SoftPOS Update 2026

Last Updated on July 28, 2026 by Craig Allen Keefner

How is SoftPOS Coming Along in 2026?

These days payment people get pretty excited talking about upcoming SoftPOS implementations. Next week Elliot will have detailed writeup from RSPA where SoftPOS is the major topic this week.

• Datacap’s SureTap — Datacap Systems has launched SureTap, a SoftPOS “bring your own device” solution that lets POS providers enable tap‑to‑pay directly on NFC‑enabled Android devices without dedicated payment hardware.

  • SureTap runs on Datacap’s omnichannel payments gateway, using the same standardized integration ISVs already use for countertop, mobile and unattended devices, which keeps implementation friction low for existing Datacap partners.

  • The solution supports contactless tap transactions and ties SoftPOS into credit, debit, ACH, eCommerce, gift and recurring payments, positioning SoftPOS as another front end on a unified commerce platform rather than a separate, experimental channel. (Datacap release you provided.)

  • For channel partners, Datacap emphasizes “channel‑friendly” deployment: ISVs control pricing and merchant relationships, and there is no direct‑to‑merchant competition from Datacap itself. (Datacap release you provided.)

  • Operationally, SureTap extends Datacap’s consolidated reporting: SoftPOS transactions appear alongside traditional card, ACH and online payments in the dashboard, supporting unified settlement, reporting and reconciliation across mobile, countertop, online, unattended and recurring flows. (Datacap release you provided.)

• NMI Enters the Smart Terminal Market with SmartPOS Solution —

  Built on Ingenico‘s AXIUM Android platform and integrated with the NMI payment acceptance platform, AXIUM SmartPOS gives ISOs, software providers and SaaS platforms the flexibility to create branded payment experiences for their merchants without being tied to a closed ecosystem or a single processor.

  

  Axium-SmartPOS-Ingenico-3-Devices-Press-Release-Thumbnail

• Market sizing and forecasts (Q1–Q2 2026)

  • Multiple market reports in early 2026 peg current SoftPOS market size in the USD 370–510M range and project roughly USD 1.2–2.3B by early/mid‑2030s, with CAGRs around 16–23%.grandviewresearch+4

  • Juniper’s latest forecast (2025–2030) gets heavy airtime in processor marketing: transaction value rising from USD 23.9B in 2025 to USD 540B by 2030 (+2,150%), supporting aggressive acquirer rollout plans.juniperresearch

  • Thought‑leadership pieces in early 2026 argue SoftPOS has “crossed the chasm” into mainstream adoption, setting expectations for accelerated bank and PSP programs over the next decade.linkedin+1

  Acquirers and processors: program positioning

  • Acquirers and large PSPs are now routinely packaging SoftPOS as a standard acceptance option alongside traditional terminals and mPOS, pitched as “no‑hardware” onboarding for micro‑merchants and field sales teams.paxtechnology+1

  • White‑label SoftPOS apps integrated to acquiring platforms are described as baseline offers: scheme acceptance (Visa/Mastercard), sale/refund flows, digital receipts, and links into core merchant acquiring back‑ends.paxtechnology

  • Processor marketing increasingly stresses SoftPOS as an upsell into broader commerce suites (inventory, staff scheduling, loyalty, analytics), not just a cheaper terminal replacement.juniperresearch+1

  Enterprise and large-merchant narratives

  • Worldline and others push SoftPOS as line‑busting and assisted‑selling tools: roaming staff in grocery, DIY, fashion, and big‑box can use NFC phones/tablets to take payments and reduce front‑end congestion.worldline+1

  • Enterprise pitches emphasize omnichannel: SoftPOS used in curbside pickup, store‑to‑door delivery, pop‑up events, and seasonal kiosks while remaining integrated with central ERP/POS systems.worldline+1

  • Large‑merchant case studies highlight quick deployment (app install rather than hardware rollout) and lower TCO, with SoftPOS framed as a flexible “payment endpoint” inside broader digital‑store strategies.worldline+2

  Risk, compliance, and PCI MPoC angle

  • Recent acquirer and PSP materials lean heavily on PCI SPoC/CPoC/MPoC messaging, positioning certified SoftPOS as fully compliant card‑present acceptance rather than a fringe solution.worldline+1

  • Processors underscore that MPoC certification and device attestation/monitoring are managed centrally by them, reducing operational burden for banks, ISOs, and large merchants.worldline+1

  • Industry write‑ups acknowledge ongoing challenges (device security policy, connectivity, battery, digital receipts) but treat them as manageable trade‑offs relative to hardware savings and flexibility.mypinpad+1

  Strategic

  • “SoftPOS has shifted from pilot to standard acquiring product, with banks and PSPs using it to onboard micro‑merchants at scale while enabling enterprise line‑busting and omnichannel use cases.”worldline+2

  • “Across recent market studies, SoftPOS is consistently forecast at ~20% CAGR, with transaction value expected to grow more than 20x by 2030, validating acquirers’ aggressive rollout strategies.”giiresearch+5

  • “PCI MPoC‑certified SoftPOS is now framed by processors as ‘just another terminal type’ in the acquiring stack, making tap‑to‑phone a mainstream option rather than an experimental add‑on.”