How to Use Tap to Pay on iPhone: The Best App to Accept Cards Without a Reader

Looking for the best app to accept cards on iPhone without a reader? See the iPhone you need, 6 setup steps, the fee on every tap and when you get paid.

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Nov 5, 2026

Bike mechanic takes a contactless card payment on his iPhone from a customer at his mobile repair stand by a park

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For solo sellers, JIM is the best app to accept cards on iPhone without a reader: 1.99% per sale, no fixed or monthly fee.
You need an iPhone XS or newer on the latest iOS, and a sole proprietorship or single-owner LLC in the 50 states.
Get approved in the JIM app, then tap Sell, enter at least $1, choose Tap to Pay and let your customer tap.
A $25 tap costs $0.50 and a $50 tap $1.00, so 80 taps of $25 cost $40.00 in JIM fees.
Money lands in your Jim balance in seconds. Same Day ACH to your bank costs 1.99% + $0.99, with a $15 minimum.

For most solo sellers, the best app to accept cards on iPhone without a reader is JIM, which charges 1.99% per sale with no fixed fee, no monthly fee and no hardware. Your iPhone becomes the card reader through Apple's built-in Tap to Pay on iPhone, and each sale lands in your Jim balance in seconds.

Apple says Tap to Pay on iPhone requires an iPhone XS or later and works best on the latest iOS (Apple's Tap to Pay on iPhone page).

This guide is updated every year with Apple's requirements and JIM's published fees. Last reviewed: November 2026.

What do you need to use Tap to Pay on iPhone as a seller?

Check your iPhone model and your business type first. If you work for yourself and own an iPhone XS or newer, you can sell today with nothing else to buy.

iPhone: An iPhone XS or newer, the bar set by Apple and confirmed in JIM's first-sale guide.
Software: The latest iOS and the latest JIM app. Update iOS in Settings, then General, then Software Update.
Phone security: A screen lock such as a passcode or Face ID, on a phone that is not jailbroken.
Who can sign up: You are 18 or older and run a sole proprietorship or a single-owner LLC in one of the 50 U.S. states, in a supported industry (JIM's seller requirements).
What you skip: A card reader, a subscription and a bank account. JIM needs none of them.
Starter limit: Some new sellers start with a $500 limit on total sales. Verifying your identity in the app removes it.

How do you set up Tap to Pay on iPhone with JIM?

Get approved once, then run a $1 test sale on your own card before your first customer. New sellers see a Try a $1 test button for a guided first sale (JIM's first steps). The full flow is in JIM's guide to selling.

1. Download JIM and tap Get Started: Enter your business and personal details exactly as they appear on your ID. A mismatch is the most common cause of delays.
2. Create your PIN and wait for approval: Set your Jim Card PIN. JIM emails you when your seller profile is approved or needs more information.
3. Enter the amount: Tap Sell on the bottom bar, enter at least $1 and tap Sell now.
4. Choose Tap to Pay and tap Charge: The first time, JIM may ask you to link your Apple Account to turn on Tap to Pay. It happens once.
5. Let your customer tap: Your customer holds a card, phone or watch near the top of your iPhone until you see Approved.
6. Share the receipt: Tap Share receipt if your customer wants one.

Six-step flow to take a card payment on iPhone with JIM, from download to an approved tap at 1.99% per sale

How much does Tap to Pay on iPhone cost per sale?

JIM charges 1.99% of each sale with no fixed fee, so a small ticket stays cheap. Compare the in-person rate, since every sale you take on an iPhone is an in-person tap.

App	In-person rate	$25 sale	$50 sale
JIM	1.99%	$0.50	$1.00
Square (Free plan)	2.6% + 15¢	$0.80	$1.45
PayPal Point of Sale	2.29% + 9¢	$0.66	$1.24
SumUp	2.6% + 10¢	$0.75	$1.40

Source: Square's, PayPal's and SumUp's official pricing pages, accessed November 2026, plan with no monthly fee. JIM: jim.com/pricing and the JIM Help Center fee table.

Suppose a mobile seller makes 80 Tap to Pay sales of $25 in a month, $2,000 in total. JIM fees come to $40.00, and the other three apps in the table charge $52.80 to $64.00 for the same month.

JIM Tap to Pay fees at 1.99%: $0.20 on $10, $0.50 on $25, $1.00 on $50, $1.99 on $100, $40.00 for 80 sales of $25

Tips cost nothing extra. The 1.99% applies to the total, so a $40 sale with an $8 tip costs $0.96. Read how card processing fees work to see what goes into each rate.

Example math: each sale's fee rounded to the cent, times the number of sales.

When do you get the money from a Tap to Pay sale?

Each JIM sale lands in your Jim balance in seconds, ready to spend with the free virtual Jim Card. You pay only when you move money to a bank by Automated Clearing House (ACH), the bank-to-bank transfer network.

Spend right away: Add the Jim Card to Apple Wallet and tap to pay in stores, or use the card details online anywhere Visa is accepted. Spending is free.
Move it to your bank: Same Day ACH costs 1.99% + $0.99 per transfer, with a $15 minimum. Sent before 2:00 PM Central Time on a business day, it arrives the same day (JIM Help Center).
No bank account: You can sell, hold your balance and spend it without one. The bank account matters only for ACH.
Watch out: The Jim Card does not work at ATMs or for loading other payment apps. For cash, send the money to your bank by ACH.

