Technology which facilitates the exchange of data over a short distance, such as between the chip in a card or smartphone and the payment reader. This is the technology behind digital wallets, tap to pay cards and tapping a debit card as opposed to an Oyster card to pay for the tube. It is a set of communication protocols that enable two electronic devices, one of which is usually a portable device such as a smartphone, to establish communication by bringing them within 4 cm (2 in) of each other.
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