The deal will enable the payment gateway’s merchant customers to accept card payments directly on any NFC-enabled smartphone or tablet, in-store or on the go. This means they can greatly, and rapidly, expand their number of payment acceptance points, without the need to invest in costly additional hardware.

Phos’ ‘Tap-to-Phone’ solution uses state-of-the-art technology for secure transactions through a mobile device. The user-friendly design allows for the quick, easy and contactless processing of payments, bringing added convenience to businesses and consumers alike.

Over half of American adults now regularly use at least one form of contactless payment, according to a recent survey. This change in consumer behaviours is prompting merchants to review their payment processing capabilities in response.

In bringing a Tap-to-Phone solution to market, Thrive Payments becomes one of the early adopters of the technology in the US. The merchant services provider is committed to providing its business customers with solutions that expand their payment acceptance offerings and aid in maximising their success.

Now that the partnership is in place, Thrive Payments and phos will begin the process of deploying the Tap-to-Phone solution and making it available to its merchant customers across the country.

Brad Hyett, CEO of phos, said: “Thrive Payments is at the heart of merchant processing in the US. They harness innovative hardware and software solutions to deliver the best payment experience possible for customers. Our partnership is a significant step forward in our shared mission to bring secure, contactless payments on mobile to businesses across North America and Latin America. It will allow us to reach more US merchants than ever before and collectively drive the adoption of Tap-to-Phone technology on a truly global scale.”

Theodore Keith, Jr, President & CEO at Thrive Payments, added: “We have seen first-hand the growing demand for Tap-to-Pay solutions in recent years and phos has firmly established itself as a leader in this space. With contactless card payments becoming more common in the US, we’re excited to see this timely partnership come to fruition, as we bring a robust and secure mobile card acceptance solution to our merchants.”

Phos currently has 19 certified acquirer connections, as the fintech continues to expand globally. It plans to increase this number exponentially to satisfy the needs of tier-one providers and requirements across international markets. Additional acquiring certifications are currently in progress and will be announced this year.

Its latest partnership with Thrive Payments comes amid growing market interest in SoftPoS and Tap-to-Pay technology, with consumer tech giant Apple now in the process of enabling third-party SoftPoS providers to deploy their technology on iPhone devices.