CaixaBank has just launched Tap-to-Pay on iPhones across Spain, allowing businesses to accept contactless payments without traditional card readers. This feature turns any compatible iPhone into a secure payment terminal by using a CaixaBank TPV application, which processes transactions directly from debit and credit cards, smartphones, or digital wallets. This means that payments can be handled anywhere without upfront costs or installation delays associated with conventional systems.
This is a practical step that responds to how Spanish consumers now pay digitally quickly, and without cash. For CaixaBank, it positions itself as the bank at the centre of this transition, offering tools to facilitate more efficient payments.
How Tap to Pay works
To get started, a business just needs an iPhone that supports contactless payments and the CaixaBank TPV app. Once that’s installed, payments can be accepted from cards, phones, or digital wallets — no extra hardware required.
Payments are handled directly through the phone’s NFC chip. Customers simply tap their card or device near the iPhone, and the payment goes through. If the connection drops, it’s not an issue — the system can store the transaction securely and process it once back online.
The security behind this is the same as you’d expect from a standard card terminal. Payment data stays encrypted and never gets stored on the phone. Apple’s built-in safeguards and CaixaBank’s systems work together to keep it protected.
Who benefits
This launched on June 26th 2025. This feature is designed for sellers who frequently move locations or don’t have the necessary setup for a full card terminal. It’s a practical option for cafés, street stalls, independent couriers, and freelancers. Anyone who needs to take payments on the go, without needing to rent or install traditional equipment, can use it.
By eliminating the need for fixed hardware, CaixaBank reduces the barrier for merchants operating outside traditional storefronts. There’s no upfront cost for terminals, no lengthy setup process, and no dependence on wired connections.
For customers, the experience remains unchanged; they tap their phone or card, and the payment is done, and for businesses, it’s a tool that keeps pace with how people already pay, which is fast contactless, and increasingly digital in this ever-evolving world.
The new Spanish Market
CaixaBank is already one of Spain’s leading players in merchant services, now managing 800,000 point-of-sale terminals nationwide. Now, with the tap-to-pay feature on iPhone, the bank is extending that infrastructure to smaller businesses, as well as independent professionals who previously operated outside formal payment systems.
Therefore, it’s highly beneficial for self-employed individuals and the gig economy workers, who comprise a significant portion of Spain’s active labour market.
The technology supports offline payments; it’s designed for short gaps and coverage, not full-time offline operation. However, service fees may also apply, depending on the setup of the merchant account.
Still, for a large part of Spain’s economy, from freelance to family-run jobs, this is a direct, low-cost way to accept payments whenever business happens.
CaixaBank’s launch
This marks a clear step towards a simpler, more accessible payment system by turning the phone into a terminal, and it removes the layer of friction that often separates small businesses from digital transactions.
There are no installation delays, no major hardware investment, and no reliance on fixed locations. This is a way to meet customers where they are without changing how they work.
It may not reinvent the wheel for payments, but it is a practical one, and as mobile tools continue to replace static infrastructure, this kind of integration may become less than a novelty and more of an expectation.