SINGAPORE – Singaporeans and tourists can now find it easier to pay for goods with one tap following DBS Bank’s introduction of a new feature that will allow merchants to turn any Android smartphone into a contactless payment terminal.The “tap-to-phone” feature for businesses allows merchants to accept credit and debit card payments conveniently through their smartphones, via the bank’s digital cash collection app. This means that customers, including tourists who may lack access to compatible digital wallets or prefer card payments over cash, can now
access a wider range of payment options through the new feature, which merchants can access through the DBS MAX app.In December, tech giant Apple announced the launch of a similar Tap to Pay function on iPhones in Singapore, allowing merchants to accept quick payments via contactless credit and debit cards, Apple Pay and other digital wallets using only their iPhone and a partner-enabled iOS app. In its announcement, DBS said its move was to help merchants keep pace with the growing demand for cashless transactions,
in line with Singapore’s move towards being a “cash-lite” society. “As the first Singapore bank to offer such a feature, DBS is now able to provide a full suite of digital payment solutions to merchants – including contactless cards and QR code payments via DBS PayLah! and PayNow – through one application, helping them streamline their banking and payment channels,” it said. Citing accounting firm PwC’s findings from a 2026 study of Singapore’s payment ecosystem, DBS highlighted that the digital payments market is projected to
grow to more than US$480 billion by 2030. Credit and debit cards remain the dominant payment method, with 72 per cent share of transaction value in 2024. According to DBS, merchants can enable the new feature in just three steps. To complete a transaction through the feature, customers can tap their physical or contactless card on a merchant’s phone that is installed with the DBS MAX app. NFC-based payment systems like Apple Pay, Google Wallet and Samsung Wallet are accepted. Tesy Mathew, the bank’s Group
Head of Cash Product Management, Global Transaction Services, said: “Businesses can transact in a more efficient and cost-effective manner and scale confidently to capture new opportunities. Retail customers benefit too, as they now have more avenues to use their preferred contactless payments across Singapore.”
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