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NFC contactless transmission
Contactless cards use NFC to transmit encrypted payment data wirelessly. They work by using a small antenna and chip that communicate with a reader when held close, typically within 4cm.
- 📡 The chip and antenna are powered by the reader's radio waves, so they don't need their own battery.
- 🔒 Data is encrypted and tokenized, meaning the actual card number isn't transmitted, making it secure against simple skimming.
- 💳 Older cards used magnetic stripes, which stored data less securely and were easier to clone.
- 🕵️ "Digital pickpocketing" is a theoretical risk, but requires specialized equipment very close to the card to intercept data.
A finger peels back a layer of a credit card, revealing the internal chip and antenna, with the text "What's inside?" overlaid.