This video demonstrates NFC technology in action, showing how simple tap interactions can be used for payments, access control, and connecting with smart devices.
This video showcases the simplicity and versatility of NFC technology in everyday scenarios. It demonstrates contactless payments, door access, and device pairing through simple tap gestures.
NFC Technology

All it takes is a tap.

Every day millions and millions of people use NFC technology to connect to things and the world around them. It’s the super-fast and secure way to pay for things, ride the train, unlock a door, start your car, and even connect to the brands we all love.

What NFC Does

Fast, Secure, and More Useful than Ever

NFC Release 15 increases range, enables the circular economy and extends contactless simplicity beyond payment. Qualified NFC Forum Members can download Specifications and the Certification Program (CR15) is accepting Applications of Compliance.

Learn More
NFC Release 15 badge
Membership

Bend the universe

The NFC Forum is a community-led organization of hundreds of organizations looking to reinvent how we connect. Global brands and startups work together to define our specifications and the future of NFC technology.

Become a Member

Circular Economy

The NFC Forum is committed to establishing standards that align with sustainable product development that foster seamless user experiences across all geographies, industries, and products. 

The NFC Forum is working on and plans to launch its NFC Digital Product Passport (NDPP) Standard where chips and tags can store a link to connect products to an online DPP accessed from a standard consumer mobile phone.

Learn more

Connect with Consumers

Safety, security, and convenience isn’t just important for how you pay for things. It’s also important for your home, your health, and even how you get around. Help users make an NFC connection with our brand and marks.

Tap Location

Build with NFC

code icon

Our Specifications form a technology standard that harmonizes and extends existing contactless standards. Available at no charge for most members, they are also available to non-members.

Browse & Purchase

Certify Compliance

people icon

A well established market of Test Labs using NFC Forum developed Test Cases and approved Tools ensure confidence and reliability for silicon, OEM and implementing organizations.

Get Certified

Contactless is now
device-first

Read the Research

NFC in the news

With hundreds of millions of NFC-enabled devices in the market today, NFC technology is one of the most versatile and secure technologies around. The NFC Forum and our members regularly make news with innovative products, new specifications, and life-enhancing case studies.

NFC Forum Publishes Its Latest Technology Roadmap

NFC Forum has today announced its latest roadmap for the development of NFC Forum Standards and its corresponding technical capabilities. New topics to be progressed over the forthcoming years include faster data rates, end-to-end application testing, and security advancements. Additionally, ongoing work will continue to evolve the NFC Wireless Charging offer, advance multipurpose tap and explore new digital key requirements.

Read More

The Next Great Disruptor to the Payments Ecosystem

Reader-Mode Payment, also known as Tap-on-Mobile or SoftPOS, bridges the gap between the need to boost digital payment acceptance and the barriers of affordability. This software allows merchants to use their COTS device as a payment terminal. But how does it work? And why are many stakeholders championing this use of NFC Forum technology as the next great payment ecosystem disruptor?

Read More

How can NFC tech add value to the Digital Product Passport?

Using NFC for Digital Product Passports (DPP) is optimizing a familiar, known and trusted technology already in billions of devices, which is key to achieving sustainability. Hundreds of millions of products each year already ship with NFC technology embedded, so adding DPP functionality would be a near-zero cost approach towards achieving global sustainability goals and expected future governmental regulations.

Read More

Become a Member

Our mission is to bring the convenience of NFC technology to life by empowering organizations to deliver secure, tap-based interactions with an intuitive, reliable experience to users around the globe.

Membership in the NFC Forum offers organizations the opportunity to shape the direction of our work, gain time-to-market advantage, while also making the business connections to ensure market success.

We offer limited-benefit Free Membership (Adopter Class) and higher level annual dues opportunities starting at $2,500 a year. Apply now.

Membership Application & Agreement

FAQ

What is NFC and how does it work?

NFC, or Near Field Communication, is a short-range wireless technology that enables secure communication between devices located just a few centimeters apart. It operates at 13.56 MHz for fast, simple data exchange with a tap.

What are common uses or applications of NFC in everyday life?

NFC is widely used for contactless payments (tap-to-pay), transit cards, identity verification, smart posters (like opening a web address), unlocking and starting a car, opening doors, verifying authenticity, and connecting electronic devices with a tap.

What are the main benefits of NFC technology?

Key benefits of NFC include ease of use (“just tap to connect”), strong security thanks to its short range, rapid data exchange, and versatility across many use cases. It also requires no pairing or complex setup.

Can NFC transmit power as well as data?

Yes — NFC is unique in that, in addition to transmitting data, it can also transmit power over the connection. For example, NFC Wireless Charging supports up to 1 W over a distance of around 2 cm.