Get Started with Tap to Pay with Square for Retail

With Tap to Pay on iPhone, you can securely accept contactless payments from Samsung Pay, Apple Pay, Google Pay and NFC-enabled cards on your iPhone without a card reader. Tap to Pay on iPhone is currently available with the Square for Retail POS app.

Pricing, Compatibility, and Transaction Limits

• Tap to Pay on iPhone is compatible with all contactless cards and digital wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. Accept any Australian-issued and most international contactless cards with a Visa, Mastercard, American Express and bank-issued EFTPOS chip card. To know if a card is contactless, look for the wave-like symbol to indicate NFC (Near Field Communication).

• Square sellers using Square for Retail Free, will pay a processing fee of 1.9% per transaction.

• Square sellers using Square for Retail Plus, will pay a discounted processing fee of 1.6% per transaction.

• Square sellers accepting Afterpay Card on Tap to Pay on iPhone will pay a per-transaction processing fee of 6% + 30¢ (excl. GST) per sale.

• Tap to Pay on iPhone has a per-transaction limit of $25,000 for mobile wallets (like Apple Pay, Google Pay or Samsung Pay) and physical contactless cards.

• Make sure your Square for Retail POS app is updated to the latest version. You will need an iPhone Xs or newer and the phone must be running iOS 15.5 or later to use Tap to Pay on iPhone. Tap to Pay on iPhone is not currently available on iPad.

iPhone Settings for Tap to Pay

To prepare your iPhone to use Tap to Pay:

• Make sure your iPhone is running iOS 15.5 or higher. To check if your software is up to date, go to Settings > General > Software Update. 

• If you haven’t already, set a passcode for your iPhone by going to Settings > Face ID & Passcode. Tap to Pay on iPhone requires a device passcode.

If you are not already signed in on your iPhone, go to Settings > Sign in to your iPhone. If you are already signed in, you will see your name at the top of the Settings screen.

Enable or Disable Tap to Pay on iPhone

You will be able to use Tap to Pay on iPhone if you log in using a Device Code with Square for Retail. You can enable Tap to Pay on iPhone at any time through the Square for Retail POS app.

• From the navigation bar at the bottom of your screen, tap ≡ More.

• Tap Settings > Account.

• Select Tap to Pay on iPhone > Enable Tap to Pay on iPhone.

• Verify the correct Apple ID is shown. If not, choose Use a Different Apple ID.

• Select Agree & Continue to toggle on Tap to Pay on iPhone.

You can disable Tap to Pay any time by navigating to ≡ More > Settings > Account > Tap to Pay on iPhone > toggle off Tap to Pay on iPhone.

Once the Account Owner enables Tap to Pay on iPhone, all Team Members under the same account with an eligible device will automatically be able to use Tap to Pay on iPhone.  They will also have access to tutorials on how to use the feature within the app.

Once you enable Tap to Pay, the banner at the top of the screen will read “Tap to Pay on iPhone.”

Accept Payments

In your Square for Retail POS app:

• Go to Checkout and add items from your Library or use the Keypad to enter a custom amount.

• Tap Review Sale > Charge.

• Select Tap to Pay on iPhone and position your phone close to your customer. Have them either hold their card horizontally over the contactless symbol or hold any NFC-type devices (like Apple Pay, Google Pay, Apple Watch, etc.) to the front of the phone.

  1. If the payment times out before it’s processed, tap Try Again.

• Once the payment is complete, have your customer choose their desired receipt method.

Find answers to commonly asked questions about Tap to Pay on iPhone via our FAQs.