What is a contactless payment?

A contactless payment is a way to pay for goods and services by simply tapping your debit card, credit card, smartphone or smartwatch on a contactless-enabled card reader. There’s no need to insert your card or enter your PIN for most transactions, which makes checkout faster, safer and more convenient.

For businesses, accepting contactless payments is one of the easiest ways to get paid. With SumUp’s card readers like the Air or Solo, or with Tap to Pay on iPhone or Android, you can take contactless card payments and mobile wallet payments (Apple Pay, Google Pay) without extra setup.

Whether you run a taxi, salon, food truck or market stall, contactless payments help you serve customers faster, reduce queues and increase sales. They’re fully secure, banks use encryption and may occasionally ask for a PIN after several transactions in a row to confirm the cardholder’s identity.

By offering contactless, you give your customers their preferred way to pay and make sure your business never misses a sale.

Contactless payments use NFC technology to send payment details securely from a card, phone or smartwatch to a card reader. With a SumUp card machine, the customer simply taps their card on the reader, and the payment is confirmed in seconds, no PIN is needed for amounts up to £100.

You can also accept contactless payments without extra hardware using Tap to Pay on iPhone or Android. Customers just hold their card or phone near your device, and the payment is processed instantly.

For remote sales, you can share a Payment Link or QR code. Your customer opens a secure checkout page, enters their card details and pays online, perfect for deposits or orders you don’t take in person.

There’s nothing to set up – your new contactless enabled debit or credit card is ready to go when you receive it. Simply tap it on any compatible card reader, such as the SumUp Air or Solo.

If you’re paying by phone on an Android or iOS mobile device, you can download Google Pay or Apple Pay, and enter your card information on your phone. You’ll then be able to use your smartphone as a contactless payment device via the relevant app.

Receiving contactless payment in your business is as straightforward as receiving standard chip and PIN payments. All you need is a contactless enabled card reader, like those found among SumUp’s range of products.

In the UK, the contactless card limit is £100 per purchase. You can tap to pay with a debit or credit card for any amount up to this limit without entering a PIN. After several contactless transactions in a row, banks may ask for a PIN to confirm the cardholder’s identity.

If your customers use Apple Pay or Google Pay, they can usually spend more than £100 because the payment is verified with biometrics like Face ID or Touch ID.

Businesses can accept contactless payments with any compatible card reader, such as SumUp Air, SumUp Solo or SumUp Terminal, or directly on their phone with Tap to Pay on iPhone. For remote sales, you can also send a Payment Links so customers can pay securely from anywhere.

The UK contactless limit is £100 per purchase. There are no other limits, but after a certain number of contactless payments in a row, the card holder will be required to enter their PIN number, to confirm that they’re the genuine card holder.

The UK contactless limit for mobile wallet payments (Apple Pay and Google Pay) is less restrictive, and usually defined by the bank issuing the debit or credit card attached to the payment app.

You can pay contactless an unlimited number of times, as long as your payments are under the £100 per purchase limit. The card holder may be required to enter their PIN for some payments to verify their identity.

Some card reader providers have varying costs depending on the method of payment or the brand of card used by the customer. SumUp provides businesses with a card reader that can receive contactless payments via card or smartphone, with only a 1.69% fee per transaction no matter how you pay.

Devices accepting contactless payments have a wave symbol on them, sometimes accompanied by the phrase “Tap to pay” or “Contactless payments accepted”. The contactless symbol resembles a Wi-Fi icon, displayed horizontally instead of vertically, within a circle.

Contactless phone payments can be made a few different ways. You can pay contactless at any SumUp card reader with Apple or Google Pay by holding your phone near the reader as if it were your bank card. You’ll just need to save your card data in your mobile wallet app of choice before you tap to pay with phone for the first time.

You can also pay contactless with your phone remotely by using Payment Links and QR Codes that redirect you to a secure payment portal. Link payments and QR Code payments can be sent via email, SMS or social media.

With Tap to Pay on iPhone and SumUp, you can accept in-person contactless payments on your iPhone - no extra hardware needed. Getting started with Tap to Pay on iPhone is really simple. To enable it: 1. Download the free SumUp app and create your SumUp profile 2. Tap the settings icon in the top right of the app home screen 3. Select ‘Tap to Pay on iPhone’ and complete the steps to set up

You can read more about how to get Tap to Pay for iPhone.

Contactless payments work for almost any type of small business. They’re fast, secure and easy to set up, making them ideal for both fixed locations and businesses on the move.

Food and beverage: Small restaurants, cafés, bars, food trucks and market stalls can serve customers faster and take payments at the table, counter or outdoors, all with a simple tap.

Retail: Clothing shops, gift stores and other retailers can speed up checkout and let customers pay with their preferred method, including Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Services: Taxis, salons, contractors, healthcare providers, charities and event organisers can accept payments on the go, without handling cash or waiting for bank transfers.

By supporting all major debit and credit cards as well as mobile wallets, contactless payments make it easy for businesses in any sector to offer the speed and convenience customers expect.

Yes. Contactless payments are designed with multiple layers of security to protect both your business and your customers. Every transaction is encrypted from the moment it’s made, and your card reader meets strict PCI-DSS security standards.

If your customer pays with Apple Pay or Google Pay, the payment is confirmed with biometrics like Face ID, Touch ID or a phone passcode, adding another layer of protection.

With SumUp, you can accept contactless payments knowing that sensitive card data is never stored on your device and every transaction is processed through secure, regulated systems.

Processing a refund for a contactless payment is simple. Open the SumUp app, find the transaction in your sales history, and tap Refund. The amount will be sent back to your customer’s card automatically.

You don’t need the physical card to issue a refund, which makes it easy to resolve issues quickly, whether you run a salon, a food truck, or an online shop.

SumUp is designed to make running a small business easier, not just to process card payments. When you sign up for free, you get access to a full suite of tools that go beyond the card machine and support every part of your day-to-day operations.

Grow and streamline your business

• Point of Sale features: Depending on your device, you can manage items, track sales and process receipts directly from your reader.

• Integrations and extras: Connect SumUp with other tools you already use to make your workflow even smoother.

Manage your money with ease

• SumUp Business Account: Keep your business and personal finances separate. Enjoy next-day payouts, even on weekends, and get a free Mastercard to access your funds instantly.

• Expense tracking and spending: Use your Business Account and card to cover business costs, all in one place.

Get paid in more ways

• Invoices: Create and send professional invoices in minutes and let customers pay securely online.

• Payment links and QR codes: Share a payment link by email, text or social media, or let customers scan a QR code to pay instantly.

• Online store builder: Set up your own e-commerce shop for free, with no technical skills required.

With these additional solutions, SumUp becomes more than just a card machine provider. It’s a complete payment ecosystem that helps you sell in person, online or remotely, while giving you the tools to manage your money and grow your business.