Contactless
Contactless refers to technology that lets people pay or identify themselves by holding a card, phone or device near a reader, without physical contact or insertion
What it means, how it is used and where it comes up, with its related concepts.
What it is and how it works
It usually relies on NFC or other short-range radio-frequency technologies and is now common in bank cards, phones, watches and public transport. By extension, the term describes processes that avoid physical contact with customers or shared surfaces, such as QR-code menus, contactless collection or self-service.
That broader use, sometimes called contactless marketing, gained ground during the 2020 pandemic. It should not be confused with distance selling: a contactless process may still be in person and simply avoid shared handling.
Also known as
Contactless payment, Tap to pay
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