Tag: nfc technology

Unique commercial NFC payments service launched by BBVA

BBVA (Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria) has made technology news by becoming the initial bank to unveil near field communication (NFC) technology in its commercial contactless payments service that is based on Visa’s host card emulation (HCE) specifications.

Bank customers can utilize the payments solution by downloading the latest version of the BBVA Wallet app.

Customers who are interested in taking advantage of the new Visa cloud based payments service only need to obtain the most recent version of the app and they can begin making NFC payments. That said, consumers will also need to have a mobile phone that can run Android 4.4 and is equipped with NFC technology. However, customers who do not have a suitable handset may be able to benefit from contactless stickers which the banking firm will be making available.

In addition to providing contactless mobile payments, the BBVA Wallet instantly notifies customers of every transaction they make, as well as provides them with offers, discounts and even finance options they can purchase.

The global payment systems director at BBVA, Mehmet Sezgin said, “Our employees and some of our customers, who are the most active users of BBVA Wallet in Spain, are already using this latest technology that gives BBVA the opportunity to offer our millions of customers worldwide an incredibly simple and intuitive way to start using their phone for contactless payments.”

BBVA’s technology news is good news for the U.S., Chile and Mexico

The bank explained that it is Visa’s cloud based payment specifications that has made the international expansion of BBVA Wallet possible and that part of this includes utilizing HCE technology. Payments that are cloud based allow in-store transactions, which use secure data that does not require security that is hardware based but, rather, is kept within the bank’s “cloud based” systems. The company’s goal is for their mobile wallet to be carried and used by their customers across all of the geographical regions where the business operates.

Currently, BBVA customers in Spain with NFC enabled Android smartphones can use the new mobile payments service. However, later this year, the banking firm expects to extend its contactless payments service to customers in Chile, Mexico and the United States, which is likely welcome technology news for those bank customers looking to take advantage of this great new service.

Lumi Deco Nail combines near field communications (NFC) with beauty.

Takara Tomy, a Japanese toy company, has designed a new way to use NFC technology by incorporating it into a line of false nails known as Lumi Deco Nail, which light up when the wearer interacts with an NFC-enabled device.

NFC radio waves make the LEDs in the nails light up.

Fake nails are an incredibly popular fashion in Japan and around the world, most notably among women. It has become the trend not to simply have painted false nails, but to have them decorated with gems, stones, and a variety of plastic shapes, etc. The Lumi Deco Nail is available in a number of different designs to suit a variety of tastes.

What makes the Lumi nails stand out from the crowd are the incredibly tiny LEDs that are included in the nails, which are only 0.5mm thick. The LEDs illuminate when NFC radio waves pass close to the nails. This can occur when the wearer comes in contact with devices equipped with NFC technology are activated. For instance, the nails can light up when an NFC-enabled smartphone is used or when a call is made on a mobile phone. They can also light up if the wearer taps their contactless payment or travel card on a near field communication reader.

NFC tech gives smartphones and POS (point of sale) terminals the ability to communicate at a short range when they are tapped together. Information is sent and received through devices via NFC tags and other tiny transmitters. Although not every company supports the technology, it has received strong backing from Visa, MasterCard, Samsung, GSMA and others.

The NFC technology works best with Android smartphones.

The NFC technology deco nails were primarily developed to work with contactless communication radio waves. For the most effective results, Takra Tomy recommends using their nail products with Japanese and Korean brand Android phones like HTC, NEC, LG, Samsung, Fujitsu, Sharp and Sony Xperia. The Lumi Deco Nail is available for purchase in Japan. Each pack contains 16 nail stickers and a nail file. The cost is 1,200 yen ($12).