EMV, NFC, and tap-to-pay: what's the difference?
EMV is the chip-card standard you insert, NFC is the wireless technology behind contactless, and tap-to-pay is the customer-facing name for NFC payments (cards or phones tapped on the terminal). Modern terminals support all three.
These terms get mixed up, but they describe different parts of the same modern checkout.
EMV is the global chip-card standard — the chip you insert ("dip"). It's far more secure than the old magnetic stripe and shifts fraud liability away from merchants who use it.
NFC (near-field communication) is the short-range wireless tech that powers contactless payments. Tap-to-pay is simply the everyday name for NFC in action — tapping a contactless card, phone, or watch on the terminal.
Any current Velocity terminal or POS supports chip, tap, and mobile wallets out of the box, so you're ready for however your customers want to pay.
No pressure, just answers