	About Smart Cards : Applications : NFC

NFC Resources

The ability to pay for transit fares, groceries, and other products by simply waving a mobile phone near a POS device represents a new payment frontier. Such payments, called proximity mobile payments, are defined as payments to a merchant that are initiated from a mobile phone that uses Near Field Communication (NFC) technology and that is held close to the merchant’s POS equipment.

NFC technology is a standards-based wireless communication technology that allows data to be exchanged between devices that are a few centimeters apart. NFC-enabled mobile phones incorporate smart chips that allow the phones to securely store the payment application and consumer account information and to use the information as a “virtual payment card.” NFC payment transactions between a mobile phone and a POS terminal use the standard ISO/IEC 14443 communication protocols currently used by contactless credit and debit cards.

NFC will soon be available as standard functionality in many mobile phones and will allow consumers to perform safe contactless transactions, access digital content, and connect electronic devices simply. An NFC chip in a mobile device can act as a card or a reader or both, enabling consumer devices to share information and to make secure payments quickly.

Smart Card Alliance Resources on NFC and Mobile Payments
Smart Card Alliance Resources on Contactless and Transit Payments
Industry Organizations
Other Industry Resources
NFC: Recent News

Smart Card Alliance Resources on NFC and Mobile Payments

Contactless and Mobile Payments Council
Proximity Mobile Payments: Leveraging NFC and the Contactless Financial Payments Infrastructure, Smart Card Alliance Contactless and Mobile Payments Council white paper
Proximity Mobile Payments Business Scenarios: Research Report on Stakeholder Perspectives, Smart Card Alliance Contactless and Mobile Payments Council white paper
Security of Proximity Mobile Payments, Smart Card Alliance Contactless and Mobile Payments Council white paper

Smart Card Alliance Resources on Contactless and Transit Payments

Contactless and Mobile Payments Council
Transportation Council
Co-Branded Multi-Application Contactless Cards for Transit and Financial Payment, Smart Card Alliance Transportation Council white paper
Contactless Payments: Frequently Asked Questions, Smart Card Alliance Contactless Payments Council publication
Issuer and Merchant Best Practices: Promoting Contactless Payments Usage and Acceptance, Smart Card Alliance Contactless and Mobile Payments Council white paper
Transit and Contactless Financial Payment: New Opportunities for Collaboration and Convergence, Smart Card Alliance Transportation Council white paper

Additional white papers and presentations can be found on the Transportation Council web pages.

Industry Organizations

The NFC Forum is the industry association that develops specifications and does educational outreach about NFC technology.

The following organizations are involved in establishing standards/specifications or in defining business processes and practices for mobile technology and mobile payments.