. It is also secure due to the short distance over which transactions occur and the encryption and authentication protocols embedded within the NFC technology. Moreover, it is universally compatible and versatile, opening doors for applications beyond payments, such as loyalty programs, smart advertising, and interactive gaming.
Q: How can businesses implement tap to pay?
Businesses can implement tap to pay by working with Stax or upgrading/purchasing necessary hardware, training staff, promoting the new payment option, and regularly reviewing and updating the system. It is also important to research and choose the right vendor, considering factors such as costs, fees, and customer support.
Q: What devices are compatible with tap to pay?
Most modern devices are compatible with tap to pay, including contactless cards, smartphones, smartwatches, and other smart mobile devices. Many of these devices come with digital wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay, which can store card information securely and enable contactless transactions.
Q: How secure is tap to pay?
Tap to Pay is highly secure. The NFC transaction process includes encryption protocols to secure the data being transmitted, ensuring that it cannot be easily intercepted or tampered with. Additionally, many NFC transactions use dynamic data, generating a new, unique token for each transaction, making it difficult for attackers to reuse intercepted information for fraud.
Q: What is the future of tap to pay?
Tap to pay is seen as the future of payment methods. The convenience, security, and advanced capabilities it offers have made it the preferred payment method for many. With advancements in NFC technology, businesses have the tools to introduce tech-advanced payment solutions, from mobile wallet payments to digital loyalty programs, marking a new direction for the payments industry.
Q: What role did smartphones play in the adoption of tap to pay?
Smartphones played a significant role in the adoption of tap to pay. Tapping a smartphone to a terminal proved far more exciting than tapping a card for many consumers. Companies like Google and Apple introduced contactless payments via their mobile apps, pushing consumers to adopt the technology.
Q: What are some precautions to protect information when using NFC?
Some precautions include using secure devices, enabling device lock, only using official payment apps, turning off NFC when not in use, using strong authentication, and keeping your mobile wallet app and device OS updated to ensure the latest security patches.
Q: How can tap to pay be used beyond accepting payments?
Businesses are using contactless loyalty cards and even loyalty apps that allow customers to store those loyalty cards digitally. Interactive marketing lets customers tap NFC-enabled promotional material to access offers, discounts, and product information. Beyond retailers and accepting payments, NFC is used for public transport, access control systems, smart advertising, data exchange between devices, and interactive gaming. NFC even enables smart packaging to provide customers with product and usage information at the point of sale.
