PAYONE card reader review 2026: tap to pay fees and rating
One of the few DACH providers with genuine girocard acceptance including PIN on the smartphone. Also runs the processing behind 'Sparkasse POS'.
The score measures transparency, reach and certification of the offer — not how well the app works. See the formula
PAYONE offers PAYONE Tap on Mobile (SoftPOS) / Tap to Pay on iPhone; technical operator of the Sparkassen solution for iOS + Android. Transaction fee: from 0.89%; monthly fee: none. Security certification: n/a. Available in: Germany, Austria.
PAYONE terms in full
| Product name | PAYONE Tap on Mobile (SoftPOS) / Tap to Pay on iPhone; technical operator of the Sparkassen solution |
|---|---|
| Provider type | SoftPOS + hardware |
| Headquarters | Germany (Frankfurt/Ratingen); JV of Worldline and the DSV group |
| Founded | 2017 (merger of B+S Card Service and PAYONE) |
| Platforms | both (iOS from 16.4, Android from 11.0) |
| Certification | n/a (Visa/Mastercard Tap to Phone approval, girocard approval from the Deutsche Kreditwirtschaft via a partner solution) |
| Transaction fee | from 0.89% (girocard); approx. 1.39% or 1.90% on credit cards (secondary sources) |
| Monthly fee | 0 EUR ('no fixed monthly fee') |
| Setup cost | 0 EUR (no hardware costs) |
| Contract term | n/a |
| Cards accepted | Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay, Google Pay, girocard |
| PIN entry on screen | n/a |
| Transaction limit | girocard PIN entry from 50 EUR (in the Sparkasse version) |
| Target customers | Micro-businesses / SMEs; via the Sparkassen also clubs, kiosks, trades |
| Available markets | Germany, Austria |
| Website | payone.com |
| Data source | Open primary source ↗ |
Alternatives to PAYONE
Comparable providers in Europe:
- Stripe — from 2.70% + 5 ¢, Rating 1.4
- Nexi (Nexi Group) — from 1.19%, Rating 1.6
- Flatpay — from 1.49%, Rating 2.2
- bunq — from 1.50%, Rating 2.2
- Softpay — on request, Rating 2.3
Compare all providers in Europe →
Frequently asked questions
PAYONE tap to pay: do I need any extra hardware?
Not necessarily. PAYONE sells card terminals as well, but its tap to pay product works on a phone you already own, with no extra hardware. Supported platforms: iOS + Android. girocard PIN entry from 50 EUR (in the Sparkasse version).
Which countries is PAYONE available in?
By our records: Germany, Austria. Availability changes, and the date above the table is when we last checked.