NFC in Retail

  • Article

NFC (Near Field Communication) technology provides simplicity and ease of use. End users or employees just hold NFC-enabled devices together to access services, interact with content, set up connections, make a payment or present a ticket.

Many corporations use contactless ID cards to control access to their facilities and networks. NFC can reduce the cost of card issuance and management. NFC-enabled devices can also simplify login to enterprise networks.

As NFC technology penetrates throughout the office, WLAN settings, printer IDs and even maps of the building can be picked up by NFC-enabled devices, allowing mobile workers to quickly get to work in any office location.

Interesting flash overview of NFC in Retail: https://www.nfc-forum.org/resources/multimedia/6-00147_NFC_Forum_v07.swf

 

A wide range of devices and machines are likely to become NFC enabled. Here are some examples:

  • Mobile phones
  • Turnstiles
  • Parking meters
  • Check-out cash registers or "point-of-sale" equipment
  • ATMs
  • Office, house and garage doors
  • Personal computers
  • Posters, street signs, bus stops, local points of interest (with NFC-readable tags only)
  • Product packaging

We all walk past billboards and posters advertising products, but how often do we remember to act on our interest? By adding NFC-compatible "tags" to posters and magazine advertisements, we can read the tags with an NFC-enabled phone and immediately act - before we forget.

 

NFC enables contactless tickets and cards to be held in everyday devices like mobile phones. Instead of carrying several physical cards, you can choose to carry some or all of your cards within a personal device like an NFC-enabled mobile phone. Presenting an NFC device can make your life easier.

  • NFC technology can enhance contactless payment at shop check-outs or unattended payment machines like parking meters. You can pay using virtual payment cards or e-money.
  • Contactless tickets have revolutionized transport and event ticketing with their speed and flexibility. With NFC-enabled devices like mobile phones, you can buy tickets, receive them on your device and then go through "fast track" turnstiles while others wait. You can check your balance or update your tickets remotely.
  • You can quickly download information (such as a bus timetable) by bringing your NFC-enabled phone or PDA close to a sign with NFC-readable information.
  • NFC technology is helping to increase the acceptance and usability of contactless services because it is based on an international standard, designed to work for any service, in any place, around the world.