At first glance, building your own NFC system for your church feels like a smart move. Order a few NFC discs online. Add a sticker that says “Tap or Scan.” Set it up on Sunday. Simple, right?

We’ve seen a growing number of churches consider it.

But after working with teams who’ve gone down the DIY route, we’ve seen how it often costs more than expected. Time. Engagement. Peace of mind. And sometimes, the thing that gets missed most is what makes Overflow Tap so effective to begin with.

Let’s take a closer look.

The Realities of DIY

Plenty of churches have explored in-house solutions. Most eventually run into the same problems.

Consumer-grade NFC discs are limited. The tags or tap discs you buy online are usually small, with equally small antennas. That means people have to hold their phones just right to get them to work. This might sound minor, but it introduces friction. And friction in a church service kills momentum, especially when you're trying to get an entire room to respond in a single moment. At Overflow, we tested hundreds of NFC products to find the ones that work seamlessly across modern devices. The last thing you want is a tap experience that only works half the time.

There’s also no built-in security with DIY. Many off-the-shelf NFC tags are unlocked, which means anyone with a smartphone and the right app can overwrite the link. We've heard real concerns from churches about people using unlocked tags to redirect to something inappropriate. Overflow Tap discs are locked and password-protected. You have full control over where they lead. Through our secure dashboard, you can change the destination link in real time, schedule updates ahead of an event, or even sync Tap with ProPresenter to update automatically as your slides move forward.

With DIY solutions, you’re responsible for all the maintenance. One church we spoke with invested over 10 million dollars into a custom-built CRM. Eventually, they migrated to an existing platform because maintaining their system was no longer sustainable. That’s the challenge with DIY tech. Every iOS update, every browser change, every bug fix becomes your problem. And most churches weren’t built to function like tech companies.

Then there’s engagement. Adding QR codes to your NFC discs may seem like a helpful fallback, but our data shows it actually cuts engagement nearly in half. Giving people too many choices creates hesitation. If you want them to tap, keep it simple. Just tap.

Why Tap Actually Works

Tap works not just because of what it is, but because of how people interact with it.

Think about it. People tap to pay every day. Their phones autofill their name and email. The process is fast and familiar. That’s the experience people expect. It’s intuitive.

Your church should feel that seamless too.

Overflow Tap isn’t just a tool for giving. It’s a tool for connection. One moment it could link to a digital connect card. The next, a volunteer sign-up or a giving opportunity. Our dashboard makes it easy to adjust the destination instantly or plan ahead so that the experience changes in sync with what’s happening in the room.

You’re Not Alone

When you build your own solution, you're on your own. No support. No shared learnings. No feedback from others on what’s working.

When you partner with Overflow, you become part of a growing community of churches sharing insights and best practices. One church tried something simple but powerful: a moment they called “Tap on 3.” The pastor counted down from the stage. “Tap on 3… 2… 1… go.” They doubled their small group signups that weekend. That’s the kind of idea that spreads when you’re connected to a broader movement.

The Cost of DIY Isn’t Just the Price Tag

We get it. DIY feels resourceful. It feels like good stewardship.

But the real cost isn’t just the price of a few NFC discs. It’s the friction people feel when something doesn’t work right. It’s the burden of managing tech your team wasn’t built to support. And it’s the missed opportunity to create a modern, seamless moment that reflects the kind of excellence your church aims for.

Overflow Tap gives you more than a tag. It gives you a way to connect people to the heart of your church—clearly, quickly, and intentionally.

Want to see how it works? We’d love to walk you through it and show you what churches are doing today to engage their communities with Tap.