How to Collect Payments With Tap to Pay on iPhone

Turn a supported iPhone into a card reader and take contactless card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay payments from the FieldPulse mobile app at the job site.

Who uses this: An Admin user turns Tap to Pay on and manages registered devices; any user with access to collect payments in FieldPulse can take a Tap to Pay payment. Availability: Requires FieldPulse Payments, which is available to businesses located in the United States. Tap to Pay on iPhone runs on iPhone XS or newer with iOS 18 or newer — iPads are not supported.

Tap to Pay on iPhone turns a supported iPhone into a card reader, so your technicians accept credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay from the FieldPulse mobile app with no extra hardware. The customer holds their card, phone, or smartwatch near the top of the iPhone, and the payment processes in seconds — before the technician leaves the driveway.

Overview

Tap to Pay on iPhone lets a technician collect a contactless payment directly on their iPhone from the FieldPulse mobile app. It accepts credit cards, debit cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. An Admin user controls the feature for the whole company from the web app, one Admin user accepts Apple’s terms once on mobile, and each technician’s device registers itself the first time it is used.

Before you begin

The device and the account both have to be ready before a technician can collect a payment with Tap to Pay on iPhone.

iPhone requirements

• iPhone XS or newer

• iOS 18 or newer

• The device locked with a passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID

• An Apple ID with iCloud enabled

• A stable internet connection

• Location Services enabled

FieldPulse requirements

• FieldPulse Payments enabled on your account

• Tap to Pay on iPhone toggled on in Company Settings

Tap to Pay on iPhone is available on iPhones only. iPads are not supported at this time — this is an Apple platform limitation, not specific to FieldPulse. If a device doesn’t meet the requirements above, or if the feature isn’t enabled in your account, your technicians see the standard payment screen instead.

On web

Enable or disable Tap to Pay

Tap to Pay on iPhone is automatically enabled for all FieldPulse Payments users, and an Admin user turns it on or off for the whole team from the web app.

1. Go to Company Settings → Estimates & Invoices → Payments.

2. Scroll to the Tap to Pay Settings section.

3. Toggle Enable Tap to Pay on or off.

4. Select Save.

Only Admin users can access Tap to Pay Settings. The toggle applies to all eligible technicians — you can’t enable or disable it for individual team members from this screen. To restrict a specific user from accepting payments altogether, adjust their User Feature Permissions. See User Roles and Permissions Details.

View and deactivate registered devices

The first time a technician uses Tap to Pay on iPhone, their device registers automatically. The Tap to Pay Settings section in the web app shows a table of every registered device, including the device name, device type, registration date, and last used date.

1. Go to Company Settings → Estimates & Invoices → Payments → Tap to Pay Settings.

2. Find the device in the Tap to Pay Devices table.

3. Select Deactivate next to the device.

4. Confirm the deactivation in the pop-up prompt.

Deactivating a device removes it from the list but does not revoke the user’s payment permissions. To fully restrict a user from processing payments, update their payment User Feature Permissions.

On mobile

Accept Apple’s terms (one time)

Before anyone in your company can use Tap to Pay, one Admin user has to accept Apple’s Tap to Pay terms and conditions. Open an invoice record, select Collect Payment, then tap the Tap to Pay on iPhone button for the first time. The terms appear, and once an Admin user accepts them this never has to be done again — every user with access to collect payments in FieldPulse can then use the feature.

Collect a payment in the field

The first time you use Tap to Pay on iPhone, your device registers as a payment device automatically. This one-time setup runs in the background in a few seconds, with no action needed from you.

1. In the FieldPulse mobile app, open the invoice record for the job you completed.

   

2. Tap Collect Payment in the Available Actions list.

   

3. At the top of the Collect Payment screen, tap Tap to Pay on iPhone.

   

4. When Apple’s Tap to Pay interface appears, ask the customer to hold their credit card, debit card, Apple Pay, or Google Pay device near the top of your iPhone.

   

5. Once the card reads successfully, the payment processes automatically and a Payment Successful screen appears.

   

6. From the confirmation screen, tap to send a receipt to your customer by email or SMS. If receipts are already configured in your FieldPulse account, a receipt sends to your customer automatically.

If a payment fails

If the payment doesn’t go through — for example, the card is declined — a Payment Failed screen appears. From there you have two options:

• Tap Retry to attempt the payment again with Tap to Pay on iPhone.

• Enter the card details manually to process the payment on the Take Payment screen.

FieldPulse Pro Tip: Metal credit cards can sometimes be harder to read on the first tap. If the card doesn’t register, try holding it against the screen a little longer or tapping a second time before switching to manual entry.

Tap to Pay will not work if you are on an active phone call.

What your customer sees

When you start a Tap to Pay payment, Apple’s native Tap to Pay interface appears on your iPhone screen. Your customer sees a prompt to hold their card or device near the top of the iPhone — the same experience they’d have at any contactless terminal. Once their card is read, they see a brief confirmation on screen before you receive the Payment Successful message.

