Publications – Contactless Smart Cards

• Accepting Contactless Payments: A Merchant Guide
  This white paper was developed by the Smart Card Alliance Contactless and Mobile Payments Council to assist merchants who are considering deployment of contactless payments. Merchants can use the information in this guide to decide whether contactless payment is right for them and to plan for, implement, and roll out contactless payments successfully. Download white paper. View full executive summary.

• Best Practices for the Use of RF-Enabled Technology in Identity Management
  The Smart Card Alliance Identity Council developed this statement to describe the industry position regarding recommended security and privacy best practices when using RF-enabled technology for identity management and to position RF-enabled contactless smart cards vs. RFID tags. Download statement. View full executive summary.

• Co-Branded Multi-Application Contactless Cards for Transit and Financial Payment
  This white paper provides an overview of an approach for transit/financial payment convergence that leverages co-branding card business models and the multi-application capabilities provided by smart card technology. Download white paper. View full executive summary.

• The Consequences to Citizen Privacy and National Security in Adopting RFID Technology for Border Crossing Identity Documents
  The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is incorporating radio frequency identification (RFID) technology in several border crossing documents that will be used to verify the identity of citizens re-entering the United States. The Smart Card Alliance Identity Council developed this white paper to discuss the security, privacy and operational issues with using RFID in human identification systems. The paper provides an overview of the use of RFID for supply chain applications, describes how RFID is proposed to be used in the DHS program, identifies key vulnerabilities with RFID systems that could be exploited, and proposes an alternative secure smart card-based solution for these border crossing identity programs. Download white paper. View full executive summary.

• Considerations for the Migration of Existing Physical Access Control Systems to Achieve FIPS 201 Compatibility
  The Smart Card Alliance Physical Access Council developed this white paper to assist government agencies with the first phases of PACS migration to provide support for the new PIV cards that are being issued. It focuses on the current security environment for physical access and, through a series of questions, makes recommendations for how agencies can migrate and upgrade their current PACS to align them with the requirements of HSPD-12 and FIPS 201. Download white paper. View full executive summary.

• Contactless Payment and the Retail Point-of-Sale: Applications, Technologies and Transaction Models
  This report was developed by the Smart Card Alliance to describe contactless payment applications, technology options and transaction model alternatives. Download report. View full executive summary.

• Contactless Payment Security Statement
  The Contactless Payments Council of the Smart Card Alliance prepared this statement in response to recent reports that question the security of contactless payment cards and devices. Download statement. View full executive summary.

• Contactless Payments: Consumer Attitudes and Acceptance in the United States
  The Smart Card Alliance commissioned an independent survey of consumer attitudes toward contactless payment devices in August, 2006. The survey, conducted by Javelin Strategy & Research, concluded that there is a large, untapped market for the use of these devices. This report summarizes the key findings of the market research. Download report. View full executive summary.

• Contactless Payments: Delivering Merchant and Consumer Benefits
  This Smart Card Alliance report describes the qualitative and quantitative benefits of contactless payments for merchants and consumers in the United States. Included in the report is a sample merchant business case for a quick-service restaurant implementing contactless payment. The report also provides guidance on the implementation impact and best practices for merchants upgrading point-of-sale systems to support contactless payment, and outlines key consumer and merchant issues. Download report. View full executive summary.

• Contactless Payments: Frequently Asked Questions
  This document was developed by the Smart Card Alliance Contactless and Mobile Payments Council to answer frequently-asked questions about contactless payments. Questions and answers include information about the market, contactless payment operation, signature waiver programs, merchant benefits and implementation, contactless payments security, form factors and card cost, future capabilities, and compliance with the EMV specification. Download FAQ. View full executive summary.

• Contactless Payments: Merchant ROI Model
  The Contactless and Mobile Payments Council Merchant Work Group created this Excel ROI model to assist merchants in calculating the return on investment for accepting contactless payments. The model, an example for a fast food restaurant are available. Download model. View model description.

• Contactless Payments Security Questions & Answers
  This document was developed by the Smart Card Alliance Contactless Payments Council to address questions raised by the media about contactless payment security. The questions and answers below apply only to contactless payment using contactless smart card technology, as implemented by American Express, MasterCard and Visa. Download Q&A. View full Q&A.

• Contactless Smart Chip Technology: The Business Benefits
  This briefing provides an overview of why businesses are implementing contactless smart chip technology in broadly different environments and applications both within the United States and around the world. Download briefing. View full briefing.

• Contactless Technology for Secure Physical Access: Technology and Standards Choices
  This report provides a tutorial on the operation of a physical access control system, describes the three primary contactless technologies in use today for physical access control (125 kHz, ISO/IEC 14443 13.56 MHz and ISO/IEC 15693 13.56 MHz) and discusses key considerations in the design of a secure identification system that uses contactless technology. Download report. View full executive summary.

