NFC Forum

FAQs About Joining the NFC Forum

Why should my organization join the NFC Forum?

The NFC Forum exists to promote the use of NFC technology. Members can have a significant influence over how the technology is designed and implemented by participating in the development of the NFC Forum specifications. The Forum also provides opportunities for members to learn about new industry developments, interact with one another, and create new business opportunities.

How is the NFC Forum organized?

The NFC Forum is an independent legal entity, a 501(c)(6) tax-exempt organization incorporated in the state of Delaware in the United States. Representatives from member organizations serve on the Board of Directors and the three primary committees: Technical, Marketing, and Compliance. Each committee establishes working groups and task forces as needed.

What are the levels of membership? How much does each cost per year?

The NFC Forum offers five membership levels, with a variety of benefits, privileges and annual dues designed to match each organization’s interests and market requirements. Organizations can join at the Sponsor ($50,000), Principal ($25,000), Associate ($10,000), Implementer ($5,000) or Non-profit ($1,500) levels.

What benefits do we get at each level?

See a detailed list of benefits. All members have access to the NFC Forum website. Sponsor members are the top level of membership and have a seat on the Board of Directors. Sponsor and Principal members have voting privileges. Associate and Non-profit members can actively participate in all working groups and task forces, but do not have voting privileges.

Can anyone join? Are there special requirements?

The NFC Forum By-laws allow 17 Sponsor-level members. Applications for Sponsor members are reviewed by the Board of Directors to ensure applicants are global leaders and to maintain a balance among regions and sectors. All organizations interested in developing and supporting NFC technology are welcome to join at the Principal, Associate, Implementer, and Non-profit levels.

What is expected of my company if we join?

The NFC Forum encourages all member companies to participate actively. To gain the most value, join the groups working in the topic areas that are important to your company. Intensive week-long face-to-face meetings are held three times a year in various parts of the world and are open to all members. Members are strongly encouraged to attend these meetings, which include breakout sessions for every topic area and sub-group.

We also encourage participation in regular conference calls and interim meetings. Sponsor and Principal members are asked to take a leading role, which may range from task force leadership to reviewing and commenting on materials. Each member may add the NFC logo to their websites and is encouraged to support Forum promotional activities.

How will the NFC Forum support my organization and our products?

The Forum creates opportunities for members to showcase products and services in programs such as group appearances at trade shows, links from the NFC Forum website to member sites, speaking opportunities at industry events, mentions in press releases as appropriate, and more.

What Committees and Working Groups exist?

The NFC Forum has three committees: Technical, Ecosystem, and Compliance.

• The Technical Committee includes Working Groups on NFC Devices, Reference Applications Framework, and Security. The NFC Devices Working Group includes Task Forces to address the NCI Controller Interface, Mode Switching, Peer-to-Peer, RF Analogue and Simple NDEF Exchange Protocol.
• The Compliance Committee includes Working Groups on Testing, Compliance Policy, and Interoperability Requirements. The Testing Working Group has Task Forces on Plugfests, RF Testing, and Test Mode.
• The Ecosystem Committee includes Working Groups on Market Education and Industry Collaboration. The Industry Collaboration Working Group includes Regional Focus Groups on Asia, Europe and the Americas, as well as Vertical Focus Groups such as Transport and Retail.

How do we sign up for membership?

Get a Member Application Form. Requests for Sponsor level membership will be reviewed by the Board of Directors. Applications for other membership levels will be granted upon receipt of a completed application form, signed agreement to the IPR policy, and payment. The NFC Forum application requires the signature of the applicant’s highest level parent company.