Tiptap brings contactless payments to street performers

New app could revolutionise donating, says
creator, as cash retreats from the high street

One-Minute Read

Tiptap has been developed by researchers at Brunel University in
London to make it easier for audiences to give small amounts of
change when they have no cash to hand.

Once the performer has plugged a smartphone into a contactless
payment-equipped stand, audience members can enter the amount they
would like to tip into an app and tap their payment card on the
device to give money. It also allows performers to receive feedback
and track popular busking locations.

The Stage says it has been developed
“specifically for those who rely on cash but do not have a
permanent base, such as London’s street performing community”.

Emma McBride, who created the device, told the industry paper:
“For the third year in a row, cash has represented less than half
of the total volume of payments made in the UK. This change in
consumer behaviour has the future potential to exclude those who
rely on cash to make a living, including street performers and
musicians.”

While it has the potential to open up a huge new market, Tiptap
does also come at a price: it takes a 5% commission on all
donations.