Near Field Communication (NFC) continues to gain popularity as more retailers begin to offer “pay with your phone” options to customers. The wireless technology is theorized by many to be the future of electronic payment.
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are widely-used forms of electronic communication that operate on radio transmissions, and are designed to accommodate a range of distances between devices. In contrast, NFC employs electromagnetic fields that require communicating devices to be less than four inches apart.
Despite the distance limit, NFC is considered by many to have an advantage over Bluetooth and Wi-Fi because it consumes less power and connects devices at a faster rate. The required close proximity between devices also reduces the chance of signal interference, and sensitive transmissions are often encrypted as protection against theft.
Companies such as Google are also currently examining the option of allowing NFC-enabled cell phones to store loyalty cards, ticket information and other special offers.
