Setting Up Apple Tap to Pay on iPhone

With Apple Tap to Pay on iPhone, you can accept in-person contactless card payments, Apple Pay, and digital wallets directly on your iPhone — with no extra card reader hardware required.

Before you start: Tap to Pay runs on top of a Membrzs Market account with card payments enabled. If you haven't signed up yet, first work through Creating Your Vendor Account & Linking Stripe Connect, then Getting Started with Membrzs Market. Card payments only switch on once your Stripe onboarding is complete.

Device & System Requirements

  • Device: iPhone XS or newer running iOS 16.4 or higher.
  • Region: United States merchant accounts with Stripe Connect set up and verified.
  • Permissions: NFC enabled and Location Services turned ON.
  • Plan: Freemium includes 5 Tap to Pay sales per month with no added fee — see Tap to Pay on the Freemium Plan. Lite, Premium, Team, and Enterprise include unlimited Tap to Pay; on those plans each Tap to Pay transaction carries an additional itemized $0.15 fee, shown separately on receipts — see Understanding Card & Platform Fee Breakdowns.
  • User Role: Owner or Manager can turn Tap to Pay on. Sellers and Viewers can't enable it themselves — tapping it shows "Admin Access Required," directing them to ask their account owner or manager. (This restriction is specific to Tap to Pay; setting up a Stripe M2 Bluetooth reader has no role restriction.)

1. Enabling Tap to Pay in Membrzs Market

  1. Ensure your iPhone is running the latest version of iOS.
  2. Open Membrzs Market and go to the Reader tab in the bottom navigation.
  3. Under "Choose connection method," tap Tap to Pay on iPhone.
  4. When prompted for the one-time Apple Terms & Conditions setup, follow Apple's on-screen steps to link your Apple ID.

2. Taking a Tap to Pay Payment

  1. Add items to your cart on the POS screen.
  2. Tap Tap to Pay on iPhone in the checkout footer (this replaces the usual "Charge Card" button once Tap to Pay is your active connection method).
  3. The iPhone displays the native Apple Tap to Pay prompt with the contactless icon.
  4. Have the customer hold their contactless card or smartphone (Apple Pay / Google Pay / Wallet) near the top of your iPhone.
  5. Wait for the confirmation chime and animation.

For handling a sale that's part card and part cash, see Split Tender Checkout.

3. How You Get Paid for Tap to Pay Sales

Tap to Pay sales settle into the same Stripe balance as every other card sale and pay out to your bank on your normal schedule — there's no separate Tap to Pay payout. For payout timing and how to change your payout frequency or bank account, see Getting Paid: Payout Timing & Schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Tap to Pay work on iPad or Android?

iPad: No — Apple Tap to Pay on iPhone is exclusive to eligible iPhone models. Use the Stripe M2 Reader on iPad.

Android: Yes — Membrzs supports Tap to Pay on Android phones and tablets that have NFC hardware. See Setting Up Tap to Pay on Android.

What if a customer has a physical card without contactless capability?

You can key the card in manually — no reader required, works on every plan. Tap Charge Card (or Other → Enter Card Manually) and type the card number, expiry, and CVC. It needs an internet connection, and a higher card-not-present rate applies. See Entering a Card Manually. If you have a Stripe M2 Reader connected, you can insert or swipe the card instead.

I don't have an account yet — where do I start?

Create one free at portal.membrzs.com/signup, then follow Creating Your Vendor Account & Linking Stripe Connect. You can run cash sales immediately; Tap to Pay unlocks once you're on Lite or above with Stripe verified.