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What is Tap and Pay (NFC)?

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michael bedwell
What is Tap and Pay (NFC)?

Tap and Pay (NFC) is a technology that allows you to pay for goods and services by simply tapping your smartphone or credit card against a payment terminal. NFC stands for Near-Field Communication, which is a technology that enables two devices to communicate with each other when they are in close proximity.


How does Tap and Pay (NFC) work?

When you want to make a payment using Tap and Pay (NFC), you simply open your wallet or purse, find your smartphone or credit card, and tap it against the payment terminal. The payment terminal will read the NFC chip embedded in your smartphone or credit card, and the transaction will be processed.


What are the benefits of Tap and Pay (NFC)?

There are several benefits of using Tap and Pay (NFC) to make payments. Some of the key benefits include:

• Convenience – NFC payments are fast, easy, and convenient to use. All you need to do is tap your smartphone or credit card against the payment terminal, and you can complete your purchase.


• Security – NFC payments are more secure than other types of payments because the chip inside your smartphone or credit card is designed to be read only by payment terminals that are authorized for your account. This means that any digital data transmitted between your smartphone or credit card and a payment terminal has encryption technology applied to it, which makes it extremely difficult for anyone else to intercept the data.


• Privacy – NFC payments also provide you with more privacy than other types of payment because your name and credit or debit card number are never transmitted between your smartphone or credit card and the payment terminal. Instead, digital keys are used to encrypt all of the communications between these two devices.


• Acceptance – NFC payments are widely accepted around the world, which means you can usually make a payment using Tap and Pay (NFC) no matter where you go. In most cases, you will need to have your smartphone or credit card activated with a contactless payment application that is supported by the payment terminal.


Is Tap and Pay (NFC) safe to use?

Yes, NFC payments are safe to use. The chip inside your smartphone or credit card is designed to be read only by payment terminals that are authorized for your account, and any digital data transmitted between your smartphone or credit card and a payment terminal has encryption technology applied to it, which makes it extremely difficult for anyone else to intercept the data.


What are contactless payment applications?

Contactless payment applications are simply applications that allow you to make NFC payments with your smartphone or credit card. In most cases, you will need to have your smartphone or credit card activated with a contactless payment application that is supported by the payment terminal.


The most popular contactless payment applications include: Apple Pay, Android Pay, and Samsung Pay. However, there are also a number of other contactless payment applications available, so be sure to check with your smartphone or credit card provider to see if they offer a contactless payment application.


What is the difference between Tap and Pay (NFC) and mobile wallet?

Mobile wallets are commonly confused with contactless payment applications, but they are actually quite different. That's because contactless payment applications allow you to make NFC payments by tapping your smartphone or credit card against a payment terminal, whereas mobile wallets store digital copies of your payment cards on your smartphone, and let you make payments using only your smartphone.


For example, an Apple iPhone with Apple Pay activated can store digital copies of your credit cards, debit cards, and membership cards, and securely transmit the data between your smartphone and a contactless payment terminal. However, if you try to make a payment by tapping your Apple iPhone against a payment terminal, it will not work because Apple Pay is not a contactless payment application.


In contrast, Android Pay and Samsung Pay are both contactless payment applications that allow you to make NFC payments by tapping your smartphone against a payment terminal. So, if you have an Android phone with Android Pay activated, you can store digital copies of your credit cards, debit cards, and membership cards on your Android smartphone, and you can make a payment by tapping your Android phone against a contactless payment terminal.

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