Accepting payments with Tap to Pay on Android
Last updated: June 20, 2025
Tap to Pay on Android allows you to use your mobile device to accept contactless payments without the need for a separate card reader. You can accept contactless payments from Mastercard, Visa and American Express cards, as well as any NFC-based mobile wallets like Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, and Google Pay (as long as they are using a Visa, MasterCard or American Express).
Note: Tap to Pay on Android is only available for users in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Singapore, United Kingdom, and the United States.
Hardware and software requirements
Tap to Pay on Android supports devices that:
- have a functioning NFC antenna
- run Android 9 or later
- have Google Mobile Services
- are from most major manufacturers such as:
- Google Pixel phones
- Samsung Galaxy phones and tablets
- OnePlus 7x, 8x and 9x phones
- Xiaomi Redmi line
- Oppo A, Reno and Find lines
Before getting started, make sure you have already downloaded and installed version 1.15 or higher of the FareHarbor Android app on your Android device.
Setting up your device
- Navigate to your phone’s settings and ensure that both NFC and Location are enabled.
- Open the FareHarbor app, and tap Settings
> Payments. In the “Collect payments using” section, select Tap to Pay. Tap the Tap to Pay toggle to initiate the connection. When you see the Connected message, you are able to begin accepting Tap to Pay payments.
Auto-connect
Once you have successfully connected your Tap to Pay device to FareHarbor, your device will connect to FareHarbor automatically each time you log into the app (even after logging out entirely), switch between Dashboards, or log in as a different user.
With auto-connect, FareHarbor will pair to the device you were most recently connected to. For example, if you connected to your NFC-enabled mobile device and then logged out, the next time you log back into FareHarbor, your NFC-enabled device will automatically pair to accept payments.
If you don’t wish to automatically pair with your NFC-enabled device, navigate to your phone’s Settings and disable the Tap to Pay toggle.
Note: Make sure both NFC and Location are enabled in your device’s settings. Otherwise, you may receive an alert asking you to enable these settings before accepting payments.
If you are having trouble with auto-connect, make sure that your internet connection is stable and that you are using version 1.15 or higher of the FareHarbor Android app). If you’re still having trouble, try setting up your device again.
Accepting payments with Tap to Pay on Android
Once you’ve set up your device, you can collect card payments while making bookings in your Dashboard:
- While making a booking, select the Tap to Pay payment option (Note: This option is shown only for partial or full payment types).
- Select Complete booking to continue to the payment form
- Wait for the Total Due prompt.
- Place the card or NFC-payment method under Tap behind here.
When you see the Success message shown on your device, the payment will be added to the booking.
Heads up! Some contactless card transactions above a certain amount may require additional cardholder verification, such as a PIN entry. If your customer attempts to pay for a transaction using a contactless card and the charge is declined, the amount to be charged may have exceeded that limit. For American Express, the limit is $250 USD and Visa/MasterCard $100 USD.
Should your customer run into this issue, it is recommended to retry the transaction and hold the card close to the reader a little longer in order for the information from the chip to be read more easily. If the transaction fails again, it means you will have to use another method to collect payment, as we do not accept PIN payments using this method.
Troubleshooting
I don’t see the option to charge with an NFC device when taking a payment
- First, try toggling the Tap to Pay option off and on again. Make sure that the Connected message is displayed under the Tap to Pay option.
- Log out of FareHarbor and close the app. Relaunch the app and login again.
- If you’re still having trouble, uninstall (delete) the FareHarbor app along with all of its content. Then, reinstall the app and follow the setup instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I accept payments using PINs?
No, using Tap to Pay on Android with FareHarbor does not support the use of PINs.
Can I accept any payment methods other than Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or NFC-wallets?
No, Tap to Pay on Android only accepts payments with Visa, Mastercard, American Express, and the NFC wallets above.
Can I connect to a different card reader and Tap to Pay on Android at the same time?
No, you cannot simultaneously connect to both an NFC-enabled device and a separate card reader.
If you need to switch payment methods to a separate card reader, navigate to your FareHarbor Settings > Payments, and under the Collect payments using section, tap Card Reader and continue the standard card reader setup.
Internal-only content. Don't copy and paste to anyone.
Additional Troubleshooting tips
There are two additional device requirements in order for Tap to Pay on Android to work, as specified by Stripe. These are not listed in the client-facing page of this help page, as most likely the client is using a standard Android device, however they’re being provided here in case everything else has been checked and the set is still not working.
Additional requirements for Android devices to be supported:
- They are not rooted, and the device bootloader is locked and unchanged.
- They have a hardware-backed keystore. This is a hardware area of Android devices providing hardware-backed, strong security services to the Android OS, to platform services, and even to third-party apps.
Enabling Tap to Pay on Android: FH Admin settings requirement
In order for the functionality to appear on the user’s device, EMV chip card payments must be enabled in the Dashboard Advanced settings.
Which payment processors are supported for Tap to Pay on Android?
Tap to Pay on Android can only be enabled for clients using Stripe as their payment processor.
Can affiliates accept payments using Tap to Pay on Android?
No, it is not possible for affiliates to accept payments using Tap to Pay on Android.