Accept contactless payments

A contactless payment lets a customer pay by tapping their card, phone or smartwatch on a card reader - no PIN needed for most purchases, and the whole thing takes seconds. It works with debit and credit cards as well as mobile wallets like Apple Pay and Google Pay.

For your business, accepting contactless is one of the simplest ways to get paid. With a SumUp card reader like the SumUp Solo Lite or SumUp Solo, or with Tap to Pay on iPhone or Android, you can take contactless cards and mobile wallet payments with no extra setup - helping you serve customers faster, cut queues and never miss 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, with no PIN needed for most purchases (typically up to around £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.

Yes. With Tap to Pay you can accept contactless cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay directly on your phone - no card reader and no extra hardware. Download the free SumUp Business app, set up your account, and start taking payments in minutes.

There are no monthly fees - you pay a small percentage per transaction and only when you get paid. Tap to Pay works on both iPhone and supported Android devices.

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.

Setting up to accept contactless takes minutes. Download the free SumUp Business app, create your account, and you're ready to take payments - with Tap to Pay you can start straight from your phone, with no hardware at all.

Prefer a dedicated device? Order a card reader like the SumUp Solo Lite, SumUp Solo or Terminal, pair it (or just switch it on, for the standalone models) and tap to take your first payment.

There are no contracts and no monthly fees on pay-as-you-go - you pay a small percentage per transaction, and only when you get paid.

No - you don't need WiFi specifically, but you do need an internet connection of some kind. Which one depends on the device you choose.

The SumUp Solo and Terminal come with a built-in SIM and free mobile data, so they connect on their own, with no WiFi and no phone required. SumUp Solo connects over 4G, while the Terminal automatically switches to the strongest network available - which makes both a reliable choice for market stalls, events, or anywhere the signal is patchy.

Tap to Pay and the SumUp Solo Lite work through your smartphone instead, so they run on whatever connection your phone is using - WiFi or mobile data. As long as your phone is online, you're ready to take payments.

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 Business 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.

There's no longer a single UK contactless limit. Since 19 March 2026 the FCAOpens in new window no longer sets one national cap - each bank decides its own.

In practice, the major banks have kept the £100 per-transaction limit, so for most cards that's still the figure. After several contactless payments in a row, the cardholder may be asked to enter their PIN to confirm they're the genuine cardholder.

Mobile wallet payments (Apple Pay and Google Pay) aren't bound by the card limit and are usually set by the bank that issued the card.

You can pay contactless an unlimited number of times, as long as each payment is within your bank's contactless limit - typically around £100. The cardholder may occasionally be asked to enter their PIN 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.

Since 19 March 2026Opens in new window, the UK no longer has a single national contactless limit - the FCA handed that decision to individual banks. Most major banks have kept a £100 per-transaction limit, so in practice many cards can tap up to around £100 without a PIN.

After several contactless transactions in a row, banks may ask for a PIN to confirm the cardholder's identity. Customers using Apple Pay or Google Pay can usually spend more, because the payment is verified with biometrics.

Businesses can accept contactless payments with any compatible card reader, such as SumUp Solo Lite, 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.

A contactless payment is authorised in seconds. When a customer taps their card or phone, their details are sent securely to your reader over NFC and approved by their bank almost instantly - so there's no waiting around at the counter, even at busy times.

Getting that money to you is a separate step. With a free SumUp Business Account, your takings are available the next day at 7am, even on weekends and bank holidays. From there you can spend or withdraw your money using your complimentary SumUp Mastercard. There are no hidden fees or admin charges - just a small percentage per transaction on pay-as-you-go.

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 Business 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.

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.

You can pay with your phone by holding it near the reader, just as you'd tap a contactless card. First, add your card to a mobile wallet like Apple Pay or Google Pay. After that, a single tap - confirmed with Face ID, a fingerprint or your passcode - is all it takes at any SumUp card reader.

You can also pay remotely: payment links and QR codes open a secure checkout page and can be sent by email, SMS or social media.

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.