NFC mobile chips - what they are and how you can use them
How we pay for things appears to keep getting easier and easier. The trend is continuing with NFC, or Near Field Communication, mobile chips. NFC technology lets you wirelessly transfer data from one gadget to another at close ranges.
How will we use it?
NFC mobile chips will soon be integrated into all smartphones, making it easier than ever to pay for your coffee. Instead of looking around in your purse or pocket to find your wallet, you simply use your phone – something most of us have at hand at all times.
NFC mobile chips allow users to store their credit card information in their phones. Then, when they are at a store or retailer that is equipped with mobile payment technology, they can simply scan their phones at the register to pay for their purchases.
Google Wallet
Google is the first technology giant to launch a mobile payment system. Google Wallet is currently available on the Android Nexus S and may possibly work with other smartphones through an NFC-enabled sticker. Several retailers have signed on to work with Google Wallet.
Apple, which is rumored to be working on a mobile payment system as well, will most likely not willingly open up their devices to the Google Wallet technology. Instead, they will most likely be releasing their own NFC systems very soon.
Other potential uses
NFC mobile chips will likely soon be doing much more than just helping you pay for your coffee. Some of those future uses include:
- Replace passports and boarding passes
- Products may contain RFID (radio-frequency identification) tags on them that you can scan in order to gather information.
- Pet tags may soon have RFID tags attached that you can scan if you find a lost puppy.
- Replace keys – no more clunky key chains!
NFC technology is one of the biggest advancements in payments we have seen in a long time.
For more information on NFC mobile chips and how they work, take a look at this article.