The Transformative Roles of NFC Technology and NFC Forum in the Rapidly Evolving Payments Stack
Nov 10, 2025

The Transformative Roles of NFC Technology and NFC Forum in the Rapidly Evolving Payments Stack

This paper explores the role that Near Field Communication (NFC) has played in the evolution of payments technology. It differentiates between the broader utilization of NFC technology and NFC Forum’s specifications and protocols, exploring their respective enabling contributions to the evolving payments ‘stack’ - the framework within which software, systems and tools interact with each other to enable payment processes.

Demonstrating the scale and diversity of the current payments ecosystem, this paper charts the rise of a variety of payment options, from contactless to open banking and digital currencies, highlighting the contributions that NFC technology and NFC Forum make today.

Finally, as the payment stack continues to evolve, becoming intertwined with ecosystems including digital identity, access control and transit, this paper looks to the future, highlighting the importance of standardization, certification and collaboration. It invites engagement in NFC Forum from stakeholders seeking to maximize the benefits of NFC-enabled payments through interoperability and technology harmonization.

The Transformative Roles of NFC Technology and NFC Forum in the Rapidly Evolving Payments Stack

News

Q&A: Delivering a Next-Generation, Multi-Service Contactless Payment Experience Nov 19, 2025 Inside NFC Release 15: Why Extended Range Is So Significant – From Those That Developed It Sep 15, 2025 NFC Release 15 and Extended Range: Key Webinar Takeaways Sep 05, 2025

Resources

The Transformative Roles of NFC Technology and NFC Forum in the Rapidly Evolving Payments Stack Nov 10, 2025 NFC Forum 2024 Annual Report Feb 19, 2025 A Device-First Approach: 2024 NFC Forum Contactless Usage and Adoption Study Infographic Jun 18, 2024 Multi-Purpose Tap Improving the User Experience Jun 10, 2024 2024 ABI Usage and Adoption Study Apr 03, 2024 Whitepaper NFC Authentication Token in MaaS Applications Feb 07, 2023

Videos

Contactless Trends and User Adoption Study 2024
The Circular Economy Redefined - NFC & the Digital Product Passport
NFC Forum Technology Roadmap
Beyond Payment: Deploying NFC at Scale

FAQ

How exactly does Release 15 improve contactless payments?

Release 15 increases the operating range of NFC interactions from about 0.5 cm to up to 2 cm, making tap-to-pay interactions faster, more reliable and more forgiving of misalignment. This helps improve the user experience and lowers failed-tap rates while retaining the user-intent tap requirement that keeps the experience secure.

How will NFC help merge payments and digital identity in the future?

NFC enables a convergence of payments and digital identity by providing a secure physical-tap interaction that can also authenticate identity credentials held in digital wallets. This supports use-cases such as age or identity verification during a payment, ticketing plus identity checks, and broader frameworks like digital e-ID wallets enabled by regulated standards.

What’s “multi-purpose tap,” and why is it important?

Multi-purpose tap refers to an NFC-based interaction where a single tap can simultaneously carry out multiple functions - for example payment, loyalty redemption, receipt delivery, identity verification and ticket activation. It marks a shift from “just pay” to unified tap experiences, simplifying the user journey and enabling richer service flows.

How does NFC compare to QR-codes and UWB in the future payments stack?

NFC is a secure, regulated, intent-based tap technology with global interoperability in the payment setting. QR-codes are inexpensive and widely used (especially in APAC) but are more exposed to tampering and phishing, and lack standard regulation in many regions. UWB (Ultra-Wideband) is complementary, offering precise ranging, but is not as mature for payment-centric tap interactions. A hybrid model is likely: NFC for the secure “tap” action, with other technologies augmenting positioning or context.