The NFC Forum, the governing body that promotes the use of near field communication technology, is letting customers initiate contactless transactions with their NFC-enabled smartphone from a distance of 3-4 cm. The boost, previously at 2cm as per the current standard, will enable the technology to be more user-friendly.
According to a Digital Transactions article, NFC Forum’s decision comes at the heels of Mastercard’s latest research, which revealed that more than 50% of U.S. consumers are using their mobile phones and contactless cards to make in-store purchases.
Contactless payments are no longer a passing trend, as their notable use can also be attributed to making payments faster and easier than swiping cards.
In a presentation for Contactless World Congress, NFC Forum Executive Director Mike McCamon said that the expansion of the NFC Transaction range “will make the technology more useful and more user friendly and actually will make the experience seem faster as well.”
“The idea is that, as your phone comes in contact or close proximity of the payment terminal, the connection could start and then also complete the transaction much quicker. And also you won’t have to be as precise,” he added. “All of us have had this experience of taking our phone and kind of moving it around trying to find the right sweet spot on the terminal. The idea is with your increased range, you’d be able to not have to do that.”
NFC’s Technology Roadmap
The increased transaction range is only one of the many new features within NFC Forum’s technology roadmap over the next five years. It also includes the addition of support for multiple purpose tags, the modernization of device-to-device communication, expanded data sharing options, and more power for wireless charging.
With more consumers demanding a more frictionless payments experience, it’s no wonder that the use of contactless payment methods such as mobile wallets is growing. This is especially true among the younger demographic of consumers.