Pay-by-tap services such as Apple Pay may soon not require the actual tapping component to function. This is because NFC is the technology that allows customers to pay for goods through the use of their smartphone as the payment terminal, will be receiving new features in the next 2 to 5 years including an increase in range for communications and stronger wireless charging for small devices such as earbuds, and much more.
NFC which is Near Field Communication, is found in thousands of devices today that range from smartphones to game-enhancing figurines. The body that is deciding what standards to apply to the technology and the NFC Forum is laying out the key areas to move NFC technology forward to 2028. The Forum comprises hundreds of businesses that include Apple, Google, Huawei, Sony, NXP, and Qualcomm.
One of the major drawbacks that come with making use of NFC technology is its extremely limited range. In order for the NFC connection to be effective devices must remain within 5mm one of them. That’s too short to make “contactless payments” an untrue term. According to the NFC Forum is looking to extend the range of “four or six times” further and increase it to the size of 30 millimeters (or 1.18 inches).
Read More:- What are the current and future uses of NFC ?
With the additional length (and power) those who use public transport in areas such as New York City could more conveniently place their purses on the terminals instead of pulling out their smartphones. Merchants need not worry about their customers swiping their phones through payment terminals in search of the exact connection point.
The roadmap contains changes that are intended to ease transactions at the point of sale as well. Apple implemented the Tapping to Pay API earlier this year which allows developers to transform iPhones into payment devices. The future NFC standards are aiming to integrate this feature to allow both individuals and businesses are able to accept payments wherever they are.
