tiptap vs Tap.Giving: 2026 Cost Compared (Pushpay Partner)
tiptap is a contactless donation terminal that Pushpay sells into US churches. Tap.Giving is a one-time NFC tap plate that sits at every seat. Here is how each option actually costs a 200-seat church over five years, and which one fits which church.
$800 once
What a 200-seat church pays for 200 Tap.Giving NFC tap plates: one-time hardware, no monthly fee, no renewal. Works with Pushpay (the platform that resells tiptap) and every other major giving platform.
The Short Answer (Read This First)
tiptap and Tap.Giving solve the same job in very different ways. tiptap is a powered contactless terminal: a small device with a screen, battery, and connectivity, sold to US churches as part of the Pushpay product family. Tap.Giving sells NFC tap plates: a printed disc with a chip the size of a grain of rice, one per seat, no battery, no monthly bill.
For a 200-seat church in 2026, Tap.Giving plates total $800 once at $4.00 per plate, with free shipping and no recurring cost. A tiptap rollout that covers the same room with terminals costs several hundred dollars per device plus a monthly subscription per device, on top of whatever Pushpay already charges for the giving platform. Both can power tap to give, tap to donate, and NFC giving on Sunday morning, but the price profile and the placement strategy are not the same.
What tiptap Is and Where Pushpay Fits In
tiptap is a contactless donation terminal. The device is roughly the size of a paperback book, with a screen for choosing an amount, a contactless reader for taps, and a connection (Wi-Fi or cellular) so it can settle each gift in real time. A giver picks a preset amount, taps a contactless card or a phone wallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay), and walks away. The receipt arrives by email or text.
In the US church market, tiptap is sold through a Pushpay partnership: the terminal accepts contactless gifts and the donation flows through your existing Pushpay giving account. That means tiptap does not replace Pushpay. It rides on top of it. If your church does not already pay for Pushpay, the device cost is not the only number to think about, you also need the Pushpay platform subscription and its transaction fee.
That stack matters when you compare it to NFC tap plates. Plates do not require any specific giving platform. They open the URL you already have, whether your church uses Pushpay, Tithely, Subsplash, Donorbox, Givelify, Anedot, Planning Center Giving, or anything else with a mobile-friendly giving page. The plate is platform agnostic by design. For a deeper read on how the underlying chip standard works, see how tap to give works for churches and our church NFC tags guide.
tiptap Pricing in 2026
tiptap publishes very little pricing publicly. The numbers below are directional, drawn from publicly referenced ranges and the Pushpay product context, and a Pushpay rep is the only place to confirm your actual quote. Treat them as a planning bracket, not a sticker price.
| Line Item | Approx. Range (USD) | Who Charges It |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal hardware (one-time) | Low hundreds per device | tiptap / Pushpay |
| Per-device monthly subscription | Recurring per device | tiptap / Pushpay |
| Pushpay platform subscription | Roughly $1,000+ per month for many churches | Pushpay |
| Per-transaction processing fee | ~2.9% + $0.30 per gift | Pushpay processor |
Source: publicly referenced ranges for tiptap and Pushpay as of 2026. Always confirm current numbers in writing with your tiptap or Pushpay rep before signing. For the Pushpay side, see our Pushpay vs Tap.Giving breakdown and the Pushpay VisitorTap hidden-cost analysis.
The pattern to notice: tiptap is one of several layers in a Pushpay-led stack. The device cost is real, but for most churches it is dwarfed by the Pushpay platform fee that runs alongside it. That is not a knock on Pushpay, it is a great platform for very large churches with full media stacks. It is just an honest read of what the bill looks like before plates ever enter the picture.
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Tap.Giving Plate Pricing for Churches
Our pricing has one shape: per plate, one time, free shipping. No monthly fee, no setup fee, no transaction fee from us. The plate ships with adhesive backing, pre-drilled screw holes for permanent mounts, and a QR code printed on the front as a fallback for any phone that cannot read NFC.
| Quantity | Per Plate | Example Total |
|---|---|---|
| 100 to 199 | $4.50 | $450 (100 plates) |
| 200 to 399 | $4.00 | $800 (200 plates) |
| 400+ | $3.50 | $1,400 (400 plates) |
Promo code WELCOME10 takes 10% off your first order. Free shipping, 2-3 week delivery, no contract. Full tier detail and quantity breaks up to 1,000+ plates are on our pricing page, or you can start an order directly.
5-Year Total Cost: A 200-Seat Church
Here is the math for a 200-seat church running $150,000 a year through its giving platform. Column one is what a Pushpay plus tiptap rollout looks like with three terminals in the lobby. Column two is the same church on whatever giving platform it already uses, with 200 Tap.Giving NFC tap plates at every seat. Both columns include processing fees because those exist regardless of hardware.
| Line Item | Pushpay + 3 tiptap terminals | Existing platform + 200 Tap.Giving plates |
|---|---|---|
| Hardware (one-time) | ~$1,200 (3 terminals at low hundreds each) | $800 (200 plates @ $4.00) |
| Device subscription (5 yr, 3 terminals) | ~$3,000 to $5,400 | $0 |
| Pushpay platform subscription (5 yr) | ~$60,000+ (commonly ~$1,000+/mo) | $0 from us; you keep your current platform |
| Processing fees on $150K/yr (5 yr) | ~$22,500 (2.9% + $0.30) | ~$22,500 (same processor on your platform) |
| 5-year total | ~$86,700 and up | $800 + your existing platform cost |
The point is not that tiptap is bad hardware. It is that the bundle around it is expensive, and the bundle is what shows up on the bill. If your church does not already pay for Pushpay, adopting tiptap is also adopting the platform that owns it. Adding NFC tap plates does not require switching platforms or signing a new monthly contract. The plate is a sign-post pointing at the URL you already have.
