Contactless payments – how do they work and are they useful in an online store?

Contactless payments are extremely popular today – according to NBP data, in the first quarter of 2025, cashless transactions accounted for 95.7% of all card payment transactions. Find out how contactless payments work, how to hold your card to the terminal, and whether such payment methods are useful for online shopping.

Table of Contents

1. Why do customers appreciate contactless payments?
2. How to pay with a contactless card?
3. Online stores with in-person pickup – risks and challenges
4. Przelewy24 – payment terminals integrated with the system
5. Why choose Przelewy24 terminals?
6. Summary

Key information at a glance

• Contactless payments are a fast and convenient way to complete transactions – they don’t require carrying cash or physical contact with the terminal.
• The lack of a payment terminal in a store or pickup location might discourage customers from making a purchase.
• To pay for goods or services, simply hold your payment card, phone, or smartwatch close to the terminal.

Why do customers appreciate contactless payments?

Contactless payments – such as NFC and tap-to-pay card options – are so popular for good reason. They offer an exceptionally convenient way to make purchases, particularly because they don’t require touching the terminal or carrying a wallet full of cash. Payments can be made using a card, as well as a phone or smartwatch.

Another advantage is saving time – when paying with a contactless card, there is no need to count out the right amount or search for coins or bills. Moreover, thanks to tokenization and encryption technologies, cashless transactions ensure a high level of security.

How to pay with a contactless card?

Paying with a contactless payment card is simple and fast. To complete the transaction, you don’t need to insert the "plastic" into the terminal. All you need to do is:

1. check the amount on the display;
2. hold the card near the terminal;
3. if required, enter the PIN code assigned to the card.

How should you hold your contactless card to the device? Ideally, hold it parallel to the terminal – if held at an angle, the contactless module may not connect properly. In such cases, the card may not work contactlessly. Does it matter which side of the card you tap? No – you can use either the top or bottom side, and the payment will still be processed.

If you prefer to pay with your phone or watch instead of a card, your device must support NFC technology. To pay this way for goods or services, simply hold the device to the terminal just like a card. Do you need the internet for NFC payments? No! You can pay this way even when your smartphone is not connected to a network.

Online stores with in-person pickup – risks and challenges

Most online stores today offer customers the option of in-person pickup, eliminating the need to pay for delivery. Unfortunately, many of them still struggle with accepting payments on-site.

Handling cash can be troublesome – it requires, among other things, end-of-day reconciliations and giving change. The absence of a payment terminal – and thus the inability to accept contactless payments – can result in customers abandoning their transactions.

Przelewy24 – PeP payment terminals integrated with the platform

Modern payment methods build trust, increase user satisfaction, and enhance the brand’s image. That's why it's important for customers to use them even when shopping online. At Przelewy24, you can integrate PeP payment terminals with your e-commerce store, offering buyers fast and convenient cashless payments.

This service provides automatic transfer of transaction data from the sales system to the payment terminal. This allows for immediate settlement with customers at in-store pickup locations.

PeP terminals are fully integrated with the Przelewy24 system. As a business owner, you gain convenient access to all payments – both in-store and online – in one place. This makes sales management, accounting, and reporting even easier. On top of that, these terminals are user-friendly, and transaction reporting is exceptionally clear.

Why choose a terminal?

By providing customers access to a payment terminal, you can strengthen your brand image compared to the competition and increase conversion and sales. The inability to make contactless payments, on the other hand, can cause customer loss.

Thanks to a single platform for easy payment management, you also gain access to all data and reports – without the need to use multiple systems. And if security and customer trust are a priority, you can rest assured that PeP terminals integrated with Przelewy24 meet high security standards.

Summary

Contactless payments are a convenient, fast, and highly valued method of paying for purchases. Sellers who offer this option enjoy a better image and greater profits. This method is also useful for online stores that offer in-person order pickup.