Near Field Communication “- or just” NFC “- is regarded as the current buzzword in the mobile industry in general.
The concept behind the technology is extremely simple and yet has the potential to do so, the habits of everyday life powerfully circulate: So consumers with an NFC-enabled phone can, for example at a supermarket checkout to pay cash. The credit card details are already stored in the device so that only a short whistles of smartphones to keep a small enough NFC terminal – tiresome rummaging around in your wallet eliminated as part of that. In the same way users of the technology could soon vouchers to redeem at restaurants. Appropriate field trials are already underway in the U.S..
NFC payments to the cash-free mass-market reach, but could be a few more years go by. Experts believe that the first intermediate step of an NFC-enabled credit card will be needed: For this, the user may be NFC-compatible cell phone to keep that card and is by tapping a dialog window its approval for the transaction. To prevent abuse, the banks should first set manageable limits of about € 25 per transaction. The weekly shopping so you will not initially be able to pay via NFC.
How quickly the technology leap to the payment process without consent – that is the ultimate goal of the providers – creates depends largely on the broadcasting of such devices. Although there are several phones with NFC chip on the market today, this whole thing lies still in its infancy: Most consumers can use the shortcut to start yet. Right here is the dilemma: supermarkets and catering facilities will not invest in appropriate technology, if not already a reasonable basis exists devices. Conversely, the consumer sees no value in the purchase of an NFC phones, if he can use it anywhere. The infamous chicken / egg problem is likely to delay the development of standards, at least in Europe, at least until 2013.
