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

Tap to Pay on Android lets you accept contactless cards and Google Pay right on your Android phone or tablet, 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 Android 13 or later device with NFC turned on. Phones and tablets both work.
  • A Google-certified device with the Play Store, an ARM processor, not rooted and with a locked bootloader.
  • A security update from the last 12 months. Check yours under Settings, About phone, Software information, Android security update.
  • The latest version of the Check Cherry app for Android, installed from the Play Store.
  • Check Cherry Payments connected on your account. Tap to Pay is available to US accounts.
  • Permission to collect payments. Admins and staff with extended permissions are able to see balances and take payments.
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. 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.
Under Step 1, tap Confirm location.
Check the address, correct anything that's wrong, and save. Make sure to enter your business address and not a venue or other address.
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: Check This Device

On the same screen, under Step 2, tap Check this device.
Wait while the app connects and your device is checked against the requirements.
If it passes, you'll see Tap to Pay is ready. If it doesn't, you'll get a specific message naming the problem, such as NFC being off or the device not being supported.
From the same screen, tap Learn more, then How to take a payment for a short in-app guide to contactless cards, digital wallets, and PIN entry. 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, 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 flat against the back of your device, near the top, and keep it still until the screen confirms.
If a PIN is required, the PIN screen appears. Hand the device 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.

Where the card goes is the one thing worth practicing before an event. The card goes flat against the back of the device, near the top, and stays still until the screen confirms. Green means paid.

  • Contactless cards work. Chip-only cards don't, so send a payment link for those instead.
  • Google Pay, Samsung Pay, and Apple Pay all work. The client holds their phone or watch where the card would go.
  • A PIN prompt on larger amounts is normal. Hand them the device and let them enter it.
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 device.

Troubleshooting

The device check under Step 2 names the exact problem, so start there rather than guessing. If the message you see does not match any below, update the app from its Play Store listing and run the check again.

Tap to Pay needs Check Cherry Payments

Tap to Pay is only available on accounts using Check Cherry Payments. Without it the option will not appear when you collect a payment. Connect it in Payment Settings.

"System Update Required"

Tap to Pay needs a security update from the last 12 months and this device's is older. The message names the date it found, such as February 2025. Install any pending system updates in Settings, then run the check again.

The patch date is what gets checked, not your Android version. A device on a current version of Android can still be a year behind on patches. To see where you stand, go to Settings, About phone, Software information, Android security update.

"Device Not Verified"

The device did not pass Google's security check. Installing any pending system updates is usually the fix, so try that first. It can also mean the device has been rooted or its bootloader unlocked, and Tap to Pay only runs on unmodified devices. If the device is stock and fully up to date and you still see this, contact Check Cherry support.

The device will not install updates

If the security update is old and the device will not pull a new one, check whether it is a carrier-branded handset running on a different carrier's network. Carrier-branded firmware is delivered through that carrier's update channel, and a device moved to another carrier can stop receiving updates. We have seen an AT&T-branded Samsung on another carrier's eSIM sit 18 months behind, reporting that every update attempt was interrupted.

  • Connect the device by USB to a Windows or Mac desktop and run the manufacturer's desktop updater, such as Samsung Smart Switch. It pulls firmware straight from the manufacturer and bypasses the stuck path.
  • Put the original carrier's SIM back in, connect to Wi-Fi, and check for updates.
  • Take the device to a carrier or manufacturer store and have them update it.

"NFC Is Off"

NFC is the radio that reads the card, and it's turned off. Turn it on in your device settings, then try again.

"Screen Not Secure"

This one shows up mid-payment, when Tap to Pay goes to display the PIN pad and doesn't trust what else is on the screen. Stop any screen recording or screen sharing, close apps that draw over the screen, and turn off accessibility services and Developer options. Then try again.

"Device Not Supported"

Tap to Pay needs a Google-certified Android device with NFC running Android 13 or later.

"PIN Not Available"

The payment needs a PIN and this device can't collect one right now. Try a lower amount or a different payment method.

The option doesn't appear at all

Check the requirements above. The most common causes are a device running something older than Android 13, a device with no NFC hardware, or an account that hasn't connected Check Cherry Payments.

The button says "Set up"

The booking's brand hasn't confirmed its business location yet. Tap the button and it takes you straight to the setup screen.

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?

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Last updated August 28, 2026 18:50