Why merchants need to consider NFC technology for payment processing

Studies have shown that, even as far back as the early 2000s, consumers have preferred merchants that offer credit or debit card payment processing. This marked the first major shift to a more paperless marketplace, which has since been amplified by even more advanced systems, such as ACH cards in enterprise and near field communication (NFC) chips among consumer devices. The Daily Nation recently reported that mobile payments, mostly fueled by NFC technology, will continue to push the global marketplace toward an increasingly paperless landscape. According to the source, one of the marked reasons for this is the ease of use for such payments, as consumers need only wave a smartphone near a merchant's system to complete the transaction. "The reason it [NFC] is so widespread in more developed countries is that smartphone penetration in those countries is deeper and when retailers and service providers install NFC-scanning hardware, they are sure to have clients who will make use of them," Bright Connections networks administrator Kimani Waiganjo told the source. Merchants looking to adopt such systems should always remember to assess the security of all associated processes, including the practices of the service providers, when applicable. Many experts believe that once security is proven to be bulletproof, NFC payments will become the overall preferred payment processing method.