Currently, the hype around near field communication (NFC) is largely centered on mobile wallets and other payment applications, yet the technology is capable of offering so much more to consumers’ daily lives. Let’s consider a scenario – old friends are meeting for a drink.
NFC Hotel Access Control
Bill is in London on a business trip and is staying at a hotel in the center of town. He has pre-booked his hotel online, receiving his digital room key over-the-air to his NFC enabled smartphone. Upon arriving at the hotel, he taps his phone on the terminal at the front desk to check in and heads for his room, tapping his mobile phone on the reader to unlock the room.
Low Value NFC Payments
Ted leaves work and sets off to meet Bill at his hotel for a drink. He buys a newspaper on the way to the train station, making a low value NFC payment in seconds. When he arrives at the train station Ted taps his NFC smartphone – with his ITSO ticket stored on it – on the turnstile to gain access to the platform and travel into town.
Peer-to-peer Payments
The pair meet for drinks in the hotel bar to catch up on old times. At the end of the evening, Bill taps his phone on the point of sale terminal to transfer the bill to his room and Ted uses an application, such as PayPal Bump, to transfer money via NFC directly to Bill’s account by touching the two handsets together in order to split the bill.
Pizza and NFC
Ted had prepaid for his taxi online – using his MasterCard PayPass mobile wallet, for example – and walks outside to find the car waiting. On entering the taxi, holding his phone close to the contactless terminal acts as proof of presence and informs the driver that the fare has already been paid. In the taxi, a smart-poster advertises a local pizza company. Tapping here redeems the deal and a voucher is sent to the handset; Ted orders and makes a secure EMV payment, all via the mobile phone. Five minutes after arriving home, the pizza arrives and one tap on the delivery man’s mobile phone (configured as an NFC terminal) acts as proof of order. Dinner is served.
Payment is central to much of this scenario, but it is the other services that will make consumers’ lives easier and more convenient as many every day functions will be consolidated onto one device. Bill and Ted have utilized NFC payments, person-to-person payments, prepaid NFC ticketing, short range marketing and EMV certified remote mobile payments in this one example of an evening out. This convenience and ease of use will revolutionize the way end users use mobile phones.
Stakeholders from multiple markets, such as banks, mobile network operators, handset providers and service providers, will need to cooperate in order to deliver value added services. This complex marketplace will rely on technology, from providers such as Bell ID, which enable trusted service managers to administer and control NFC payment technology.