Because of the prevalence of smartphones and their direct usage in retail environments, near-field communication (NFC) has attracted a lot of interest from retailers. The technology enables a range of enhanced user benefits such as easily accessible product information and at-shelf payment capabilities.
Near-field communication (NFC) is a set of communication protocols for communication between two electronic devices over a distance of 4 cm (1 1⁄2 in) or less. NFC offers a low-speed connection with a simple setup that can be used to bootstrap more capable wireless connections.
The consumer can get immediate access to product information provided by the retailer or from the internet through a linked search. This information can be as simple or complex as the retailer requires and can be managed centrally for an entire chain or specific to a country region or individual store.
NFC also makes it possible for the consumer to pay directly at the shelf when the smartphone reads the NFC information from the ESL.
NFC is provided as a standard capability while across the SmartTag range, NFC is available as an optional feature.