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Welcome to our Glossary

Discover the terms that change the financial technology industry.

Near-Field Communication (NFC)

NFC is a short-range, wireless technology based on electromagnetic radio fields that allows the exchange of information between two devices, or between a card and a payment device. Most new smartphones and payment cards are equipped with NFC chips or tags, as well as tablets, wearables, bus and transit terminals. The receiving device reads the data as soon as it is sent, reducing the chance of interception or error. Actions performed using NFC must be intentional, I.e., a purchase cannot be initiated by simply approaching an NFC-embedded terminal or by misdialing.