Tap-to-Glass: The Next Generation of Contactless Payments

Ditch the dated tech, switch to what’s becoming default 

 Tap-to-Pay is everywhere. With nearly 90% of U.S. consumers using some form of contactless payments*, the adoption has continued to grow globally. Consumers now expect to tap a card, phone, or wearable thanks to NFC technology, and complete a transaction in seconds. But the next evolution is already here, and acceptance is moving beyond dedicated hardware and into the devices merchants already use every day.  

The Rise of Phone-First Acceptance  

As mobile wallets continue gaining share across consumer payments (eMarketer, 2024), phone-first acceptance is becoming part of the modern payment ecosystem. Tap-to-Glass as it’s being called, can turn any mobile device into secure payment acceptance tools, eliminating the need for traditional terminals altogether.

The momentum behind tap-to-phone adoption is evident. Visa reports tap-to-phone usage has grown 200% year over year globally, with strong adoption among small and emerging businesses. Enabling merchants to accept payments on mobile devices directly reflects how business is being conducted today.

The Shift is Here. We Built For It.

Launching soon on the Apple App Store and Google Play, Payarc merchants can accept in-person payments directly on their Apple and Android devices through TouchPay. By removing standard terminals, it supports environments where mobility is necessary to match the preferences of today’s customers.

 For agents, that means:  

• Faster time-to-revenue
• Fewer hardware objections
• Less friction in the sales cycle
  
•  Greater flexibility across merchant types 

For merchants, it means:  

• • No additional terminals to purchase
  • Reduced upfront costs
  • Mobility for events, field services, and high-traffic environments
    
  •  The ability to scale without equipment logistics 
    
    

The 2026 Tap Acceptance Readiness Checklist:

Are you matching how merchants operate now?

You’re Ready If:

• You can activate without waiting on hardware shipments
• Merchants can accept payments on existing NFC-enabled devices
• You reduce equipment-based objections and onboarding times
• Your solution scales across locations without added logistics
• Every deal starts with ordering a countertop terminal
• Hardware cost remains your biggest objection
• Setup requires multiple steps before activation
• Merchants are asking for “tap on phone” and you can’t offer it
  
  

There may be opportunity to evolve if:

The Bottom Line

The market has moved. Contactless is standard, and mobility is expected. Activation speed matters more than ever. Agents who embrace phone-first acceptance will close faster and support more dynamic merchant environments. Those who do not will feel friction in their sales cycle.

TouchPay makes mobile-first acceptance simple, secure, and immediate. Be ready for where payments are headed. Download TouchPay and activate tap without the hardware. Coming soon to the Apple App Store and Google Play

• Visa (2023). Tap to Phone adoption grew 200% year-over-year globally.
• Marqeta / Grand View Research (2024). Contactless payments adoption and growth projections.
• ElectroIQ (2024). Over 90% of smartphones are NFC-enabled.
• eMarketer (2024). Mobile wallet adoption and payment behavior trends.