Challenge

Tourism demand rebounded in 2022, requiring tour and travel operators to find faster, simpler ways to serve eager customers, such as contactless payments and check-in options as well as mobile-friendly interactions. Because of this, FareHarbor began identifying fast and simple ways to enhance booking and check-in experiences for operators across a wide variety of US locations and markets—from cruises to photography tours to escape rooms. That's what made FareHarbor a perfect match for Tap to Pay.

"For our clients who are using FareHarbor to help run their businesses, we want to provide everything they need to be successful—from creating and adjusting customer's bookings, to quickly checking them in, to easily verifying their business schedule—and give them the flexibility to do all of this no matter where they are,” says Lavinia Voicu, senior product manager at FareHarbor. “In our industry in particular, being able to accomplish day-to-day tasks on the go is crucial.”

For example, FareHarbor merchant Island Life Bike Rentals, based in Hilton Head, South Carolina, was previously using a Bluetooth-connected card reader to book bike reservations. When that malfunctioned because of outdoor elements, the company resorted to manually inputting customer credit card information, but they needed a more efficient solution.

FareHarbor looked to Stripe to facilitate a seamless experience with contactless transactions for users like Island Life Bike Rentals.

Solution

Thanks to a longstanding partnership with Stripe, FareHarbor jumped at the chance to become one of the first platforms to offer Tap to Pay and Stripe Terminal to its tour operators.

Tap to Pay lets users accept in-person contactless payments with only an iPhone or Android device and Stripe Terminal—no extra hardware required. Tap to Pay for iPhone is secure and private, with built-in features to keep data safe without storing card numbers on the iPhone. Tap to Pay on Android is compatible with a wide range of affordable phones and tablets.

“Our clients’ success relies on providing the ideal experience for the end customer. We knew Tap to Pay for iPhone would be a great fit for our clients because having everything you need on your iPhone, with digital interactions that connect seamlessly, makes all the difference when booking travel activities,” Voicu says. “Knowing how many of our clients operate on the go, it was a no-brainer for us to invest in Tap to Pay on iPhone.”

In just a few short weeks, FareHarbor saw how Tap to Pay gives its tour operators a competitive advantage: They can process payments via the FareHarbor app for walk-up reservations instantly and securely, without additional hardware, as long as they have a supported iPhone or Android device and the FareHarbor app. Merchants can operate from anywhere—from pop-up shops to community events like farmers’ markets—thanks to the flexibility of Tap to Pay.

“Tap to Pay on Android is an exciting innovation that will give our clients more flexibility to accept in-person payments anywhere,” said Dominique Oosthuizen, Product Manager for FareHarbor. “Whether our clients are meeting guests at check-in or wrapping up a tour, they only need to carry their phones to receive payments. The broad device compatibility and the affordable price points of Android devices are meaningful value drivers – some of them can even use the Android phones in their pocket right now.”

Results

Since implementing Tap to Pay on iPhone, FareHarbor has seen a steady 10% increase in user adoption each week.

FareHarbor clients are finding it easier to operate pop-up locations and train new staff thanks to the ease of Tap to Pay. One client even switched completely to a cashless payment model after discovering the simplicity of contactless payments.

For FareHarbor client Island Life Bike Rentals, setting up Tap to Pay on iPhone took 10 minutes with little instruction. And now that they’re using Tap to Pay on iPhone, Island Life employees spend only 10–20 seconds per transaction versus 2–2.5 minutes manually typing credit card data.

“Speed is everything; we can have seven people in queue with families, so any minute we can get back is good for our business and makes for a more hospitable interaction,” says owner Jeremy Gonsalves. “Our customers also feel more confident that we have the technology to accept payments quickly and securely.”

Tap to Pay on Android has greatly simplified operations for FareHarbor client and bike rental provider Going Blue, as well.

"Tap to Pay on Android has been a game changer,” said director Jason Laine. “Our team no longer has to carry around additional payment hardware when dropping off rentals, and our customers love the convenience of being able to quickly pay with just a tap of their card to our phones."

With the goal of building a seamless experience for the user, FareHarbor offers Tap to Pay to help its clients handle even higher customer capacity for the next big tourist season.

“As we look ahead to the future, we’re excited to be leading innovation in the tech and travel industry and thrilled to be able to offer Tap to Pay as our latest way of making tours and activities better for all,” Voicu says.