noun

NFC

en-ef-SEE

NFC (noun) means a short-range wireless technology that lets two devices exchange a small amount of data when they are touching or held within a few centimetres of each other, used for things like tap-to-pay cards, travel passes and electronic door keys. Example: “Tap your phone against the reader — it uses NFC, so you have to be almost touching it.”

noun

A short-range wireless technology that lets two devices exchange a small amount of data when they are touching or held within a few centimetres of each other, used for things like tap-to-pay cards, travel passes and electronic door keys.

"Tap your phone against the reader — it uses NFC, so you have to be almost touching it."

"The hotel key card works over NFC rather than a magnetic stripe."

adjective

Describing a device, card or tag that supports this technology.

"Most modern bank cards are NFC enabled."

"She programmed an NFC tag to switch her phone to silent when she got to her desk."

How to Use NFC

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishThe tap-and-go technology that lets a card or phone talk to a reader when you hold it right up close.

When to use it

Technical in origin but now widely met by ordinary users through contactless payment. Almost always written as the initialism.

Memory tip

In everyday British speech people rarely say NFC at all — they say contactless or just tap.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

RFID Bluetooth → contactless QR code

Common pairings

NFC tag NFC enabled NFC payment NFC reader tap NFC

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Tap your phone against the reader — it uses _____, so you have to be almost touching it.

Etymology

An initialism of near-field communication, describing the very short range over which the signal operates.

Origin: English

Synonyms

View more →

near-field communication contactless tap-to-pay technology NFC-enabled

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between NFC and Bluetooth?

NFC works only over a few centimetres and is designed for a quick exchange of a small amount of data, such as a payment or an ID. Bluetooth works over several metres and keeps a longer-lived connection for things like headphones or a keyboard. The very short range of NFC is deliberate, because it means a device must be deliberately presented to a reader.

Is NFC the same as RFID?

NFC is built on the same underlying idea as RFID, in which a reader powers and reads a nearby tag by radio. NFC is a narrower set of standards that works at very short range and allows both devices to act as reader or tag, which is what makes phone payments possible.

Does NFC need a battery in the tag?

Not usually. A passive NFC tag or card has no battery of its own; it draws the tiny amount of power it needs from the radio field produced by the reader.