Take the payment right where the guest is sitting
Accept contactless cards, Apple Pay, and other digital wallets on the iPhone your staff already carries — tableside, on the patio, at the pop-up. No card reader to buy, charge, or replace.
Works with iPhone XS or later
No extra hardware
Nothing to buy, nothing to charge, nothing to replace when it walks off. The iPhone in your server’s apron becomes the card reader, so you can add a payment point on any busy night.
Same tickets, same close-out
Open the Lavu app, ring in the order, hold the phone out. Same tickets, same tip handling, same close-out at the end of the night — just without the walk back to the terminal.
Security is built into the phone
Card data is handled on the iPhone itself, and Apple doesn’t store card numbers or PINs on Apple servers. Screen and camera capture are blocked while a transaction is running.
How a tap works at the table
Six steps that fit the flow your staff already runs.
Ring in the sale
Open the Lavu app and add items to the ticket, or key in an amount.
Pick Tap to Pay
Choose Tap to Pay on iPhone from the payment options at checkout.
Hold the phone out
Turn your iPhone toward the guest, top of the phone facing them.
Guest taps
They hold a contactless card, iPhone, or Apple Watch flat against the top of your iPhone.
Wait for Done
The screen confirms the read — no guessing whether it went through.
Close the ticket
The payment goes through and the ticket closes in Lavu like any other tender.
Live in three steps
No shipment to wait on, no installer to schedule. If you have the phone, you can take a tap tonight.
Download the Lavu app
Install it on the iPhone you’ll be taking payments on — iPhone XS or later.
Turn on Tap to Pay
Enable Tap to Pay on iPhone in the app’s payment settings and accept Apple’s terms.
Start taking taps
Your first contactless sale can happen on the next ticket you ring in.
Questions worth asking first
Which iPhones can take a tap?
iPhone XS or later. There is no dongle, sled, or separate reader to add — the phone is the terminal.
What can guests pay with?
Contactless credit and debit cards, Apple Pay on iPhone and Apple Watch, and other digital wallets that support contactless payments.
Can a guest enter a PIN?
Yes. PIN entry is supported on iOS 16.0 and later, with the PIN pad presented securely on your iPhone.
Is it safe to hand my phone to a guest?
Turn on the Tap to Pay Screen Lock setting and your iPhone locks its screen while the guest enters a PIN, then unlocks once they finish or cancel.
See it on your own iPhone
We’ll walk your team through Tap to Pay on iPhone alongside the rest of Lavu — tickets, tips, and close-out included.
