Glossary Near Field Communication (NFC)

Near Field Communication (NFC)

What is Near Field Communication (NFC)?

In recent years, Near Field Communication (NFC) has evolved from an inconspicuous technology into a versatile tool for everyday life and business. It is used for fast payments with a smartphone, contactless access control and digital identity verification: NFC has long since become part of modern processes.

Its great advantage lies in its combination of user-friendliness, security and speed. This article explains how NFC works, how it differs from RFID, and why it plays a central role in identity verification.

What does NFC stand for?

Near Field Communication (NFC) is an internationally standardised radio transmission process. It enables two devices to exchange data without contact over a distance of just a few centimetres. This process uses an electromagnetic induction field. The principle is similar to Bluetooth, but much more direct and secure, especially since the devices do not need to be paired and transmission only occurs in close proximity.

Depending on the application, there are two types of device: active and passive. An active device, such as a smartphone with an integrated NFC chip, can send and receive data independently. In contrast, a simple NFC tag is passive — it only transmits information when read by an active device.

How does Near Field Communication work?

There are three operating modes for communication between NFC-enabled devices:

1. Read/write mode:
   In this mode, an active device reads information from or writes data to a passive NFC tag. Examples include advertising posters with integrated tags or inventory purposes.

2. Peer-to-peer mode:
   Two NFC-enabled devices communicate directly with each other to exchange data. For example, this could be used to connect smartphones for fast data transfer or to share contacts.

3. Card emulation mode:
   An NFC device acts as a contactless card, enabling it to be used like a physical card on readers for contactless payments or digital access cards, for example.

NFC tags are also very interesting: they are tiny chips that can be integrated into products, ID cards or packaging. They can contain information such as URLs, IDs or access codes, and can be read with a smartphone. This is a principle that is becoming increasingly important, not only in marketing, but also in the authentication of digital identities.

The difference between NFC and RFID

Although both NFC and RFID use radio waves for wireless data transmission, they employ different technical concepts and have different application goals. The main difference lies in their range and area of application: while RFID is particularly prevalent in logistics and goods tracking, NFC focuses on secure data exchange over short distances — ideal for identity verification or contactless payments, for example.

The following table provides an overview of the most important differences:

NFC has established itself as a future-proof solution, particularly with regard to secure online identification via mobile devices — not least thanks to automated facial recognition technology, which can be seamlessly integrated with ID card data transmission via NFC.

The advantages of Near Field Communication

Not only does NFC technology impress with its intuitive application, it also offers a number of technical and practical advantages:

• Security thanks to the short transmission distance: only devices in close proximity can communicate.
• Standardised compatibility thanks to global standardisation, which enables cross-manufacturer solutions.
• Interoperability with existing contactless systems such as credit card readers or access control points.
• Future-proof, as industry associations such as the NFC Forum are continuously working on further development.

Is NFC secure?

While no technology is completely risk-free: NFC is considered extremely secure. Communication only works at very short distances — typically less than 4 cm. This means that anyone wishing to intercept data would have to be in close proximity.

Furthermore, information can be transmitted in encrypted form and supplemented by additional security measures, such as biometric authentication. One example of this is the use of NFC in conjunction with a selfie video for digital identity verification, whereby the scanned face is compared with the biometric data stored on the ID card.

NFC in practice: 10 application examples

Near Field Communication has a wide range of applications:

1. Contactless payment with a smartphone or bank card.
2. Public transport, for example with electronic tickets based on NFC.
3. Access control in hotels, offices or fitness centres with NFC chips.
4. Digital passports equipped with an NFC chip to speed up border controls.
5. Medical implants or chips with emergency data for animals or humans.
6. Museum and exhibition technology that uses NFC tags to provide additional digital content.
7. Product protection, where luxury items can be checked for authenticity using integrated NFC chips.
8. Logistics and goods management via NFC-supported object tracking.
9. Smart home control for lights, doors or thermostats.
10. Digital identity verification, where ID data is read directly from the chip.

Especially in sensitive areas such as age verification in online retail, NFC provides a reliable basis for secure decisions.

NFC identity verification: How it works with PXL Vision

With PXL Vision, NFC-based identity verification is an optional security upgrade for applications requiring special protection, such as when creating a qualified electronic signature (QES).

First, the ID document is captured with the camera. The NFC data is then read via the NFC Instant app (Android) or the App Clip (iOS); simply touching the back of the smartphone to the ID card is enough to read the information stored in the chip.

This data includes the biometric passport photo, which can be compared with a selfie video if required. Accessing the encrypted chip enables ID documents to be checked particularly securely and reliably — forgery-proof, machine-readable and eIDAS-compliant.

PXL Vision thus offers a scalable solution that supports both fast standard checks and highly secure procedures without media discontinuity — flexibly and efficiently. Contact us now.