Is contactless payment technology the same as RFID technology?
No. There is a wide range of RF technologies used for a variety of applications. Each RF technology supports different operational parameters, RF frequencies, read ranges and security and privacy features based on the application. For example, RFID technologies are used in manufacturing, shipping and object-related tracking and are designed to operate over long ranges (e.g., 25 feet). Applications using RFID typically have minimal built-in support for security and privacy. On the other hand, the contactless smart cards that are used for making payments are designed to operate at a short range (less than 2-4 inches) and can support the robust security capabilities of the contact smart cards typically used for financial services and other applications where strong security is a requirement.