Which cards can customers tap on your iPhone?

JIM accepts every major contactless payment method: Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB and Diners Club cards, plus Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay on a phone or smartwatch. The fee stays 1.99% whatever the card (accepted cards and wallets).

A card without the contactless symbol can't be tapped, and JIM does not let you type card numbers into the app. For that customer, send a JIM Payment Link and let them pay online (see the fee at jim.com/pricing).

How do customers pay with Tap to Pay on iPhone?

Your customer holds the card flat over the top of your iPhone, or places their phone or watch over the payment symbol, and waits for the approval, as Apple's instructions describe.

Contactless card: Hold the card flat near the top of the seller's iPhone until the screen shows the sale approved.
iPhone with Face ID: Double-click the side button, glance at the screen to confirm, then hold the top of the phone near the seller's iPhone.
iPhone with Touch ID: Rest a finger on Touch ID, then hold the top of the phone near the seller's iPhone.
Apple Watch: Double-click the side button, then hold the watch display near the seller's iPhone.
No card in Wallet yet: Open the Wallet app, tap the Add Card button and follow the steps in Apple's setup guide.

Want the full picture of the tap itself? Read how tap to pay works.

Is Tap to Pay on iPhone safe for you and your customers?

Yes. JIM encrypts each payment the moment your customer taps and uses a one-time code instead of the real card number, so the code can't pay for anything else. Card numbers and PINs never sit on your phone or on JIM's servers, and JIM holds PCI DSS 4.0.1 certification, the security standard set by the major card brands.

Apple adds its own layer: iPhone is designed to block camera and screen captures during a transaction, and an Apple Pay wallet sends a device-specific number instead of the card number (Apple Pay security overview). Shoppers already trust the tap, too: 53% of U.S. consumers prefer contactless for in-store payments, according to S&P Global 451 Research.

What if Tap to Pay isn't working on your iPhone?

Update your iPhone and the JIM app before anything else, then work down this list in order.

Update first: Install the latest iOS and the latest JIM app, then tap Try again.
Keep JIM in full screen: Close any app or video floating over JIM. Tap to Pay works only with JIM in full screen.
First charge: The first time, JIM may take up to 1 minute to set up Tap to Pay. Keep the app open.
Check your account: Your seller profile must be approved, and you must sell in one of the 50 U.S. states. U.S. territories are not supported.
Card declined: Every sale goes through a security review. Try again, ask for another card, or send a Payment Link. More fixes in JIM's troubleshooting guide.

Who is JIM the right Tap to Pay app for?

JIM fits people who sell on their own, in person, with an iPhone or an Android phone. Selling on Android too? See Tap to Pay on Android. Running your business without an LLC? Read taking card payments as a sole proprietor.

JIM does not support corporations or chip-insert card hardware, so a business that needs either should look at a broader point-of-sale setup. If you sell on your own with a phone, JIM covers every major contactless card and wallet at 1.99%, with money in seconds.

Profile	Deciding criterion	JIM when...	Consider an alternative if...
Mobile seller, tickets under $100	Fee per sale	You take taps and spend from the Jim Card	You need chip-insert or swipe hardware
Seller without a bank account	Where the money goes	You want to sell and spend without opening a bank account	You need to withdraw cash at an ATM
Business structure	Who can sign up	You are a sole proprietor or single-owner LLC	Your business is a corporation

Should you use JIM for Tap to Pay on iPhone?

Use JIM if you sell in person on an iPhone XS or newer and want to keep more of each sale: 80 taps of $25 cost $40.00 in JIM fees, with no monthly fee and no reader to buy.

JIM Tap to Pay charges 1.99% per sale and puts the money in your balance in seconds. Run a $1 test sale on your own card, then check every fee at jim.com/pricing. For more ways to get paid, read accepting cards without a card reader and accepting Apple Pay at your business.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best app to accept cards on iPhone without a reader?

For solo sellers, JIM. It runs on Tap to Pay on iPhone and charges 1.99% per sale with no fixed fee, monthly fee or hardware, so a $50 sale costs $1.00.

What iPhone do I need for Tap to Pay on iPhone?

An iPhone XS or newer on the latest iOS, with a screen lock and no jailbreak. JIM also works on Android phones with NFC.

How much does it cost to accept cards on an iPhone?

With JIM, 1.99% of each sale and no other checkout fee: $0.50 on a $25 sale and $1.99 on a $100 sale. Tips add no extra fee.

Can I accept cards on my iPhone without a bank account?

Yes. JIM lets you sell, hold your balance and spend it with the free Jim Card. You need a bank account only to cash out by Same Day ACH, which costs 1.99% + $0.99.

How fast do I get paid with Tap to Pay on iPhone?

With JIM, each sale lands in your Jim balance in seconds. A Same Day ACH sent before 2:00 PM Central Time on a business day reaches your bank the same day.

Can customers pay with Apple Pay or Google Pay on my iPhone?

Yes. JIM accepts Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay on phones and smartwatches, plus contactless Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB and Diners Club cards.