Common issues

Issue	Likely cause	Fix
Device not appearing in the Devices table	The technician hasn’t completed their first Tap to Pay transaction yet.	Devices register automatically on first use. Once the technician completes their first Tap to Pay payment, the device appears in the table.
Device re-registers after being deactivated	Deactivation removes the device from the list but doesn’t revoke the user’s payment permissions.	To fully restrict a user from processing payments, update their payment User Feature Permissions. Deactivation alone isn’t enough.

Error messages and what to do

If you see one of the messages below while using Tap to Pay on iPhone, here’s what to do next.

Error message	What to do
This device does not support Tap to Pay.	Ask your account admin to check the device’s status in Payment Settings within Company Settings and reactivate it if needed.
Tap to Pay requires Location Services to be enabled. Please enable it in Settings.	Go to your iPhone Settings and enable Location Services, then try again.
Tap to Pay requires additional permissions. Please ensure Location Services are enabled, an iCloud account is connected, and a password is set on the device.	Check that Location Services are enabled, you’re signed into iCloud, and your iPhone has a passcode set. Then try again.
Your session expired. Please try again.	Tap the Tap to Pay on iPhone button again to start a new session. Sessions expire after 5 minutes of inactivity.
Another payment is in progress. Please wait a moment and try again.	Wait a few seconds and try again. If this keeps happening, contact support.
Tap to Pay is still preparing. Please wait a moment and try again.	Wait a few seconds and try again. If this continues, contact support.
Tap to Pay could not read the card. Please try again.	Tap the card again, holding it steady against the top of your iPhone. Metal cards can sometimes take longer to read.
Your card reader session paused. Please try again.	Wait a few seconds and try again. If this keeps happening, contact support.
Network or service error. Please check your connection and try again.	Check that you have a strong Wi-Fi or cellular connection, then try again.
This payment may already be processed. Please check the invoice.	Check the invoice to confirm whether the payment already went through before trying again.
Tap to Pay isn’t configured correctly. Please contact support.	Make sure you’re on the latest version of the FieldPulse app, then try again. If the issue continues, contact support for help getting Tap to Pay set up correctly.
Apple’s Terms and Conditions must first be accepted by an Admin user.	Have an Admin user on your account accept Apple’s terms for Tap to Pay — see Accept Apple’s terms (one time) above.
Tap to Pay needs the app in the foreground. Return to FieldPulse and try again.	Return to the FieldPulse app and keep it open while completing the payment. Don’t switch to another app or your home screen mid-transaction.
Tap to Pay cannot be used during a phone call. Please end the call and try again.	End your phone call, then try the payment again.
Tap to Pay could not be completed. Please try again. (Code: <code>)	Try again. If it still doesn’t work, contact support and share the error code shown, along with what you were doing, your email, and the date and time it happened.
Tap to Pay could not determine your location. Please make sure Location Services are enabled and try again.	Go to your iPhone Settings and enable Location Services, then try again.
This device doesn’t support Tap to Pay. Please use manual entry.	Use manual card entry instead. Your device may not support Tap to Pay.
Tap to Pay isn’t active for your account. Please contact your admin.	Contact your account admin to reactivate Tap to Pay for your device in Company Settings.
Failed to get payment configuration	Restart the FieldPulse app and try again. If the issue continues, contact support.
Failed to register device	Confirm your device meets all the Tap to Pay requirements listed above, then try again. If the issue continues, contact support.
Payment failed. Please try a different card or use manual entry.	Try a different card, or use manual entry instead.

FAQs

Does Tap to Pay on iPhone work with all cards?

Yes. It works with all major credit and debit cards, as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay.

Will my payment processing rates change?

No. Your processing rates stay the same when you use Tap to Pay on iPhone, and there are no additional fees for this payment feature.

Is there a transaction limit?

Tap to Pay on iPhone itself doesn’t have a transaction limit. Your customer’s bank or card provider may have its own contactless limit. For larger transactions, customers can use Apple Pay or Google Pay — both typically allow higher amounts since they require biometric authentication (Face ID or fingerprint).

Does Tap to Pay work with card fee recovery?

Yes. If you have card fee recovery enabled, it applies to Tap to Pay transactions like any other card payment, with no extra setup. See Setting Up Card Fee Recovery.

Does this work on iPads?

No. Tap to Pay on iPhone is only available on iPhones (iPhone XS or newer). This is an Apple platform limitation and is not specific to FieldPulse.

Does this work on Android?

Not at this time. Tap to Pay on iPhone is currently available on iPhones only. Android support is planned for a future release.

Will Tap to Pay payments sync with QuickBooks and other integrations?

Yes. Payments collected with Tap to Pay are processed the same as all other FieldPulse payments.

Still need help?

Reach the FieldPulse support team at [e-mail] or through the chat feature in the bottom-right corner of your screen.

Related articles

• How to Collect Payments: 3 Methods

• FieldPulse Payments Overview

• How to Save a Payment Method on File

• Setting Up Card Fee Recovery

• Payment Receipts Overview

• FieldPulse Deposit and Payment Status Details

• User Roles and Permissions Details

You have collected the payment when the customer’s card reads, the Payment Successful screen appears on the technician’s iPhone, and the receipt goes out by email or SMS.