NFC, simplifying everyday life

What is NFC technology?

NFC, or Near Field Communication, is a short-range, high-frequency wireless communication technology. It enables the exchange of information between two devices just a few centimeters apart.
Standardized in the early 2000s, thanks in part to the joint efforts of Sony, Nokia, and Philips - co-founders of the NFC Forum in 2004 - this technology is now embedded in most smartphones and many connected devices.

A gradual takeoff

But the process didn’t happen overnight. Technological fragmentation (multiple standards, limited compatibility between manufacturers) hindered interoperability and delayed the adoption of NFC by the general public. The same goes for concerns about the security of contactless payments: in the early 2010s, the idea of paying by simply tapping your phone on a terminal still seemed risky… Consumers, accustomed to bank cards and cash, didn’t immediately see the benefits of this innovation. As a result, merchants hesitated to invest in NFC terminals - although some parts of the world, such as Asia, already more advanced in mobile usage, were quicker to adopt NFC than Europe or North America. The real turning point came between 2016 and 2018, with the integration of NFC into smartphones, boosted by the rise of solutions such as Google Pay and Apple Pay. The standardization of protocols, advances in security, and massive investment in payment infrastructure gradually transformed NFC into an everyday technology.

NFC is everywhere

Today, NFC is used in countless situations: paying in-store, validating transport tickets, entering a concert, match, or museum, opening a hotel room… Each interaction relies upon one simple gesture: bringing two objects close together and “tapping” to trigger the action. Frictionless.
The potential applications of this technology continue to expand: in healthcare, to secure medical devices; in logistics, to track products; and of course, in retail and marketing, to create immersive and personalized experiences.

Enhanced customer experience

FIn fact, the real revolution of NFC is less technological than experiential. Its impact goes far beyond payment: NFC transforms the way consumers interact with products and brands.

A simple NFC tag, for instance, can instantly provide access to enriched content (information, advice, promotions, etc.), turning a consumer good into a service gateway to the brand’s digital universe.

With “tap-and-go” campaigns, where a poster or card links to exclusive content, and loyalty cards integrated into digital wallets, NFC also becomes a powerful tool for communication and customer retention. Data collected during these interactions enables more targeted marketing.
By reducing friction at checkout and making it easier to discover complementary products, NFC also helps boost sales. In France, for example, raising the contactless payment limit to € 50 in May 2020 led to a 59 % increase in the volume of contactless payments and a 120 % increase in value the following month according to a study by Synalcom, a company specializing in payment and card-processing solutions.

NFC can also strengthen consumer trust. For instance, it is used in luxury goods, pharmaceuticals, and wines & spirits in order to authenticate products and guarantee their origin.
Despite a slow initial adoption, NFC has established itself as an essential technology in the daily lives of hundreds of millions of people worldwide, opening the door to ever smoother, more personalized, and more connected experiences across a growing number of sectors.