Contactless Smart Cards, RFID, Payment, Transit and Security

RFID Tags and Contactless Smart Card Technology: Comparing and Contrasting Applications and Capabilities

Thursday, April 28, 2005 in Library

Reprinted with the permission of the Smart Card Alliance

Many applications are now using radio frequency (RF) chip technology to automatically identify objects or people. These applications range from tracking animals and tagging goods for inventory control to enabling fast payment and securely identifying people. While these applications all use radio waves to communicate information, the RF chip technology used for each is quite different, addressing the application’s unique storage, range and security requirements. As a general definition, radio frequency identification (RFID) tag technology is used in applications that identify or track objects and contactless smart card technology is used in applications that identify people or store financial or personal information.

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