Adyen, a global FinTech payments platform, has partnered with Starling Bank, the UK digital bank, to launch a tap to pay feature that allows small and medium-sized businesses to accept contactless card payments directly through the Starling app.
The collaboration enables SME customers to transform their eligible smartphones into payment terminals, removing the need for additional hardware. By embedding Adyen’s technology within the Starling app, merchants can begin accepting payments within minutes of setup. Funds from transactions are deposited into the business’s Starling account the following day, and the full payment lifecycle, from onboarding through to settlement and refunds, is handled entirely within the app.
Payments are processed using NFC technology, allowing customers to tap their card or digital wallet against the merchant’s device. The feature also supports PIN entry on the phone and includes accessibility options. Transaction data and card details are not retained on the device or on any servers.
Starling has also announced that payment links will be incorporated into its free in-app invoicing tool later in the year, enabling SMEs to collect card and mobile wallet payments from customers in just a few clicks. There is no monthly fee for the tap to pay feature; businesses are charged only a flat rate per transaction.
Adyen is a FinTech platform providing end-to-end payments capabilities, data insights and financial products through a single global solution. It works with companies including Meta, Uber, H&M, eBay and Microsoft.
Adyen UK managing director Nicole Olbe said, “Tap to pay technology removes traditional barriers to accepting card payments by turning a smartphone into a secure, user-friendly payment terminal. By combining Adyen’s financial technology and banking capabilities with Starling’s UK banking infrastructure, we are helping UK SMEs bridge the gap between their payment processing and daily financial management.
“This gives businesses the flexibility to accept payments wherever they operate, backed by the confidence of two trusted financial partners.”
Starling director of customer solutions Sami Kade said, “Starling is committed to helping small businesses get paid more quickly and easily. The introduction of tap to pay, followed by payment links later this year, empowers our customers with another tool to help them be good with money. Making the process of getting paid easier, allows business owners to redirect their energy towards the thing that matters most: growing and running their business.”
Copyright © 2026 FinTech Global
