Tap to Pay uses your phone's own NFC chip as a contactless card reader — no separate hardware to carry or charge. It accepts tap cards and digital wallets (Apple Pay, Google Pay).
Before you start
Tap to Pay requires the venue to have a Stripe Terminal location configured. If the option doesn't appear in the app, the venue hasn't been set up yet — this is a one-time setup a venue admin or Noctern support handles, not something you can turn on from the door.
Taking a Tap to Pay sale
In the Sale tab, select seats or enter a general-admission quantity for the patron.
Tap Charge card. The app calculates the total — including any applicable fees and tax — from the venue's live pricing, not a number you type in.
Hold the patron's card or phone to the back of your device where indicated on screen.
Wait for the success screen, which confirms the amount charged.
The ticket's QR code appears right on the success screen — that's the guest's ticket. If they want it emailed too, tap Send Receipt and enter their email address; nothing is emailed automatically.
Refunds
Tap to Pay sales cannot be refunded from the POS app. To refund one, a venue admin or super-admin uses the web at AdminEvents → the event's Attendees list → Refund.
Gotchas
- Tap to Pay is US-only, and requires a phone with NFC hardware — very old or budget Android devices may not support it.
- If the connection drops mid-charge, don't tap Charge card again right away — check the sale history first so you don't double-charge the patron.