NFC

Thanks to this technology, it is possible to make payments by passing an NFC-chip-equipped phone past a scanner. NFC can also be applied as a ticket system to grant access to amusement parks, for example. In Japan, NFC has been used for some time to pay for train tickets, for example.

NFC is a smart form of RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). Whereas RFID is primarily about storing and sending information in one direction, NFC communicates in two directions and is capable of processing received signals itself. The technology was developed by Philips in collaboration with Sony and Nokia.

In the Netherlands, the NFC technology is used by Rabobank, among others, as a ticketing system. Rabo Mobiel customers who have purchased a ticket for Blijdorp Zoo via the Internet can now simply walk through using NFC. Once in Blijdorp, they can read interesting information on their mobile at any NFC contact point. Rabobank is also in the process of having NFC used as a payment method. In 2008, for example, it concluded another successful test at the Febo. Thanks to their mobile phones equipped with NFC, users could easily withdraw a croquette from the wall without having to look for change. Similar tests are underway at the C1000 in Molenaarsgraaf and at several Coca Cola vending machines. Earlier, NFC was successfully applied at the Roda JC stadium where it replaced the season ticket.