Contactless Technology

What NFC Does When You Tap Your Phone

Tapping a phone against a payment terminal, transit gate, accessory, or small tag can trigger an action almost instantly. It feels simpler than joining Wi-Fi or pairing a Bluetooth device because there may be no network name, password, or visible connection process. The technology behind many of these taps is Near Field Communication (NFC). The useful mental model is that NFC creates a very short-range radio interaction between compatible devices. The tap itself is not transferring information through physical contact. Bringing the devices close together puts their NFC antennas in a position where radio communication can take place.