Turning a phone into a card terminal removes a real cost for small merchants. It also brings requirements most app projects never meet.
Plan for the entitlement
Tap to Pay needs an Apple entitlement and a supported payment provider. Apply early — it shapes your timeline more than any screen does.
Onboarding is the product
Merchants must accept terms and complete setup before their first payment. We moved this into the signup flow so nobody meets it for the first time with a customer waiting.
Make the moment feel physical
Clear amount, a large tap target, haptics on success and a receipt screen that is easy to show a customer. Small details make a phone feel trustworthy as a terminal.
Test like a till
We ran scripted sessions with test cards, slow networks and interrupted taps, and measured tap-to-approve time on every build.