If a client wants to pay by card at the end of the session, you can take the payment right inside the MassageHub app on your own phone — no card reader, no extra hardware. It uses your phone's built-in contactless chip to accept tap-to-pay cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay.

How it works

It's built into the MassageHub app. On a completed appointment you'll see a Tap to Pay on iPhone button, with the amount due shown just above it. Tap it, the client holds their card, phone, or watch to your phone, and the payment is taken — straight into the same Stripe account that's connected to MassageHub. The booking is marked paid automatically, the client is emailed a receipt, and the money is paid out to your bank exactly the same way as online bookings.

You only need the MassageHub app for this — it can't work on the website, because Apple and Google only allow tap-to-pay inside native phone apps.

Taking a payment after a session

  1. In the app, open the appointment and mark it completed.
  2. Tap Tap to Pay on iPhone — it's the first payment option on the appointment.
  3. The very first time, you'll be asked to accept your phone-maker's one-time Tap to Pay terms and a short how-to — this only happens once.
  4. Hold your phone out — the client taps their card, phone, or watch to it and authenticates if asked.
  5. You'll see £… paid when it succeeds, the booking is marked paid, and the client gets an emailed receipt.

You pay Stripe's standard processing fee for in-person card payments. No monthly fee and no separate contract.

Payments over the £100 limit

UK contactless cards have a £100 limit. If a payment is over that, the client is asked to enter their card PIN on your phone's screen to approve it — just like a normal card machine. The PIN pad includes the phone's built-in accessibility options (such as VoiceOver and larger text) for clients who need them, and the PIN is handled securely by the phone — it's never visible to you or to MassageHub.

If a card won't read

Occasionally a card can't be read by tap — a worn card, a card that insists on chip-and-PIN, or a tap that doesn't register. If that happens you'll see a “take payment another way” option. The booking simply stays unpaid until you settle it another way — a saved card, a payment link sent by text or email, or cash. Nothing is charged unless a card is successfully tapped.

Which phones can take Tap to Pay

Not every phone can accept contactless payments. The card networks set a hardware bar, so older or budget phones may not qualify even if they have NFC — this is a phone limitation, not a MassageHub one.

  • iPhone — iPhone XS or newer, running iOS 16.4 or later. Almost every iPhone from 2018 onwards works.
  • Android — all of:
    • Android 11 or newer
    • NFC built in and switched on
    • A screen lock set (PIN, pattern, or fingerprint)
    • A model Google has approved for Tap to Pay — most recent Pixel and Samsung Galaxy S, Z, and Note phones qualify, but many budget handsets (including a lot of entry-level Galaxy A-series) don't, even when they have NFC.

If your phone isn't supported you'll see a “this phone can't accept Tap to Pay” message — take the payment another way (a saved card, a payment link, or cash). If you'd like a dedicated payment phone, a second-hand recent Pixel or Galaxy is an inexpensive option.

When this is most useful

  • Walk-ins at a clinic who didn't book online.
  • Mobile sessions where the client wants to settle up on the doorstep.
  • Pop-up events — see Running a pop-up event for the full walk-in flow.

Alternatives

  • Save card at booking, charge later — the smoothest option for repeat clients. See Setting up Stripe payments.
  • Send a payment link — for clients you booked in manually, MassageHub can text or email them a secure payment link. See Manual booking payments.