Related Terms
DEFINITION
Near-Field Communication (NFC)
Near-Field Communication or NFC is a short-range wireless communication technology that allows two electronic devices to exchange data when they are close to one another. NFC is commonly used in contactless payment systems and has become a common feature on most smartphones. This has lowered the need for physical cash or swiping your card.
Synonyms
Tap-to-connect technology
Acronyms
NFC
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Synonyms
Tap-to-connect technology, short-range data transfer, contactless communication
Acronyms
NFC
Examples
A customer uses their smartphone’s NFC option to make a payment in a store by tapping their phone on the payment terminal. After doing so, the NFC chip in the phone communicates securely with the terminal to process the transaction.
FAQ
What’s the difference between NFC and Bluetooth?
For added security, NFC was designed to only work across very short distances (a few centimeters). Bluetooth on the other hand can cover an area of up to 100m. Furthermore, NFC is made to be used quickly and sporadically while Bluetooth is better suited for continuous data transfer.
Which technologies use NFC?
Aside from just contactless payments, NFC is used for access control (such as office keycards), ticketing (public transport passes), data sharing (transferring contacts or files) and so on.
Is NFC safe for making transactions?
Yes. Due to its short range, NFC is considered very safe. Additionally, NFC systems use encryption, tokenization and biometric authentication to ensure security. However, some risk is always present.
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