What Can NFC Readers Do For You?

Many modern smartphones include NFC hardware, but you may not be using it to its full potential. NFC can do a lot more than just handle mobile payments.

You can use it for door access or to tap into public transit turnstiles without fumbling through your wallet phone case for a credit card. It can also transfer data like images, url and contact info between 2 NFC enable devices quickly.

How NFC Works

NFC Readers are a key piece of technology in many businesses and have shaped how we conduct business and security operations. Creating a seamless user experience is important in the adoption of new tech and the NFC Readers are no exception.

NFC is short for near field communication and is a wireless technology that allows two devices to communicate with each other. It is a simple but powerful way to communicate between two devices with very little setup and no wires. The NFC chips in the device are powered by radio signals and can transmit and receive information. This allows for quick and easy pairing between two devices as well as a variety of other features such as contactless payments, tag reading, peer-to-peer file transfer, and much more.

The NFC Readers themselves are typically connected to a PC, MAC, or UNIX system via USB and can be programmed in a variety of ways. This includes using one of the many RFID Reader software solutions already available or developing your own. They are able to read a wide range of NFC tags, have varying degrees of range and some can even write to the tags if required. Some are able to read multiple tags at once and some, such as those from ACS and Identiv have libraries that provide out-of-the-box support for various applications including mobile payment systems and more.

You’ll most likely see NFC in use at stores with contactless payment terminals and public transit fare gates, where you can tap your phone to make a payment or access the system. You can also see it used in smartphones with the Google Wallet or Samsung Pay apps and with NFC enabled wallet cases. This is a great way to simplify your payments and keep your credit card numbers secure. NFC uses tokenization which replaces your actual credit or debit card number with a unique, one time use code that the retailer can then process. This helps protect your credit or debit card information in case of a security breach at the retailer.

If you don’t want to use NFC, just disable it in your phone settings. It is not going to save any battery life and will still allow for the same functionality. The only downside is that it will stop your phone from being able to activate its NFC capabilities, such as when it’s tapped to a payment terminal or to activate its pass through mode for some NFC enabled travel locks and more. This can be a hassle for some people and it is a good reason to enable NFC in your phone only when you actually need it.

NFC Tags

NFC tags are small devices with a microchip and an inductive coil antenna. Whenever they get close to an NFC reader, the coil energizes the chip and sends any stored data over to the reader. The reader interprets the modulation of the electromagnetic field and determines binary values (zeros and ones) that correspond to the data on the microchip. Once the reading is complete, the reader passes the binary data on to its host device. The host can then take a variety of actions, depending on the use case: For example, it may unlock a turnstile at a subway station or communicate with a bank server to make a payment.

Because NFC tags are so small, they can be embedded into a wide variety of form factors. For example, NFC-equipped hotel keys have a thin copper winding around the edge that powers and transmits data to a microchip inside the key. NFC-equipped credit NFC Readers and debit cards also have similar technology, with the microchip and windings housed within a standard plastic card shell.

As NFC technology has evolved, the chip inside a typical NFC tag can store more and more data. For example, Type 1 NFC chips are limited to just a few bytes, while newer, higher-performance Type 5 NFC chips can hold up to 32KB of information. The more memory available, the greater the potential application for NFC.

To make the most of NFC, developers must design their applications to take advantage of the technology. This means incorporating NFC into their products, services and business models. It also requires understanding and leveraging the NFC APIs provided by Apple and Google.

A growing number of companies are developing NFC-enabled products that can be used to automate common tasks on mobile devices. For instance, many people who are particular about their sleep routines turn off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and auto-sync on their phones before bed. A simple NFC tag on the back of a smartphone could turn off these settings when tapped by the user at night.

Likewise, event organizers are using NFC to create fun ways for attendees to interact with their brand. A scavenger hunt, for example, might require attendees to tap various NFC-enabled objects throughout the venue to earn points, discounts or exclusive content. Gamification can add an exciting new element to the attendee experience while providing valuable marketing opportunities for exhibitors.