Accept Card Payments on Phone: The SoftPOS Guide
To accept card payments on phone you need a SoftPOS app and nothing else: the merchant's smartphone becomes the payment terminal. Apple launched Tap to Pay in 2022 and PCI SSC published the MPoC security standard the same year. This guide covers requirements, fees and security for UK and EU merchants deciding whether the phone is enough.
What accepting card payments on phone means: SoftPOS and Tap to Pay
Accepting card payments on phone belongs to the SoftPOS family (software point of sale): the merchant's phone becomes the terminal, with no external readers to attach over Bluetooth. It is the next step after mPOS, the small card readers popular with taxi drivers, market traders and delivery businesses.
The timeline shows how mature the technology is. Apple launched Tap to Pay on iPhone in the United States in 2022 and then extended it to the first nine international markets, with the UK among the early adopters, before other European countries followed. On Android, providers such as myPOS, SumUp, Stripe and Worldline with Tap on Mobile have offered SoftPOS solutions for years.
For the customer nothing changes: they tap a card, Apple Pay or Google Pay on the merchant's phone. All the difference sits behind the counter: zero dedicated hardware.
Requirements: devices, apps and connection
The requirements are few but not negotiable. Device: Tap to Pay on iPhone needs an iPhone XS or later with current iOS, according to Apple's merchant documentation; on Android the phone needs a working NFC module supported by the provider's app. Provider app: the app handles the amount, confirmation and receipt, and must come from an enabled payment platform. Connection: mobile data or Wi-Fi is needed to authorise each transaction.
One clarification: the merchant's phone never reads raw card data. The terminal runs on tokenisation, and the security criteria are covered in the dedicated section below.
What it costs: zero hardware and fees compared
The hardware cost is zero: no terminal to buy (physical POS devices typically start around 300 euros when purchased outright) and no rental of 15 to 40 euros per month. Fees come from the payment provider, and the pricing model matters.
Blended plans charge one opaque percentage, typically between 1.4% and 1.75%. With IC++ pricing every cost is itemised: RoxPay charges €0.15 + 0.35% to 0.85% (IC++). Consumer interchange is fixed by Regulation (EU) 2015/751 at 0.2% on debit cards and 0.3% on credit cards, so the real difference between providers sits in the markup.
In the UK there is also a practical reason SoftPOS works so well: the contactless limit rose to 100 pounds per transaction in October 2021, so most everyday sales need no PIN and no receipt printing, just a tap on the merchant's phone.
When the phone is enough and when you need a terminal
Accepting card payments on phone works best where volume is occasional or the business moves around: taxis and private hire, market stalls, beauty and wellness home visits, trade fairs, deliveries. In these cases avoiding a terminal purchase changes the cost equation completely.
For a shop or cafe with high daily volume, other factors apply: the phone battery drains, queues at the counter need continuity, and integration with the till is smoother on a dedicated device. To compare models, the [Android POS terminal guide](/en/resources/android-pos-terminal) puts functions and costs side by side. The right setup is often mixed: a terminal at the counter, SoftPOS as a backup for deliveries, outdoor tables and extra peak days.
Security, limits and checks before activating
Security for payments accepted on phone rests on dedicated standards. The reference is PCI MPoC (Mobile Payments on COTS), published by the PCI Security Standards Council on 16 November 2022 as the successor of the SPoC and CPoC standards: it defines the requirements for accepting contactless and PIN on commercial devices, with card data tokenisation and anti-tamper controls. Before activating a solution, check it appears in the PCI SSC listing of assessed products.
On the customer side, the PSD2 directive (EU) 2015/2366 bans surcharges for card payments: no extra fee can be passed on.
Three practical checks before activating: the fee impact on your average ticket, receipt handling (digital by SMS or QR), and offline behaviour when there is no signal. For the customer-facing side of the equation, the [contactless payment terminal guide](/en/resources/contactless-payment-terminal) explains how NFC readers and mobile wallets compare across devices.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is SoftPOS?
SoftPOS turns a NFC-enabled smartphone into a payment terminal: the merchant installs an app, types the amount and the customer taps their card or wallet on the same phone. Apple launched Tap to Pay on iPhone in the United States in 2022 and extended it to the first nine international markets, including the UK, before other European countries followed.
Which phones support Tap to Pay?
Tap to Pay on iPhone requires an iPhone XS or later with an up-to-date iOS version, per Apple's merchant documentation. On the Android side, NFC-enabled smartphones work with the SoftPOS apps offered by providers such as myPOS, SumUp, Stripe and Worldline with Tap on Mobile.
Is accepting card payments on phone secure?
Yes, when the solution is certified. The reference standard is PCI MPoC (Mobile Payments on COTS), published by the PCI Security Standards Council on 16 November 2022: it covers contactless and PIN acceptance on commercial devices, with card data tokenisation and tamper protections. Check that the solution you choose appears in the PCI listing of assessed products.
How much does a POS on phone cost?
The hardware costs nothing: there is no terminal to buy or rent. Fees come from the payment provider: blended plans typically charge an opaque 1.4% to 1.75% per transaction, while with RoxPay IC++ pricing you pay €0.15 + 0.35% to 0.85% (IC++). Consumer interchange is capped in the EU at 0.2% for debit cards under Regulation 2015/751.
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