Over the recent course of technological advancements one area of continuous growth and development has been mobile computing, specifically focusing on smartphones. The massive adoption by the public of touchscreen smartphones, ultraportable netbooks and tablet computers has led to new technologies utilizing these devices as a way to make everyday life easier. One such technology that is taking off rapidly is NFC mobile payment options. This form of contactless payment allows a user to make a purchase and send an amount of money in seconds using only a smartphone and an NFC-equipped machine or register.
NFC stands for "near field communications." It is a technology that allows two equipped devices to communicate with each other by only being near one another, with no contact or other input necessary. Typically the technology that powers NFC resides on a small chip and piece of software, allowing any mobile device to possess NFC capabilities if it's installed beforehand. For that reason most major smartphone manufacturers have taken to putting NFC capability into newer models of phones, allowing millions of people to use an item they carry with them everyday to make an NFC mobile payment.
NFC enables contactless payment between a buyer with an enabled device and an NFC-enabled terminal or register that accepts the payment. If someone uses an NFC mobile phone to purchase gas, they would swipe it in front of the specified area on the pump which would read the NFC data tied to the user's payment account and debit that account the preferred amount. With the swipe of a hand a transaction that usually takes minutes plus waiting in line is completed in a second. The idea that any purchase or monetary exchange can be done so simply has led to these mobile payment solutions taking off worldwide. Larger companies with more and more locations and uses are adopting the NFC technology to make quick payments. Banks use it to allow account holders to make deposits or transfers with a wave of their phone. Large retailers use it at express checkout lines for people who only have an item or two to pay and get on their way.
NFC mobile payment is not limited only to smartphones either. Banks have begun putting these chips into credit and debit cards so that payments can be made even quicker than cards normally allow. Because NFC can be put into just about any device, the speed at which the payment technology has taken off is astonishing and shows no signs of slowing.
To see how contactless payments is transforming mobile technologies and commerce; check out the website.
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