Secure on-device vault
While offline, Tap to Pay on iPhone reads and encrypts payment card data.
Tap to Pay on iPhone
Taking Transactions Without Internet
Accept tap transactions even when the connection drops - then settle securely when you are back online.
Saved until reconnected
The encrypted card numbers are temporarily saved on the device.
Confirmed transactions
Transactions leave the device only after connection is established.
Protect confidentiality
Keep card data protected in use cases with limited connectivity.
Offline transactions
What is Store & Forward?
It's a feature of Tap to Pay on iPhone that lets an iPhone accept tap transactions even when there's no internet connection. The phone safely holds each transaction in a built-in secure area, then automatically sends them through once the connection returns. Offline transactions are securely stored and do not guarantee that they will be approved or authorized at a later time.
*If a card issuer rejects a payment after the iPhone regains connectivity, the merchant will bear the risk of an uncollected balance.- Transactions are held in a built-in secure area on the iPhone.
- When connectivity returns, transactions are sent for processing.
- No extra steps for the sales associate when the connection comes back.
- Designed to move lines and enhance customer experience
Use Case | Airline
Taking Transactions at 35,000 Feet
Airline cabin sales during a mid-flight internet outage
The Situation
Flight attendants use iPhones with Tap to Pay on iPhone to sell food, drinks, and duty-free items during a flight. Over the ocean, the plane's internet connection cuts out completely — no signal for hours at a time. With Store & Forward, the iPhone keeps accepting tap transactions the whole way through, without any interruption.
How it works in the air
From the gate to landing — five steps that keep cabin sales moving.
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Before the plane leaves the gate
The app quietly receives a 24-hour “offline pass” — permission to accept transactions on its own without needing to be online.
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Internet drops mid-flight
The phone detects the lost connection and silently switches to “save now, send later” mode. The flight attendant sees no change — checkout can continue.
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Customer taps their card
The transaction is immediately locked into a secure vault built into the iPhone's chip. The app never sees the actual card number, just a secure encrypted record of the transaction.
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The plane lands and reconnects
The moment the iPhone picks up a network connection, the app automatically starts sending all the saved transactions — one by one, in the order they were taken.
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Each transaction resolves and clears
Once the transaction is approved or declined, it's removed from the vault.
Built to keep lines moving
Card information is held securely via Tap to Pay on iPhone proprietary technology until a later time when online authorization can occur.
Card data is stored, not authorized
In offline mode, no card authorization is performed. Only the card information is securely captured and held.
Hold for approvals
Using Tap to Pay on iPhone with Store & Forward allows integrators to build auto-retry logic over time.
Enhanced recovery
By selecting Store & Forward, transactions continue, MagTek's Virtual Reader iOS SDK enables greater recovery due to durable, multi-use tokens.
Tap to Pay on iPhone
Ready to keep taking payments when connectivity drops?
See how Store & Forward fits your Tap to Pay on iPhone rollout - then talk with a MagTek specialist about next steps.