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All comparisonsUpdated 2026-08-25
ComparisonPayments platform, Tap on Phone app & ISV SDK

Tapaya vs Viva Wallet

Viva Wallet sells Tap on Phone directly to merchants and runs an ISV Partner Program for software companies. Tapaya works the same two ways: merchants take Tap to Pay on the phone or tablet they already own, and software companies embed the same infrastructure under their own brand.

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At a glance

How Tapaya and Viva Wallet differ

Viva Wallet and Tapaya both operate on two fronts: a direct-merchant Tap-to-Pay app, and an embeddable path for software companies. As a direct merchant, Tapaya is a transparent 1.39% blended rate, no monthly fee, no hardware to buy and no lock-in, approved in as little as 48 hours; Viva's own Tap on Phone app runs across 24 European countries under Viva's acquiring. As a software company, the difference is ownership: Tapaya's SDK is built so you own the merchant relationship end to end, while Viva's ISV Partner Program lets you add its payment methods to your software and earn a markup per transaction, but your merchants are onboarded under Viva's own acquiring licence, with Viva as the regulated payment institution behind the transaction.

  • Who it's built for

    Tapaya
    Direct merchants who want to take payments on a device they already own, and software companies that want to embed payments into their own product.
    Viva Wallet
    Both direct merchants who want Viva's own Tap on Phone app, and software vendors who want to add Viva's payment methods to their platform through its ISV Partner Program.

  • Direct-merchant offering

    Tapaya
    The phone or tablet you already own, at a transparent 1.39% blended rate, no monthly fee, no hardware to buy and no lock-in, approved in as little as 48 hours.
    Viva Wallet
    Viva's own Tap on Phone / SoftPOS app (viva.com Terminal), turning a supported NFC-enabled Android or iPhone into a terminal, across 24 European countries under Viva's own acquiring.

  • Embeddable under your own brand

    Tapaya
    Fully white-label. The payment experience renders inside your product, themed to your brand; your customers never see Tapaya, and you own the merchant relationship end to end.
    Viva Wallet
    Viva's ISV Partner Program lets you add its payment methods to your software and charge your own markup, but merchants onboard under Viva's acquiring and Viva remains the payment institution of record.

  • Supported devices

    Tapaya
    Any commercial Android device, phones, tablets, kiosks and enterprise handhelds, not locked to one manufacturer.
    Viva Wallet
    Tap on Phone / SoftPOS on supported NFC-enabled Android and iPhone devices, via Viva's own Terminal app or SDK.

  • Who owns the payments relationship

    Tapaya
    Built so you can be the payments product to your customers, whether you're a merchant using the app directly or a software company embedding it; acquiring and scheme connectivity are handled underneath.
    Viva Wallet
    Viva is the acquirer and payment institution either way; merchants are onboarded and processed under Viva's licence.

  • Certification, PCI & compliance

    Tapaya
    Card-network certification, acquirer connections, PCI and per-market compliance come pre-integrated beneath the SDK.
    Viva Wallet
    Handled by Viva for its own acquiring licence and supported markets.

  • Market coverage

    Tapaya
    Direct merchants sign up wherever Tapaya's own coverage (EU and GB) reaches; software companies can deploy anywhere their own product operates, with acquiring and compliance handled underneath as they expand.
    Viva Wallet
    Viva's own acquiring licence covers 24 European countries, for merchants and ISV partners alike.

  • Best fit

    Tapaya
    You're a merchant who wants transparent pricing and no lock-in on a device you already own, or a software company that wants to own the merchant relationship under its own infrastructure, Tapaya works for either.
    Viva Wallet
    You're a merchant happy to use Viva's own Tap on Phone app, or a software vendor happy to add Viva's payment methods under Viva's acquiring in exchange for a simpler integration and a transaction markup.

Two audiences each, different ownership model

Viva Wallet, like Tapaya, serves both merchants directly (Tap on Phone) and software companies (the ISV Partner Program), so this isn't a product-vs-infrastructure comparison the way most competitors are. On the merchant side, the difference is pricing and terms: Tapaya's flat 1.39% blended rate, no monthly fee and no lock-in, approved in 48 hours, versus Viva's own app and acquiring terms across its 24 markets. On the software-company side, the difference is ownership: Viva's ISV program pays a markup per transaction, but the merchant relationship and acquiring sit with Viva; Tapaya is built so the software company owns that relationship end to end, with Tapaya handling certification, acquiring and compliance underneath rather than sitting in front of it.

Where each fits

Choosing the right tool

Choose Tapaya when

You're a merchant who wants to take Tap to Pay on the phone or tablet you already own, at a transparent blended rate with no monthly fee, no hardware to buy and no lock-in, approved in as little as 48 hours. Or you're a software company that wants in-person payments to feel like a fully native, branded part of your own product, and you want to own the merchant relationship rather than onboard your customers under someone else's acquiring licence.

Choose Viva Wallet when

You're a merchant happy to use Viva's own Tap on Phone app directly, or a software vendor happy to add payments to your product through Viva's ISV Partner Program, with Viva as the acquirer and payment institution, in exchange for a simpler path to market across its 24 supported European countries. You don't need to own the merchant relationship end to end, on either side.

FAQ

Questions, answered

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Accurate as of 2026-08-25. Based on publicly available information; all product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. Comparison based on publicly documented Viva.com Tap on Phone and ISV Partner Program capabilities as of August 2026; capabilities, pricing and regional availability change over time, verify current details with each provider.