Preview feature: NFC tags are currently in preview. To use them, please contact Trustist Support so we can enable NFC on your account and help you get set up.
What NFC tags are and when to use them
NFC tags are small stickers, discs, cards or plaques that contain a tiny chip. When a customer taps their phone on the tag, it opens the payment link for the current bill. This is useful when showing a QR code is awkward or unreliable (for example, in a taxi), when there’s physical separation (counter screens, distance), when the customer can’t use QR codes but can use NFC, or in hospitality (restaurants, bars, cafés) where a tag on each table makes payments fast and self‑service.
How NFC works with Trustist
- You start a payment in Trustist as usual.
- The payment can be “assigned” to an NFC tag. When a customer taps that tag, their phone opens the payment page for that specific bill.
- When the payment completes, the tag is automatically cleared so it’s ready for the next payment.
- If you close the payment screen before it completes, we’ll also clear the tag so you don’t leave an old bill on a tag by mistake.
Ways to use NFC
Taxis and mobile services: Keep an NFC card in the car. Start a payment, assign it to the card, and ask the customer to tap. No need to pass your device around or show a QR code at awkward angles.
Counter service: Place an NFC tag at the till. Start the payment and ask the customer to tap the tag to pay.
Restaurants and bars: Place an NFC tag on each table. Start a tab or a bill and assign it to the table’s tag. The customer taps the tag when they’re ready to pay.
Ordering and adding NFC tags
NFC tags can be supplied by Trustist or sourced by you (we can advise on compatible tags). Because NFC is in preview, please contact Support to order tags or to confirm your existing tags are suitable. We’ll enable NFC for your account and help add your tags to your merchant profile (naming them, e.g. “Table 12” or “Taxi tag”). You can also archive tags later if you retire or replace them.
Assigning payments to tags
Manual assignment during a payment:
1) Start a payment in Trustist.
2) If you have a single active tag, you can assign directly. If you have multiple active tags, you can choose which tag to use (for example, which table).
3) If the selected tag already has a payment on it, you’ll be prompted to overwrite it. Confirm to move the current payment onto that tag.
Automatic assignment (Tap‑to‑Pay mode):
You can enable an automatic mode that assigns the open payment to an NFC tag as soon as the payment screen opens. If there’s only one active tag, we’ll use that. If there are multiple, you can set a default tag. The payment screen shows an NFC status label so staff can see when the tag is ready.
To enable this mode, go to Settings → Payment Customisation. Turn on “Tap‑to‑Pay (auto NFC)”. If you have multiple tags, choose a default tag. If you don’t see this option, ask Support to enable NFC preview on your account.
Note: If auto mode is on and you have multiple tags but no default is set, you’ll be prompted to select a tag the first time.
NFC status while taking a payment
The payment screen shows a compact NFC status so staff always know what’s happening:
- NFC not assigned: No tag is set yet.
- Preparing NFC…: We’re assigning the payment to the tag now.
- NFC ready on [Tag Name]: The customer can tap the tag to pay.
What happens after payment
- On successful payment: The tag is cleared automatically so it no longer points to the old bill.
- If you close the payment screen before completion: We clear the tag so it doesn’t keep a stale bill.
- If a payment fails but you’re still trying again: The tag remains available while that payment screen stays open. Once it completes successfully, the tag clears.
Managing tags
- Naming: Give each tag a clear name (e.g. “Table 4”, “Taxi tag”) so staff can choose the right one.
- Archiving: If a tag is lost, damaged, or retired, archive it. Archived tags are ignored by the system.
- Overwriting: If a tag is still assigned to an older payment, you’ll be asked before overwriting it with a new payment. This prevents accidentally moving a live payment.
Set‑up tips and best practice
- Place tags where they’re easy to tap and away from metal that can reduce NFC reliability.
- Test both iPhone and Android; customers may need to enable NFC in phone settings.
- For table service, put tags where customers naturally look (corners of menus, bill presenters, or table edges).
- Keep naming consistent so staff quickly find the right tag (for example, “Table 01”, “Table 02”, …).
Troubleshooting
- Nothing happens when tapped: Ask the customer to enable NFC, try a different phone, or move the phone around the tag for the “sweet spot.”
- Status says “NFC not assigned”: Wait a moment or assign the payment to a tag. If using auto mode and you have multiple tags, set a default tag in Settings.
- Tag still opens an old bill: It should clear automatically on completion or when the payment screen is closed. If it doesn’t, reopen the payment and close it again to trigger a clear, or contact Support for help.
Getting started
Because NFC is a preview feature, please contact Support. We’ll enable NFC for your account, help you order or validate tags, add and name them in your account, and guide you through enabling Tap‑to‑Pay. Once set up, your staff will see the NFC status right on the payment screen and customers can simply tap to pay.
