Tech giants and big businesses are moving towards incorporating NFC-based technologies to simplify the life of the consumer. Just recently, Apple launched a new digital credit card “designed to work with any other credit or debit card stored in the Wallet app for use with Apple Pay.” For users, it’s as simple as holding your smartphone next to an NFC devise at the time of payment. Before we get into why this might be the safest way to transfer funds, let’s talk more about NFC in general.
What is NFC?
Near Field Communication (NFC) is the ability for two different devices to communicate data by either touching or coming within 4 centimeters of each other. NFC creates a magnetic field that then allows encrypted information to be passed from one user to the next.
Is NFC secure?
In many cases, NFC is more secure than any other way to make purchases. Because your data is encrypted, it increases the level of difficulty for a thief to steal information. Think about how close a thief would have to be in order to gain access to your personal data. Realistically, the thief would need their device within 4 centimeters of yours when the transaction is conducted. Unless you’re the type of person who likes to hug strangers at the register or point of sale (POS), it’s highly unlikely that a thief could interfere.
What if someone steals your phone?
Unless the thief is willing to spend time figuring out every one of your passwords and unlocks the smartphone itself, you should be safe. All of the major digital wallet services such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, Samsung Pay, etc. require an additional level of security before payments are made which basically gives these major companies permission to withdraw funds from your banking account. Most companies also require you to enter a PIN or ask for your facial recognition and/or a fingerprint scan to authorize payments. As technology continues to grow and new scams are revealed to the public every day, we feel pretty confident in the security of NFC payments.
Find out how your franchise brand can implement NFC readers at each location and contact FPN sales at 866-420-4613 opt. 3 for pricing and availability.
