Using Apple Pay and Google Pay at the register is about to get easier

A blog post from the NFC Forum (via Engadget) lists key initiatives and changes coming to near field communications (NFC) over the next two to five years. If these changes reach fruition, it would mean that Apple Pay and Google Pay users won't have to put their compatible devices as close to a point of sale (POS) terminal as they do today. Currently, someone using Apple Pay or Google Pay must have their device, whether their iPhone, Android phone or compatible smartwatch, within 5mm or .2 inches of the POS terminal.

The NFC Forum, the group that creates standards for the extremely short distance communication technology, is looking to widen the range to "four to six times the current operating distance." That would increase the range of NFC signals to a distance as far away as 30mm or 1.18 inches. Apple Pay and Google Pay users wouldn't even have to tap the POS terminal to complete a transaction which would make using the service faster with fewer failed attempts. A longer range for NFC also means that antenna placement with the terminal won't have to be as precise.

At the same time, the NFC Forum is looking to hike the technology's current wireless charging specification from 1 watts to 3 watts which would bring wireless charging capabilities to "new and smaller form factors," according to the community-led organization. It should be noted that the NFC Forum did not give examples of what type of products could take advantage of the new standards to support wireless charging.

Another improvement might lead to the ability of a transit firm or venue to validate and verify a whole family's tickets with one tap. Think of the time and effort that this might save. The NFC Forum wants the technology to allow multiple actions to take place with a single tap such as "point-to-point receipt delivery, loyalty identification, and total-journey ticketing." At a rock concert, a group of ticket holders would be able to get into the arena faster without each person having to find and hold out his/her ducat.

To make sure that initiatives like the ones we've mentioned and others become a possibility over the next two to five years, the NFC Forum says that it will collaborate with its 400 members and industry groups to make sure that everyone is on the same page.

NFC Forum Executive Director Mike McCamon said, "The exponential growth of NFC technology is a testament to our members' forward-thinking approach and unwavering dedication to innovation. Through our continuously evolving standards, business-line managers and product designers will be able to create new and exciting products and services that customers will love."

He adds that "As NFC technology becomes more prevalent in our daily lives, our planned features have the potential to significantly enhance the way we pay and receive payments; engage with our favorite brands; power our devices; and access sustainable products and services." Members of the NFC Forum include representatives from tech firms such as Apple, Google, Huawei, Infineon, NXP, Qualcomm, Sony, and STMicroelectronics.

Using Apple Pay and Google Pay requires you to place a credit card in the iOS or Android virtual wallet. This is the card that will be charged when you use wither mobile payment service. If you have multiple cards in your virtual wallet, you can easily change the one you want to use for a specific transaction.

Apple first added NFC to the iPhone with the iPhone 6 line in 2014. NFC was available on Android devices since the first phone running the operating system, the HTC Dream (aka the T-Mobile G1 in the U.S.) was released in 2008.