The rise of digital wallets and alternative payment methods hasn’t displaced cards—in fact, card-present transactions remain a cornerstone of commerce. Today, 88% of all consumers (and 84% of those ages 18 to 24) say they “always” or “usually” continue to carry physical forms of payment.1
What’s changing is how and where cards are accepted.
Whether it’s a kiosk at an airport or a mobile device in the field, card-present innovation is expanding the definition of physical commerce. This represents a fundamental shift toward modularity, flexibility, and portability—freeing up payments for merchants across the board.
"The vision is to connect the entire payment journey so merchants can recognize customers as they flow seamlessly between in-person and digital touchpoints."2
-Kevin Lofti, Global Head, Omni-Channel Partner Solutions
The move away from hardware-based development toward open architectures has democratized payment acceptance. This “develop once, scale everywhere” approach allows merchants to create consistent payment experiences across channels—from traditional countertop devices to mobile tablets and emerging interfaces.
The evolution of tap-to-phone capabilities has accelerated the industry’s adoption of standards-based, modular solutions that adapt to whatever channel merchants need. Instead of relying on dedicated terminals, payment technology becomes embedded into the devices merchants already use.
88.8% of all consumers (and 84% of those ages 18 to 24) say they “always” or “usually” continue to carry physical forms of payment.
This kind of invisible, embedded payment experience is where the industry is heading. Merchants want solutions that recognize customers across all touchpoints so they can integrate loyalty programs and personalize experiences—regardless of how customers choose to pay.
For financial institutions and acquirers, this means supporting a wide array of acceptance scenarios while maintaining security standards. Those who embrace modularity and standards-based approaches enable merchants to sell anywhere, pay anywhere, while future-proofing their payment infrastructure for whatever channels come next.
1 Javelin Strategy & Research, Have You Been on a Digital-Only Magic Carpet Ride? 1, September 2024
2 Javelin Strategy & Research, Have You Been on a Digital-Only Magic Carpet Ride? 1, September 2024
From tap-to-phone to Android-based terminals, Visa Tap enables tap-to-everything with modular, standards-based solutions that support a wide range of hardware and vertical-specific needs. Merchants can deploy flexible, scalable in-person acceptance with faster certification and reduced costs, including Tap to Phone, Tap to Provision and Tap to Confirm.
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