• EMV Chip Cards Expected for Upscale U.S. Cardholders
  The Smart Card Alliance developed this statement to comment on The Nilson Report prediction that most top U.S. issuers will have EMV-compliant [2] chip cards available to select customers by the end of 2010 and to recommend a course of action for issuers. Download statement. View statement.

• End-to-End Encryption and Chip Cards in the U.S. Payments Industry
  The Smart Card Alliance developed this position paper to present Smart Card Alliance perspectives on end-to-end encryption and to discuss how chip cards and dynamic cryptograms address card-based fraud. Download position paper. View position paper.

• EPC Gen 2 RFID Tags vs. Contactless Smart Cards: Frequently Asked Questions
  The Identity Council developed this frequently asked questions document to discuss the differences between EPC Gen 2 RFID tags and contactless smart cards. The FAQ has a specific focus on how each technology supports security. Download FAQ. View full FAQ.

• ePassport Frequently Asked Questions
  The new electronic passports (ePassports) include digital and physical security technologies that are integrated together to provide significantly higher levels of security. ePassports use advanced technologies that secure identities and new processes throughout the entire chain of trust – from manufacturing to use of the ePassport. This frequently asked questions (FAQ) document was developed by the Smart Card Alliance Identity Council to answer questions about how the ePassport works and what technology is used to protect an ePassport holder’s personal information. Download FAQ. View document.

• ePassport Security Statement
  The Smart Card Alliance created this statement to respond to a news story stimulated by a German researcher has raised questions by the media about the security of RF-enabled smart card technology in ePassports. View statement.

• Fraud in the U.S. Payments Industry: Fraud Mitigation and Prevention Measures in Use and Chip Card Technology Impact on Fraud.
  The Smart Card Alliance developed this white paper to discuss how changes to the U.S. and global payments infrastructure are expected to affect card-based fraud in the United States and how different technologies can address this fraud. The different approaches used by the U.S. payments industry to combat fraud are described, including both preventative measures and mitigating measures. The white paper also examines the opportunity presented by new technologies and processes, particularly chip card-based technologies and processes, to help mitigate card-based fraud losses. Download white paper. View executive summary.

• Hong Kong Octopus Card Profile
  This profile describes the Hong Kong Octopus card launched in 1997 as an electronic purse for public transportation. Download profile.

• Issuer and Merchant Best Practices: Promoting Contactless Payments Usage and Acceptance. The Smart Card Alliance Contactless and Mobile Payments Council developed this white paper to document issuer best practices for driving consumer awareness and use of contactless payments, and merchant best practices for driving consumer use and accepting contactless payments successfully at the point-of-sale (POS). This white paper provides practical guidance for the business and marketing staff at issuers and merchants to assist in enhancing or planning contactless payment initiatives. Download white paper. View executive summary.

• London Oyster Card Profile
  This profile describes the London Oyster Card program. Download profile.

• Physical Access Control System Migration Options for Using FIPS 201-1 Compliant Credentials
  This white paper was developed by the Smart Card Alliance Physical Access Council, in collaboration with the Security Industry Association (SIA), Open Security Exchange (OSE) and International Biometric Industry Association (IBIA), to assist government agencies with developing migration plans for using FIPS 201 compliant credentials in physical access control systems. The white paper describes key elements of a typical PACS, identifies migration considerations relative to each, and outlines different migration options and their benefits and challenges. The white paper also discusses options for integration, PACS enrollment and registration, and biometrics. Download white paper. View full executive summary.

• Privacy, Identity, and the Use of RFID and RF-Enabled Smart Card Technology – A Smart Card Alliance Brief for State and Local Governments.
  State policy makers are looking carefully at the use of RFID technology in identity cards and the implications that holds for protecting privacy and personal information in identity applications and systems. This brief was developed by the Smart Card Alliance Identity Council to examine best practices for privacy-secure identity systems from the point of view of card technologies. Download brief. View document.

• Proximity Mobile Payments: Leveraging NFC and the Contactless Financial Payments Infrastructure
  This white paper was developed by the Smart Card Alliance Contactless and Mobile Payments Council to describe opportunities for proximity mobile payments using NFC-enabled mobile phones and devices and the contactless financial payments infrastructure. The white paper describes what is necessary to implement and deploy proximity mobile payment systems, discusses the relevant technical and business issues from the perspective of the various stakeholders (e.g., mobile operators, the financial industry, end-users, providers and vendors), and outlines the potential opportunities and barriers that may impact its market adoption. Download white paper. View full executive summary.

• Proximity Mobile Payments Business Scenarios: Research Report on Stakeholder Perspectives
  The Smart Card Alliance Contactless and Mobile Payments Council developed this report to document research conducted to assess industry stakeholder perspectives on the different business models that could be deployed for proximity mobile payments. The report contains the results of interviews with 21 leading stakeholders in the financial and mobile payments industries. Download report. View full executive summary.

