ING lets Turkish businesses accept Mastercard payments on NFC mobile phones

Turkish small business owners can now use their smartphones to securely accept payments from customers following a pilot by ING and Mastercard.

The ‘Tap on Phone’ app is being tested by 200 businesses in Istanbul. The ‘Tap on Phone’ application allows business owners to use their Android smartphone, tablet or other smart devices as mobile points of sale (POS), replacing the traditional cash register or electronic POS terminal.

“ING is the first bank to pilot a software-based ‘tap on phone’ solution. The app is ideal for smaller businesses without a traditional checkout counter or for businesses with low transaction volumes which are often on the go,” said Abidin Gürsel Akbatur, project lead and merchant acquiring lead in the payments centre at ING.

“It empowers business owners to accept payments anytime and anywhere, without having to invest in expensive terminals.”

The portability of mobile POS terminals makes payments cheaper and more flexible for merchants and easier for customers.