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Apple's "Tap to pay" is coming to Switzerland: iPhone as a payment terminal
by Michelle Brändle
2 instead of 0.5 centimetres: NFC gets a range upgrade
19.6.2025
Translation: machine translated
NFC Release 15 is intended to simplify transactions via Near Field Communication. The new standard also brings further improvements.
The next generation of Near Field Communication (NFC) is in the starting blocks. «NFC Release 15» brings with it a decisive upgrade: the minimum range for contactless connections has been quadrupled from 0.5 cm to 2 cm. This will make it easier for you to pay, pair devices or open doors with smartphones, smartwatches or rings in future.
The greater range means that devices no longer need to be aligned with the terminal as precisely as before. The update to NFC Release 15 promises to make things noticeably easier, especially for small devices such as smartwatches and other wearables. Tap-to-pay services such as Apple Pay should also work faster and more reliably.
Support for more features
Many devices already register contactless connections at distances greater than 5 millimetres. With the new standard, however, the NFC Forum, the committee behind the standard, wants to redefine the «baseline». This is necessary, among other things, because ever smaller devices are using NFC. The new standard also facilitates the use of smartphones as payment terminals - a useful feature for small shops that previously had to rely on expensive additional hardware.
In addition, bidirectional transactions are possible with a single tap. For example, paying and receiving loyalty points or digital receipts at the same time. And the update brings support for the Digital Product Passport (DPP), which will be mandatory in the EU by 2027. This will allow you to read product information, origin and sustainability data directly via an NFC tag.
NFC Release 15 is currently available for high-ranking member companies of the committee such as Apple, Google, Sony and Huawei. They can already integrate the improvements into their products. Public certification for compliance with the new standard is due to follow in the autumn. Whether existing devices will be compatible via an update is currently still open.
Samuel Buchmann
Senior Editor
Samuel.Buchmann@digitecgalaxus.chMy fingerprint often changes so drastically that my MacBook doesn't recognise it anymore. The reason? If I'm not clinging to a monitor or camera, I'm probably clinging to a rockface by the tips of my fingers.
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