DBS has launched a pioneering ‘tap-to-phone’ feature, allowing businesses to accept card payments directly through Android smartphones. This innovation, announced on 2 June 2026, positions DBS as the first Singapore bank to offer such a service, enabling merchants to transform their phones into payment terminals without additional hardware.
The feature is integrated into the DBS MAX app, which provides a comprehensive suite of digital payment solutions, including contactless cards and QR code payments via DBS PayLah! and PayNow. This development caters to the increasing demand for cashless transactions in Singapore, a trend highlighted by a PwC report projecting the digital payments market to grow at an 18.3% compound annual growth rate to US$480.6b by 2030.
Merchants can now easily set up the ‘tap-to-phone’ service, streamlining their payment processes and expanding their customer base. This is particularly beneficial for pop-up stalls and businesses targeting tourists, as Singapore’s tourism receipts reached S$23.9b in the first nine months of 2025.
Tesy Mathew, Group Head of Cash Product Management at DBS, emphasised the importance of this feature in enhancing business resilience. “Convenient, secure and reliable payments and collections form the bedrock of any merchants’ operations,” she stated. The new feature allows businesses to transact more efficiently and scale confidently.
DBS MAX, introduced in 2018, continues to evolve as a one-stop cashless collections solution, integrating funds collections and automated book-keeping into a single mobile app. This latest addition further solidifies DBS’s commitment to leveraging digital technology to shape the future of banking.
