Blog # News, notes & product updates Writing from the team building in-store payments infrastructure, product updates, technical deep-dives, and the occasional opinion. - October 30, 2026 Payments Explained · 01 ## IC++ vs. blended rate: what you actually pay for a card payment - Two ways to price card payments, explained from zero: what's inside each, what it costs in practice, and how the picture differs across Europe. - Read article [October 30, 2026 Payments Explained · 01](https://tapaya.com/en/blog/icpp-vs-blended-rate) - October 27, 2026 Guides ## girocard, Visa Debit or Debit Mastercard: which German cards can a SoftPOS accept? - Germans pay with girocard, but most German bank cards now carry a second, international brand too. Here is how co-badged cards behave at a SoftPOS, what works today, and the gaps merchants should plan for. - Read article [October 27, 2026 Guides](https://tapaya.com/en/blog/german-debit-cards-and-softpos) - October 27, 2026 Trends ## Does Germany still need SoftPOS? Cash, cards and the case for Tap to Pay in 2026 - For the first time, most in-store purchases in Germany are paid without cash, and the government plans to make at least one digital payment option mandatory. Here is what that means for small merchants, and where Tap to Pay on a phone fits. - Read article [October 27, 2026 Trends](https://tapaya.com/en/blog/does-germany-need-softpos) - October 23, 2026 News ## Nets Baltics and Tapaya partner to bring SoftPOS to the Baltics - Nets Baltics and Tapaya have agreed to develop a SoftPOS service for merchants across Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, launching from the beginning of 2027. Partners don't have to wait: Tapaya is onboarding platforms and integrators today. - Read article [October 23, 2026 News](https://tapaya.com/en/blog/nets-baltics-and-tapaya-partner-to-bring-softpos-to-the-baltics) - September 30, 2026 Guides ## SoftPOS vs card terminal: which should your business use? - SoftPOS and dedicated terminals solve different problems. Tapaya supports both, so merchants can choose the right device for each checkout, or use both through the same payment platform. - Read article [September 30, 2026 Guides](https://tapaya.com/en/blog/softpos-vs-card-terminal) - September 26, 2026 News ## What's new in the Tapaya app, and how it can replace your old card terminal - Since August we've shipped fourteen updates to Tapaya: Tap to Pay. You can now sign up right in the app, practise before you go live, find every payment with its receipt, print on Android POS terminals, and switch to dark mode. Here's what changed, and how to leave a rented terminal behind at your own pace. - Read article [September 26, 2026 News](https://tapaya.com/en/blog/whats-new-in-the-tapaya-app-september-2026) - September 26, 2026 Partner news ## What's new in the Accept SDK: September 2026 - Eight releases in four weeks. Custom branding on the payment screens, dual-screen checkout, receipt links from the first event, support for external card readers, and a payment path that no longer waits on location. An overview of what changed in the Accept SDK for Android, from 1.10 to 1.15. - Read article [September 26, 2026 Partner news](https://tapaya.com/en/blog/whats-new-in-the-accept-sdk-september-2026) - June 19, 2026 Wins ## ShopTalk Europe 2026: After Everyone Finished Talking About AI, Retail Became Human Again - The future of retail just happened at Shoptalk - and most brands are already behind. Tapaya's CCO Elvis Sinijs was in the room and breaks down exactly what's coming next. - Read article [June 19, 2026 Wins](https://tapaya.com/en/blog/shoptalk-europe-2026-after-everyone-finished-talking-about-ai-retail-became-human-again) - May 26, 2026 Trends ## What Really Happened at Mastercard Lighthouse - A few days at Latitude59 in Tallinn, filled with startup pitches, coffee chats, side events, late night conversations, and one unforgettable week with the Mastercard Lighthouse community. - Read article [May 26, 2026 Trends](https://tapaya.com/en/blog/what-really-happened-at-mastercard-lighthouse) - May 20, 2026 Wins ## Behind the scenes at tapaya. | May 2026 Recap - A quick look at what we have been building at tapaya. over the past month, including major fintech events, partnerships, product progress, and key conversations shaping the future of payments across Europe. - Read article [May 20, 2026 Wins](https://tapaya.com/en/blog/tapaya-recap-may-2026) - April 28, 2026 Trends ## Tapaya raises €1M pre-seed to turn any device into a payment terminal - We raised €1 million in a pre-seed round led by Passion Capital, with co-lead participation from Depo Ventures and follow-on investment from BADideas.fund. - Read article [April 28, 2026 Trends](https://tapaya.com/en/blog/tapaya-raises-1m-pre-seed-to-turn-any-device-into-a-payment-terminal) - March 27, 2026 Wins ## Tapaya joins Mastercard Lighthouse FINITIV Spring 2026 - Tapaya is part of Mastercard Lighthouse FINITIV Spring 2026, one of 15 fintech and fintech-enabler companies selected from Denmark, Norway, and the Baltics. - Read article [March 27, 2026 Wins](https://tapaya.com/en/blog/tapaya-joins-mastercard-lighthouse-finitiv-spring-2026) - February 22, 2026 Trends ## Brief history of SoftPOS - SoftPOS evolved from certified hardware to software on NFC devices, slashing costs and complexity for secure payments. - Read article [February 22, 2026 Trends](https://tapaya.com/en/blog/brief-history-of-softpos) - November 29, 2025 Wins ## Tapaya wins the Digital category at Startup Awards Slovakia 2025 - Tapaya won the Digital category at Startup Awards Slovakia 2025, competing against 156 startups from across Slovakia. The finale was held on 27 November 2025 at the National Theatre in Košice. - Read article [November 29, 2025 Wins](https://tapaya.com/en/blog/tapaya-wins-the-digital-category-at-startup-awards-slovakia-2025) --- Source: https://tapaya.com/en/blog