The lift side of the math is real too. Churches using NFC tap plates have reported in-service donation lifts of 300% or more, with 81% of attendees willing to give in service when a tap option is available compared to 24% who actually do without one. Tap to give is roughly 42 times more engaging than printed QR codes, and 53% of NFC givers in church studies are first-time givers. For the detail behind those numbers, see the NFC giving ROI numbers post.
Feature Comparison
The two products are different layers of church giving technology, so this is less a winner-take-all chart and more a "what does each one actually do" reference.
| Capability | tiptap terminal | Tap.Giving NFC tap plates |
|---|---|---|
| Form factor | Powered terminal with screen | Passive printed disc, no battery |
| Best placement | Lobby kiosk, welcome desk, exit | Every seat back, every chair |
| Tap to give / tap to donate | Yes (on device) | Yes (opens your giving page on the giver's phone) |
| Works with non-Pushpay platforms | Tied to Pushpay | Yes (any platform with a mobile URL) |
| Monthly fee from this hardware | Yes (per device) | None, ever |
| Hardware lifespan once paid for | Tied to subscription | Years of passive use |
| Power and connectivity required | Charging plus Wi-Fi or cellular | None (powered by the giver's phone) |
For a side-by-side that includes additional contactless church collection plate options, see our tap to give platform comparison and our contactless church collection plate guide.
When to Pick tiptap Anyway
Honest carve-out: situations where a tiptap terminal genuinely fits better than a passive plate.
- You already pay for Pushpay and have a strong rep relationship, and tiptap is being bundled into a renewal you intend to sign.
- You want a staffed kiosk in the lobby for guests, walk-ups, and post-service merch or coffee sales, not a giving point at every seat.
- You take a meaningful share of gifts from non-members who do not carry a smartphone, only a contactless card.
- You want a screen to display amounts, designations, and campaign visuals at the point of tap.
Even in those cases, NFC tap plates still make sense the moment the offering opens on Sunday morning. Hardware that costs $800 once and never asks for a renewal is a low-stakes addition to any back end. Many churches end up running both: terminals at exits, plates at seats. If you want help thinking through the right mix, talk to us through how it works or grab our pricing.
Add tap to give to whatever platform you already use
One-time hardware. No monthly fee. Works with Pushpay, Tithely, Subsplash, Donorbox, Givelify, Anedot, Planning Center Giving, and Nucleus Giving. Free shipping, 2-3 week delivery on every order.
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FAQ: tiptap and Tap.Giving Questions
What is tiptap and how is it related to Pushpay?
tiptap is a contactless giving terminal: a small standalone device with a screen that accepts tap to give and tap to donate gifts via NFC, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. Pushpay partners with tiptap to sell the terminals to US churches, with donations flowing through the church's existing Pushpay giving account. The device is the hardware; Pushpay is still the back-end giving platform.
How much does a tiptap terminal cost in 2026?
tiptap pricing is quoted per device and is not posted on a public self-serve page, so confirm current numbers with tiptap or Pushpay directly. Public references generally describe a hardware cost in the low hundreds of dollars per terminal plus a monthly subscription per device, on top of whatever Pushpay's existing platform pricing already charges the church. Expect a quote, not a sticker price.
How does Tap.Giving compare on price?
Tap.Giving plates are a one-time purchase: $4.50 each for 100 to 199, $4.00 for 200 to 399, and $3.50 for 400 or more. No monthly fees, no setup fees, and no transaction fees from us. A 200-seat church spends $800 once. Promo code WELCOME10 takes 10% off your first order. See our pricing page.
Do tap plates work if my church already uses Pushpay?
Yes. NFC tap plates work with any giving platform that gives you a mobile-friendly URL, and Pushpay qualifies. We encode the plate with your Pushpay giving link so a tap opens the same page Pushpay already hosts. Your donor records, recurring schedules, and bank deposits stay in Pushpay untouched. See our Pushpay tap to give setup guide for the exact URL to use.
Do I need terminals if I have NFC tap plates?
Usually not. A tiptap terminal is one device that sits in the lobby. NFC tap plates put a tap point at every seat. For most congregations the seat-level density matters more than a lobby kiosk, because in-service giving lifts when the offering moment and the giving moment happen at the same place. Some churches run both: terminals at exits, plates at seats. Most pick one and start with plates.
Is tiptap the same as a tap to give plate?
No. tiptap is a powered terminal with its own screen, battery, and connectivity. NFC tap plates are passive: a printed disc with a chip the size of a grain of rice and no battery, no Wi-Fi, no moving parts. The plate hands the giver's phone a URL that opens your existing giving page. Both can offer tap to donate, but the hardware and price profile are very different.
When should a church pick tiptap anyway?
Pick a tiptap terminal when you want a staffed kiosk experience in the lobby, when you accept gifts from non-members or guests without phones, or when your Pushpay rep is bundling it into a broader contract you already plan to sign. For most churches that want in-pew tap to give and NFC giving at every seat, passive NFC tap plates from Tap.Giving are the cheaper and lighter-touch option.
Related Articles
Pushpay vs Tap.Giving: 5-Year Cost Compared
The platform side of the tiptap question: what Pushpay actually costs a church, and where plates fit on top.
ComparisonPushpay VisitorTap Hidden Costs: 200 Plates Math
A close read of Pushpay's other NFC offering and what it costs to cover a 200-seat room.
GuideContactless Church Collection Plate: The Modern Offering
How a contactless church collection plate replaces the wicker basket without replacing your platform.