NFC or Near Field Communication technology is used to share data between two NFC-supported devices, functioning similarly to Bluetooth without the pairing process. This technology is currently widely used by many people and businesses for various reasons. Some are mundane and involve using NFC tags in the UK to make contactless payments or automating smartphone functions. NFCs have many different uses that businesses and ordinary people can use to streamline their day-to-day activities and make their lives relatively easier. Below are some of the cool ways people can use their NFC stickers.

Company-Related Uses

As NFC Business Cards

Anyone can stand out at any conference or event with a customized digital business card that they can turn into an NFC business card if they have an NFC tag. The tag can be programmed to contain someone’s contact details, social media, and website address that can be shared with a single tap. Traditional business cards are simply inefficient when compared to NFC cards. Businesses can issue NFC business cards to relevant employees for more streamlined introductions when meeting business partners and potential business partners. Anyone with online stores can advertise their store and products to potential customers using the NFC tag on their card.

As an Identification Card

While it’s a given that big companies can issue business cards to certain employees for business meetings, they can also issue NFC cards as IDs. The IDs can also double as passes to unlock certain doors in the office and keep unauthorised personnel from entering specific rooms, even among certain employees. For example, only a company’s certified IT personnel can access restricted rooms, from those stocked with computers and spare parts to an in-house server, when using NFC. Because this identification verification method is physical and not reliant on biometrics, some people can argue that this isn’t secure when the cards get stolen. But a benefit here is that the cards can be surrendered to the company upon leaving the office, either when going home or resigning, so there’s no need to manually update a database to delete biometric data from former employees.

To Grant and Restrict Access to Devices and Facilities

If it isn't possible to program an NFC tag to contain both identification details and access certain rooms, among others, businesses can assign individual tags for different purposes. One tag can be to lock and unlock doors for all authorised personnel, while another can be used to access certain devices that only the specific cardholder can access. These cards will not function as identification cards but as a separate and affordable solution to secure office spaces and devices without using the arguably costlier biometric technology or the weak knowledge-based authentication solution.

As Loyalty Cards

Using Near Field Communication technology on loyalty cards can benefit many businesses as the card can track customer preferences and even offer discounts accordingly for customer retention.

Connect/Disconnect in Secure Wi-Fi Spots

Offices usually have Wi-FI and allow employees to access it as an amenity. VIP guests and business partners will also need Wi-Fi access for their own work. Programming NFC tags to enable instant connection to a specific Wi-Fi network without providing a password is ideal. This is useful for businesses that rely on KBA or keyword-based authentication for their systems and sometimes use weak passwords since they won't compromise their security by telling people a password. Tapping an NFC tag to connect to the internet is also more convenient than typing in a password to connect. This is also useful for personal use.

Miscellaneous Uses

Make Payments

NFC technology allows for contactless payments when using Google Pay or Apple Pay. NFC stickers can also securely store both debit and credit card information so the user can simply tap the card on a payment terminal so they won’t need to bring or take out their actual debit or credit card. Most parts of the world have already adopted a contactless payment scheme in response to COVID-19, and the convenience of contactless payment can mean that payment through NFC tags will stay. PayPal currently allows merchants in the UK, Sweden, and the Netherlands to make contactless payments using NFC smartphones.

Control Smart Homes

Automating homes is currently trending among many homeowners, especially tech-savvy ones. Those who can’t afford to automate the entire house will usually automate certain parts, even purely aesthetic features. Using NFC stickers, specific software, and automation hardware can allow homeowners to modify their room lights and features to work on voice commands or to perform a specific action. Bill Gates’s techno-utopian Xanadu 2.0 mansion has visitors get assigned ID cards with an NFC tag. When visitors enter the mansion, the temperature and lighting conditions automatically adjust according to the visitors' demographics. Tech enthusiasts can implement a similar system to automate their homes' lights and HVAC systems.

Unlock Doors

Just like how NFC tags can be programmed to allow access to certain areas of an office, homeowners can also use the technology to open the doors of their homes. Homeowners can take advantage of this whether they have a smart home or not since the door only needs an NFC lock for people to use NFC cards to unlock and lock their doors.

Connect with Certain Numbers for Emergency Call/Text

NFC technology is also extremely useful for emergencies. Parents can teach their children to tap an NFC card on their home phone or vice versa to call them in case of emergencies or for routine messages to inform parents when their kids get home. People can be creative in how they program their NFC tags for emergencies, whether they connect to an emergency hotline, a relative, a significant other, or other people.

As Kitchen Timers

Anyone who loves to cook can use NFC tags in the kitchen to set different timers while using an iPhone. This is done through automation and scanning the tag, which is possible for the iPhone 7 model and above. If the tag is programmed for 1 minute, a 1-minute timer will automatically be set once tapped. Using NFC tags for timers of certain meal preparations and tasks can help streamline processes and make individuals more productive with certain tasks.

Share Different Media

Like how businessmen and businesswomen can use NFC tags as business cards, creators can use NFC tags as a sort of business card that will direct to the creator’s channel. They can reprogram a rewritable NFC tag to contain a link to their latest YouTube video, a song on Spotify or Soundcloud, or the latest Twitch VOD instead.

Conclusion

NFC tags are incredibly useful for many different people, especially since they can use them for security, identification, and automation purposes. It only takes someone’s imagination and the size limitations of a tag to limit what people can use their tags for. Anyone who wants to get NFC tags either for their businesses or for home or personal use can look for a reputable NFC product supplier to get their tags. Contact NFC Tagify today and get your NFC cards, stickers, chips, and tags today.