Tap on phone: The next chapter in how we pay and get paid

With Tap on Phone, your everyday smartphone can become a payment terminal. No extra hardware, no complicated set-up, just a secure app and a few taps. 

This technology isn’t just convenient - it’s a shift in how the world participates in the digital economy. It’s helping organizations of every size accept payments in the moments that matter, from a café counter in a small town to a charity run for a cause close to one’s heart.  

Some of the most exciting examples we’ve seen are happening right now in Europe. 

Turning volunteers into fundraisers: Tap to Donate powered by Cents 

In Italy, there’s still €2.2 billion in donations made in cash every year. For nonprofits, this means missed opportunities, especially when events mobilize hundreds or thousands of volunteers who can’t take card payments or donations. 

That’s where our partnership with Cents, a fintech for good, comes in. Together, we launched Tap to Donate, an app that transforms a volunteer’s smartphone into a secure donation terminal. Whether they’re on the sidelines of a marathon, at a charity market, or in a community hall, they can accept card and digital wallet, one-time or recurring donations instantly from their phones. 

The results speak volumes. At a large-scale fundraising event with one of Italy’s most well-known organisations, the impact of Tap on Phone was clear with €24,000 raised in just three days. Volunteers equipped with Tap to Donate technology collected 19% of total donations, a good benchmark for new technology adoption. The use of technology enabled donations to rise by 18% compared to traditional point-of-sale devices. This shows how putting secure, simple payment acceptance into no profits’ hands can make a measurable difference. 

It’s a simple change with a huge impact: more ways to give and receive, fewer barriers and more funds reaching the causes that matter to each of us. 

Helping merchants grow: Viva.com 

In the business world, Viva.com, the first Tech Bank in Europe for businesses, is showing how Tap on Phone can transform acceptance for merchants of all sizes. 

Through Viva.com’s Tap on Any Device technology featuring its Terminal app, powered by Mastercard, any Android device or iPhone can become a contactless payment terminal, in markets where Apple Tap to Pay on iPhone is enabled. That means shop owners, market traders, delivery drivers, and even restaurants can take payments wherever their customers are. 

The benefits for merchants are immediate. Funds are settled in real time, even on weekends, and payments can still be accepted offline without a live connection. In addition, Viva.com provides a Mastercard business debit card, enabling users to earn cashback on transaction fees when using it for corporate expenses.  

Since launch, the impact has been significant. Merchants have processed more than 2.5 million transactions in a single month, active Tap on Phone locations have grown by 120% year-on-year, and the average transaction size now stands at €26. These results highlight how quickly the technology is being adopted and the tangible value it delivers. 

Viva.com is expanding what it means to accept contactless payments anytime, anywhere, equipping merchants with mobile-first payment technology and a full suite of financial services designed to remove barriers to growth. 

What this means for the future 

Both Cents and Viva.com show the real promise of Tap on Phone: It removes barriers. Whether it’s a charity volunteer or a small merchant, it puts the power of acceptance in their pocket. Quite literally. 

At Mastercard, we believe the future of payments will be defined by flexibility, simplicity, and inclusion. Tap on Phone is already delivering on that vision, helping more people and businesses participate in the digital economy, in more places and in more ways than ever before. 

The next chapter of payments is here. And it fits in the palm of our hands.