How do I take a payment with Tap to Pay on iPhone?

Tap to Pay on iPhone lets you accept contactless cards and Apple Pay right on your iPhone, from inside the Check Cherry app. No card reader, no dongle, no extra hardware. Set it up once and it becomes an option every time you collect a payment on a booking.

What You Need

  • An iPhone XS or later, running iOS 18 or later.
  • The latest version of the Check Cherry app for iOS.
  • Check Cherry Payments connected on your account. Tap to Pay on iPhone is available to US accounts.
  • Permission to collect payments. Turning the feature on for the first time has to be done by an account owner or admin.
Not using Check Cherry Payments yet? Connect it first in Payment Settings. Once your account is approved, the setup below takes a couple of minutes.

Step 1: Confirm Your Business Location

In the Check Cherry app, go to App Settings and tap Tap to Pay on iPhone. The first step asks you to confirm the business address that in-person payments are reported under.

Open the Check Cherry app and go to App Settings.
Tap Tap to Pay on iPhone.
Under Step 1, tap Confirm location.
Check the address, correct anything that's wrong, and save.
If you run more than one brand, each brand confirms its own location. You'll see a list with a Set up button next to any brand that isn't ready. A booking can only be charged against its own brand's location, so confirm every brand you plan to collect payments for.

Step 2: Turn On Tap to Pay on iPhone

On the same screen, under Step 2, tap Enable Tap to Pay on iPhone.
Apple presents its Terms and Conditions. Read and accept them.
Apple's short tutorial appears next, covering contactless cards, Apple Pay, and PIN entry. Page through it.
Your iPhone configures itself as a reader. When it's done you'll see Tap to Pay on iPhone is ready.
Only an account owner or admin can accept Apple's Terms and Conditions. If you're a staff member, the setup screen will tell you to contact your administrator. Once an admin accepts, the feature is on for the whole account.
You can reopen Apple's tutorial any time from the same screen under Learn more, then How to take a payment. It's worth showing to any staff member who will be collecting payments at events.

Step 3: Take a Payment

Open the booking, using search or your bookings list.
Tap the Outstanding Balance and choose Collect Customer Payment.
Pick Tap to Pay on iPhone, the first option in the list.
Enter the payment amount, an optional tip, and the email address for the receipt.
Tap Continue to Tap and wait for Ready for Payment.
Have your client hold their card, iPhone, or watch near the top of your iPhone.
If a PIN is required, Apple's PIN screen appears. Hand the phone to your client to finish.

You'll see a processing screen, then a confirmation with the amount that was charged. From there you can go back to the booking, view the receipt, or open the invoice.

If your account passes processing fees to customers, you'll see a checkbox on the amount screen. Leave it checked to add the fee to the client's total, or uncheck it to absorb the fee yourself for that payment.

Receipts

Enter your client's email address before you take the payment and a receipt is sent automatically when the charge succeeds. You can also send one afterward: from the confirmation screen tap View Receipt, then Share to send it by email, text, or any other app on your phone.

Troubleshooting

The button says "Set up"

The booking's brand hasn't confirmed its business location yet, or nobody has accepted Apple's Terms and Conditions. Tap the button and it takes you straight to the setup screen.

The option doesn't appear at all

Check the requirements above. The most common causes are an iPhone older than the iPhone XS, an iPhone running an older version of iOS, or an account that hasn't connected Check Cherry Payments.

The payment was declined or timed out

You'll get a clear outcome screen with Try Again and Done. Try the tap again, ask for a different card, or fall back to entering the card manually or sending a payment link.

I need to refund the payment

Refund it the same way as any other card payment. See How do I refund a credit card payment?

Related articles

Tap to Pay on iPhone requires a supported payment app and the latest version of iOS. Update to the latest version by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Tap Download and Install. Some contactless cards may not be accepted by your payment app. Transaction limits may apply. The Contactless Symbol is a trademark owned by and used with permission of EMVCo, LLC. Tap to Pay on iPhone is not available in all markets. Apple Pay is a service provided by Apple Payments Services LLC, a subsidiary of Apple Inc. Neither Apple Inc. nor Apple Payments Services LLC is a bank. Any card used in Apple Pay is offered by the card issuer.

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Last updated August 13, 2026 09:13