NFC Forum Unveils Global Identifier as “Beyond Payments” Accelerates

Wayfinding Mark Improves User Experience of NFC Connected Applications; NFC “Beyond Payments” Accelerates

Wakefield, MA -- June 07, 2022 --The NFC Forum, the global standards body for Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, unveiled today the Wayfinding Mark, a new global identifier created to indicate a device or object is NFC-enabled.

The Wayfinding Mark visually communicates that a product or device includes NFC technology while also highlighting the location to tap a smartphone, NFC tag, smartcard or other NFC device to make a connection. The explosion of digital devices has caused a dramatic shift in the use of NFC technology, propelling it beyond payment applications to new areas and uses, creating the need for an NFC global identifier. New NFC applications using the Wayfinding Mark come in a wide variety of form factors and are used to solve problems and improve convenience in areas as diverse as consumer, business, industrial, identity, mobility and others.

“We are seeing a global trend of the expanding use of NFC. Connecting phones and smart devices to all the things around us has never been so easy,” said Mike McCamon, executive director, NFC Forum. “Tap to pay is ubiquitous and more of our members are looking to leverage this success into phone adjacent use cases like automotive, healthcare, IoT, and access control to name a few. This new Global Identifier will help to create the same positive user experience users have grown to love.”

The NFC Wayfinding Mark is free to use and was adopted by 78 organizations during a pre-release period. NFC is the world’s most pervasive and versatile technology with three billion NFC-enabled phones in use and upwards of 20% of the world’s population capable of using NFC technology daily.

How To Use the NFC Wayfinding Mark

The NFC Wayfinding Mark was created to allow consumers to visually recognize an object as having NFC and easily locate the NFC connecting point. It should be placed on the outside surface of the device over the NFC antenna located inside the object. This placement will allow users to easily locate the NFC connectivity point. For more information click here.

Market Data

A recent global study of 2,019 consumers by ABI Research and commissioned by the NFC Forum indicates that nearly half of respondents (44%) are using contactless technology daily or nearly every day.  Of those who are using contactless for payment, nearly half (47%) prefer using their phone or smartwatch over a contactless credit card. When it comes to provisioning contactless cards into Digital Wallets, nearly all the respondents (82%) have two or more cards on their phone or smartwatch. The study further demonstrates that demand for a contactless lifestyle will continue to grow, especially post COVID-19 as usage of contactless technologies is predicted to accelerate as “contactless” or “touchless” experiences are demanded across multiple settings.

About the NFC Forum

The NFC Forum was launched as a non-profit industry association in 2004 by leading mobile communications, semiconductor, and consumer electronics companies. The Forum's mission is to advance the use of Near Field Communication technology by developing specifications, ensuring interoperability among devices and services, and educating the market about NFC technology.

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