Next generation NFC will save you time and effort

Thanks to near field communication (NFC) technology, our smartphones can make mobile contactless payments. As a result, many consider NFC connectivity to be as important as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity. The next generation of NFC is now being developed by the NFC Forum, the body that defines NFC standards.

The next generation of NFC is now being developed by the NFC Forum, the body that defines NFC standards.

Who is involved in the development?

The NFC Forum includes representatives from some of the biggest names in technology, such as Apple, Google and chip designer Qualcomm. One of the new features of the next generation of NFC will be Multi-Purpose Tap. This feature will allow much more data to be transferred with a single tap of the NFC button. So a single NFC tap will be able to do more things in the future.

What’s Multi-Purpose Tap?

For example, with a single NFC tap, it will be possible to make a mobile payment via credit card, verify a customer’s age for certain purchases (such as alcohol) with a mobile ID, and receive a digital receipt. Stores using loyalty cards will be able to add new purchases to the card and adjust the price of the transaction to reflect discounts or bonuses.

And stores using loyalty cards will be able to add new purchases to the card and adjust the price of the transaction to reflect discounts or bonuses.

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Mike McCammon, executive director of the NFC Forum, said in a press release: «Multi-Purpose Tap will bring even more convenience to contactless user interfaces, making multiple transactions possible with a single tap. Consumers and retailers love the security, reliability and convenience of contactless payments – imagine also being able to award loyalty points or receive a check for that same instant tap.»

Consumers and retailers love the security, reliability and convenience of contactless payments – imagine being able to award loyalty points or receive a check for that same instant tap.

By the way, for the curious: Google’s Nexus S (released in late 2010) was the first NFC-enabled Android phone. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, released in 2014, were the first iPhone models to feature an NFC chip.

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, released in 2014, were the first iPhone models to feature an NFC chip.