Westpac has deployed a new ‘tap-on-phone’ payments service for business clients, enabling merchants to accept customer payments using a compatible Android mobile.

The new service is based on Airpay TAP, an app-based payments solution developed by Quest Payment Systems, an Australian paytech developer, and effectively does away with the need for traditional payments hardware, such as EFTPOS terminals.

The software-based Airpay TAP solution – which, according to Quest, was in 2020 the first of its kind to be launched in Australia – enables merchants to accept contactless card payments through most Android smartphones (Android 9.0 and above) processed via Quest’s point-of-sale app.

Merchants can receive customer payments via cards, mobile wallets, and wearables when a card or device is held over the phone or tablet’s NFC (near-field communication) reader.

Airpay TAP operates similarly to a traditional payment terminal, with high-value transactions (those above $200) processed using a PIN as verification.

The solution is currently being trialled with several Westpac small business customers ahead of an expected wider rollout in early 2023. NAB and Visa were among the first to trial the technology back in 2019.

“We’re always looking for ways to make it fast, flexible and secure for businesses to keep connected with their customers and get paid,” said Chris de Bruin, Westpac chief executive, consumer and business banking.

“Westpac’s Tap on Phone technology is a game-changer for business owners who need a more lightweight and portable alternative to traditional merchant hardware, enabling their compatible Android phone or tablet to transform into a payment device.

With mobile already the “number one choice for making payments”, de Bruin noted the “exciting potential for uptake here in Australia as businesses seek more convenient and connected payment solutions”.