NFC Archives - Tactify

What Does Apple Pay Mean for Marketers?

October 20, 2014

Starting today iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users can opt to store their credit and debit cards in Passbook and make purchases with the simple tap of their phone using Apple Pay. Apple finally adopted near field communications technology with the release of the iPhone 6 in order to power Apple Pay. With Apple leading the way, experts are predicting mobile payments will become mainstream. While Google Wallet has been around since 2011, the hype of Apple Pay may lead to an increase in mobile payments among Android users, too. Forrester predicts they will increase fourfold to $90 billion by 2017!

How to Set it Up

Download iOS 8.1 and open the Passbook app
Tap Set up Apple Pay
First select your card that is linked with your iTunes account and confirm
Then, you can scan new cards with the iPhone camera.The first card added will be your primary card.

How It Works
Once Apple Pay is set up, it’s easy to use in stores. At stores using Apple Pay, iPhone users can simply tap their phone to the point of sale (POS) terminal and verify the payment with Touch ID or a pin code. The transaction will securely be sent to the bank and with approval, the purchase is complete.

Apple has said over 220,000 US stores will be using Apple Pay including Apple, Bloomingdales, Macy’s Duane Reade, McDonald’s, Sephora, Petco, Panera Bread, Staples, Nike, Walgreens, Subway and Whole Foods. Users will also be able to pay with Apple Pay with a number of apps including Target, Tickets.com and Uber.

What Marketers Need to Know
The largest impact Apple Pay is expected to have is on the adoption of mobile payments. According to Digital Trends, a new law will take place in the fall of 2015 requiring merchants to support credit cards with Chip and PIN security, and therefore, merchants are expected to updated their POS terminals which will likely be Apple Pay enabled. The easy and secure process Apple has created, as well as their track record in changing consumer behavior, are other reasons to believe mobile payments will become mainstream.

Apple said they are not collecting or storing transaction information in order to ensure consumer’s that Apple Pay is secure and private. While this will help with the adoption of mobile payments, businesses will not be able to collect this data to optimize marketing campaigns. Instead, ensure consumers their information is secure and test other mobile marketing tactics such as NFC stickers, beacons or geofencing.

Are you planning on using Apple Pay?

Why Marketers and Advertisers Need to Know About NFC

September 4, 2014

Marketers and advertisers have been using NFC quietly for the last few years. There have been some fun, innovative campaigns but the use of NFC has really been limited to certain Android phones as well as payments and keyless entry. But that’s all about to change.

Rumor has is that NFC is finally coming to the iPhone 6, set to be announced this month.

Apple has held out on enabling NFC in the iPhone due to lack of merchant interest and low-security, opting instead for Passbook. But due to the success of iBeacons and Apple’s access to 800 million credit cards from users’ iTunes accounts, reports have labelled NFC as inevitable for the iPhone.

Enabling NFC on the iPhone is more than just mass adoption of mobile payments. There are a ton of possibilities already being used that both consumers, marketers and technologists can make even more wide spread — quicker check-in at hotels using your mobile phone as a room key; controlling settings at home and work like lights, alarms and sounds; easily changing your phone settings based on location such as switching Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or music on and off; or even transferring files between two phones.

In order to fully take advantage of the possibilities with NFC, marketers and advertisers should fully understand their capabilities and how to use them. We’ll be at NFC Bootcamp in New York on September 18-19 presenting iBeacons and NFCs: Friends or Foes. Tactify co-founder Richard Dupe will discuss how to create campaigns using NFC and beacons as well as QR and geofences! Check out the NFC Bootcamp and register here. Use code “Tactify” for 20 percent off !

5 Things to Know About NFC

July 25, 2014

NFC is not a new technology but it has been gaining traction in the market over the last few years due to NFC-enabled credit cards and mobile phones. There is speculation that Apple will finally adopt NFC in the iPhone 6 — at which point, NFC might reach widespread adoption among consumers. However, the NFC rumor mill hits every time a new iPhone is about to be released. Nonetheless, the number of NFC-enabled Android and Windows phones is growing, and with that, we have seen an increase in the ways brands and consumers are experimenting with the technology.

How does NFC work?

Getting down to basics, NFC, or near field communication, transmits data wirelessly between two objects equipped with NFC chips. The two objects have to be brought within close range, usually within four inches, in order to communicate and can transmit any information.

How can I use NFC?

As we mentioned, iPhones aren’t NFC compatible. However, the number of other smartphones with NFC capabilities is growing. (You can see a full list of compatible devices here.) Payments, through services like Google Wallet, have made it possible to simply tap or wave your phone over a payments system (or laptop) to make a purchase.

Is NFC just for payments?

No! Technically, you can use NFC as long as you have two NFC compatible objects. Brands have used NFC for ticketing at events or while traveling, opening car doors with NFC-enabled security badges and car keys, tracking healthcare information, and in marketing and advertising campaigns. It can be as simple as placed an NFC-enabled sticker within a retail area that links to coupons, rewards, ads or movie trailers, social media pages, mobile apps and more. NFC extends to personal use, too. Place an NFC sticker near your front door, wave or tap with it your phone and turn the air conditioning on. Trend Blog put together a great list of 18 creative ways to use NFC.

Will NFC keep growing?

Yes. The number of NFC compatible devices increased 128% from 2012 to 2013. IHS Technology predicts that two in three devices will be NFC compatible by 2018. Plus, VISA Europe saw their contactless payments increase four fold in 2013. While brands are starting to experiment with beacons, NFC still has its own specific use and purpose. It’s cheaper and works within a much more specific location than beacons.

What’s the security like?

NFC only works within a close range — usually four inches or less — and the signals are very specific. In order for a hacker to get a hold of your information, they would have to be extremely close to your phone or credit card. In addition, any data stored on your phone like credit card information is encrypted and usually has a number of added security features like pins and passwords. Get a full explanation of NFC security here.

Bottom line, NFC is here to stay but there are a multitude of other technologies disrupting the space. When it comes to designing a marketing or advertising campaign, make sure to consider your goals, budget and customers when deciding which one to use.

Photo Credit: Kārlis Dambrāns