• Questions and Answers about the Proposed Use of RFID for U.S. Border Crossing Documents
  The Identity Council developed this Q&A document to accompany the white paper, “The Consequences to Citizen Privacy and National Security in Adopting RFID Technology for Border Crossing Identity Documents.” Download Q&A.

• RF-Enabled Applications and Technology: Comparing and Contrasting RFID and RF-Enabled Smart Cards
  This Smart Card Alliance white paper compares RFID technology and RF-enabled smart cards and describes key requirements in RF-enabled applications. Download white paper. View full executive summary.

• San Francisco Bay Area TransLink Profile
  This profile describes San Francisco Bay Area TransLink pilot. Download profile. View all profiles.

• Security of Proximity Mobile Payments.
  This white paper was developed to provide an overview of the ecosystem of proximity mobile payments. It introduces the stakeholders in the mobile payment ecosystem and describes their roles and responsibilities in assuring the security of sensitive data. It explains how the payment application, consumer credentials and consumer account information are securely delivered to, loaded on and stored in a mobile device. It explains how a mobile device transmits data to a merchant at the point of sale, identifies risks present during the lifecycle of the payment device, and suggests countermeasures. It also identifies industry standards and certifications organization organizations that address this ecosystem. Download white paper. View executive summary.

• Serving Unbanked Consumers in the Transit Industry with Prepaid Card
  The Smart Card Alliance Transportation Council developed this white paper to provide the transit and financial industries with an educational overview of the various methods available for providing and re-loading fare media to individuals who do not have credit or debit cards, nor checking or savings accounts, and generally lack relationships with traditional banking institutions. Download white paper. View full executive summary.

• Transit and Contactless Financial Payment: New Opportunities for Collaboration and Convergence
  The Smart Card Alliance Transportation Council developed this white paper to discuss how the new financial and transit industry directions could impact transit industry fare payment. The white paper is intended to provide a framework for discussion of the opportunities and challenges in linking transit and financial payment and to present options for how standard contactless financial payment devices can be used for transit fare payment. Download white paper. View full executive summary.

• Transit and Retail Payment: Opportunities for Collaboration and Convergence
  Developed for decision-makers in transit agencies and potential transit agency partners, this report describes the potential opportunities for collaboration on a combined transit-retail payment card. The report discusses transit payment using contactless smart cards, the status of smart cards and contactless payment for financial/retail payment in the U.S., scenarios and opportunities for collaboration, and key considerations/issues for transit-retail payment convergence. The report includes profiles of several U.S. and international contactless transit smart card implementations that are extending the use of the smart card beyond transit payment to other applications. Download report. View full executive summary.

• Transit Payment System Security
  The Smart Card Alliance Transportation Council developed this white paper to outline the approaches that the transit industry uses throughout payment systems to ensure the security of transactions and data and to discuss recent research on one contactless chip product that is used in many transit AFC systems. Download white paper. View full executive summary.

• Using Smart Cards for Secure Physical Access
  This report provides a primer for understanding physical access control systems that use a smart ID card for personal identification. Designed as an educational overview for decision makers and security planners, the report describes physical access system architecture and components, provides guidance on key implementation considerations, describes smart card technologies used for physical and logical access, discusses migration considerations in moving from legacy physical access systems to smart card-based systems and showcases other applications that can be combined with a smart card-based secure physical access system. Download report. View full executive summary.

• Ventura County Transit Smart Card Profile
  This profile describes Ventura County Transit smart card. Download profile. View all profiles.

• Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)–SmarTrip Profile
  This profile describes WMATA SmartTrip program. Download profile. View all profiles.

• Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative PASS Card: Recommendations for Using Secure Contactless Technology vs. RFID
  The Identity Council developed this position paper to provide support for the use of ISO/IEC 14443-based technology for the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative PASS card system and to recommend a technology trial to evaluate the performance of both EPC Gen 2 and ISO/IEC 14443-based technologies before DHS makes a final implementation decision. Download position paper. View full executive summary.

• What Makes a Smart Card Secure?
  This white paper was developed by the Smart Card Alliance Contactless and Mobile Payments Council Security Work Group to provide an overview of the security features available with contactless and contact smart cards and describe how the security features might apply or be important to different applications. Download white paper. View full executive summary.

• The What, Who and Why of Contactless Payments
  This white paper was developed by the Smart Card Alliance Contactless and Mobile Payments Council to describe the key changes associated with the use of contactless payments in North America, including the additional value such payments can provide to issuers, acquirers/processors, independent sales organizations (ISOs), retailers, and consumers. This paper is intended to facilitate communications among the various industry stakeholders by describing current market activities and standardizing definitions key to understanding contactless payments. Download white paper. View full executive summary.