App: Setting Up Zeffy Tap to Pay
Zeffy's Tap to Pay app acts as a point of sale (POS) on your phone without the need for a physical terminal. With the Zeffy app, you can access all your compatible forms to make sales in person. Tap to Pay is available to organizations in the US, Canada, the UK, and Australia.
Device requirements for the Zeffy Tap to Pay app
To use the Tap to Pay application, you'll need the following items:
A device with a compatible card reader, either:
An iPhone model XS or later updated with iOS 17 or newer
An Android 11 with NFC (Android 12+ is recommend for stability)*
A verified Zeffy account connected to your organization's bank account
*As of July 1st 2026, the app will be compatible with Android 13 or newer only.
Other important compatibility notes:
🇮🇪 Tap-to-pay is not currently available in Ireland.
📱Tap-to-pay is not compatible with tablets as they are not equipped with an internal card reader.
🇬🇧 Gift Aid is not currently available on Tap to Pay payments in the UK.
Configure your card reader on your device
Open the App Store or Google Play Store on your device
Search for Zeffy Tap to Pay
Download the app to your device and open it
Log in using your Zeffy account email and password
The application will then configure the card reader on your phone. On iPhone, you will be asked to enter your Apple ID information. You must also accept the location access on your device.
The application then checks that you meet all the required conditions. If all conditions are met, they will turn green and you can click Next.
You'll be able to access all your compatible forms to start accepting payments.
If you have problems downloading the application, configuring the card reader or accepting payments, please consult our troubleshooting guide (iPhone) or troubleshooting guide (Android)
Accepting Payments
After opening the application, you'll see a list of your Zeffy forms on which you can accept payments.
⚠️ Tap-to-pay is not currently compatible with auction forms, recurring donations, and membership forms. These forms or payment options will not appear in your Tap-to-Pay application. To find out how to accept payments in person on these forms, see this article.
Select the form for which you wish to make a sale. You'll see a list of your different rates and options, including shop variants, quantity limits, Pay What You Can tiers, and funds. If you have activated the "additional donation" function on your form, you will also see the option to add an additional donation for your non-profit organization.
Confirm your choice and hand over the phone to the buyer. They will see a summary of payment and order total. The app may present additional questions configured on the form. They're then invited to press their card on the phone to finalize payment.
How to send a receipt after a payment
When payment succeeds, use the option to request a receipt so the buyer can enter their name or email and receive confirmation.
On ticket payments or campaigns where tax receipts are not enabled, turn on full name and email under the campaign's Preferences in the app so those details are requested by default. Full steps are in Tap to Pay buyer information.
Tap to Pay supports major form features including shop variants, quantity limits, Pay What You Can tickets, funds, and multi-date events.
Invite other devices to accept payments via the application
If you wish to accept payments from multiple devices, know that there is no specific limit to the number of different phones that can process payments on the same form.
If several people within your organization wish to accept payments from their own devices at the same time, please ensure that each person processing payments is a separate user on the account and logs in with their own login credentials. You can add up to 50 users on your Zeffy account. Users can be added for Tap to Pay access only. Because each collector signs in with their own account, a Tap to Pay payment records who processed it. Open a payment's details to see the payment handler — the user who collected the payment — which also appears in payment exports.
If you need more information on how to set up multiple users, please see the following article: Add users to an account or manage their access/permissions
Check in event guests from the app
Use the lightning check-in manager in the Tap to Pay app to scan e-ticket QR codes at the door. When you scan a ticket QR code with the app scanner, Zeffy automatically checks in the ticket and opens the ticket details. You do not need to open or follow a browser link.
To check guests in from the app, the user needs the Access Guest List from App permission. Turn it on in Settings → Manage Users. You can grant it per campaign. See User Roles, Permissions, and Account Ownership Transfers and Checking-in guests the day of your event.
Frequently Asked Questions about Tap to Pay de Zeffy
Can I download Tap to Pay to my iPad?
No, the Tap to Pay application is not available on the iPad. iPads aren't equipped with internal card readers like iPhones are, so they don't have the right hardware to accept Tap to Pay payments.
Can I enter credit card information manually if my donor doesn't have the Tap to Pay application?
No, the app is for credit card payments only. If your donor needs to enter their credit card manually, you can direct them to the web version of your Zeffy form. To do this, you can either share the link to the form, or ask the donor to scan the form's QR code with their device to access your form directly. To find out how to obtain the QR code for your form, click here.
Can I connect an external card reader to Zeffy?
No, Zeffy's Tap to Pay cannot be connected to an external card reader.
Log cash payments
In addition to card payments, you can log cash payments directly in the Tap to Pay app. After selecting a form, enter the amount and choose the cash payment option. The transaction is recorded in your Payments list without processing a card.