Tap to Pay on iPhone | How To Tips For Your Business

Accept contactless debit and credit cards with Tap to Pay on iPhone. To confirm if your customer has a contactless card, look for the EMV® Contactless Indicator on the back or the front of the card.

To accept a contactless card, present your iPhone to the customer and ask the customer to hold their card horizontally on the tap area for a few seconds until done.

If you're having difficulty with the card being read, it could be due to the placement of the card. The performance of contactless cards can vary based on card design and the location of the antenna/chip. As a result, some cards connect more easily than others. Try the following to ensure a successful card read:

1. Hold the card directly on the device with the chip on the left side and the longer side of the card lined up with the edge of the tap area for several seconds.
2. If the card doesn't read, slide the card to center the chip over the notch on the device.
3. If the card doesn't read, try waving the card slowly or tapping the card on the back of your phone.
4. Switch over to a digital wallet or click on the manual card entry option.

With Tap to Pay on iPhone, you can also accept payments from all digital wallets such as Apple Pay and Google Pay as long as the wallet is on a mobile device that enables contactless transactions (iPhone, Android phone, etc).

To accept the digital wallet, present your iPhone to the client and ask the client to hold their mobile device near the tap area until done.

If you're having difficulty with the client's digital wallet being read, try the following to ensure you complete checkout:

1. Try slowly waving the device over your iPhone for several seconds.
2. If the wallet doesn't read, ask for their contactless card or go back to the checkout screen and click on the manual card entry option.

With Tap to Pay on iPhone, you can also accept payments from wearables that enable contactless transactions (Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch, etc).

Present your iPhone to the client and ask the client to hold their wearable near the tap area until done.

If you're having difficulty with the client's digital wallet being read, try the following to ensure you complete checkout:

1. Try slowly waving the wearable over your iPhone for several seconds.
2. If the wallet doesn't read, ask for their contactless card or go back to the checkout screen and click on the manual card entry option.

Should I use StyleSeat Auto Pay or Tap to Pay? 

We always want the checkout experience to be smooth, fast, and easy for both you and your clients. Auto Pay on StyleSeat is the fastest way to check out your clients, and it's the most guaranteed way for you to get paid with tips. But there are those appointments where a client requests another way to pay. Whether it's because they want to use a different card than what's on file or want to split payments or added a new service — Tap to Pay is a great option for those moments so you can avoid manual card entry.

I already have a reader/terminal. Should I use Tap to Pay or my reader? 

Do whatever works best for your business and clients. While most readers/terminals come free these days, they usually have extra swipe or key-in fees. When using Tap to Pay on the StyleSeat app, you will only be charged the standard credit card processing fee. There's also the added plus of dealing with one less piece of hardware — you don't have to think about hardware updates and carrying it around when you're a professional on the go. 

• The biggest benefit of keeping all your payments in one app is staying organized. Come tax season when you have to report all your earnings, you save yourself from headaches when all your payments are on StyleSeat. It's also easier when you have to apply for loans. You automatically build up your earnings history making you more eligible for loans. Learn about StyleSeat Business Loans.
• We have built-in tips into the tap-to-pay checkout flow. We have seen clients tip more when they can choose a pre-selected tip amount than paying off StyleSeat.  
• Checking out more appointments on StyleSeat is one factor to help boost you up in your Search Ranking. You'll receive more new clients when your ranking goes up!

• It's secure and guaranteed payment on the spot! Tap to Pay on iPhone does not store payment data locally on your device. It's powered by Apple so you don't have to worry about hacks. You don't have to deal with awkward moments of finding a client's user account or worse, requesting payment later and the client not paying.

• Get access to your payments with our no-fee Instant Deposits. After checking out a client using StyleSeat auto pay or Tap to Pay, you can deposit your earnings in your bank immediately.

1. If the client does not want to store their card on StyleSeat, you can now provide them an easy option to checkout with the security of all Apple products. All payment transactions are encrypted, and payment data is not stored locally on your iPhone if you use Tap to Pay (same security with StyleSeat auto-checkout!) 

2. Flexibility — more ways to pay! With all major credit/debit contactless cards and mobile wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay) accepted, your clients have a wide range of options on how they want to checkout. They don't have to make a bank stop for cash and will have enough for a tip!

3. Depending on how they set up their Paypal, Venmo, or other payment apps, if it's set up with their credit card, then the payment app also tacks on their own processing/credit card fee. Save your clients of extra fees by paying on StyleSeat. 

4. Did you know the phrase "how much should I tip my….." is searched on Google an average of 350,000 times a month? Take the guesswork and stress out from your clients with preselected tip amounts in the Tap to Pay checkout flow.