payabl. Shows Why Smartphones are the Next Payment Terminals

Contactless payments are reshaping habits across Europe.

In line with this shift, fintech payabl. has entered the SoftPOS space with its new solution, Tap to pay. 

The launch is part of a growing shift towards software-driven payment experiences that remove hardware barriers and empower merchants to adapt faster to consumer demand.

Tap to Pay enables businesses to accept contactless card payments directly from any NFC-enabled Android smartphone, eliminating the need for traditional card terminals – meaning simpler operations, fewer upfront costs and faster transaction readiness for micro and small businesses.

payabl. Group CEO, Ugne Buraciene, says: “Payments should adapt to the way merchants operate, not the other way around. 

“Tap to pay gives businesses a simple way to accept in-person payments using the devices they already rely on every day. 

“Combined with payabl.one, merchants can see and manage both online and in-store transactions in one place, giving them clearer visibility and control over their money flow.”

Harnessing the power of SoftPOS

The solution is built on secure software point-of-sale (SoftPOS) technology, allowing merchants to transform their smartphones into full-featured payment terminals. 

Once the Tap to pay app is downloaded and activated, businesses can start accepting in-person payments almost instantly – removing the waiting time for delivery or installation of terminals.

It supports PIN entry, e-receipts and a full suite of transaction types including sales, refunds, reversals and tips.

Integration with payabl.one – the company’s unified payments platform – means merchants can view all online and in-person transactions in one dashboard, simplifying reconciliation, tracking and settlement management.

The solution is designed for business agility and payabl. says that early adopters are already seeing tangible results. 

One of them, Nafais – a retail fragrance brand – used the new feature to power its store launch without interruption.

“The Tap to pay solution was set up within just a couple of days,” says Nikos Panagiotou, Director at Nafais.

“The process was simple and smooth. Now we can focus more on helping customers rather than worrying about payments.”

Since integrating the service, around 65% of Nafais’ transactions are now processed digitally – improving checkout speed and the overall in-store experience.

Europe’s contactless surge

The timing aligns with a broader industry trend. 

This month, the UK scrapped the £100 (US$133) contactless limit, allowing banks and card issuers to set their own caps – a move expected to further accelerate tap-and-go adoption.

According to Barclays’ 2024 data, 94.6% of eligible in-store card payments under £100 were made via contactless methods. 

Looking more widely, across Europe, payabl.’s State of the European Checkout report found 41% of consumers prefer contactless cards, while 21% prefer mobile wallets like Apple Pay or Google Pay.

Breno Oliveira, Chief Product Officer at payabl., says: “Micro and small businesses need the freedom and flexibility to accept payments wherever their customers are – whether that’s markets, pop-up events or out on delivery.”

“Tap to pay by payabl. removes the need for additional hardware and allows merchants to turn the mobile phones they already own and carry everywhere into secure payment terminals. 

“For small and growing businesses, it means one less thing to manage and a much faster way to start accepting payments.”