NFC will work from further away to improve ‘reliability’ in tap to pay and more

Ben Schoon | Jun 18 2025 - 12:35 pm PT

NFC is an increasingly useful technology in the modern world, and now it’s getting a range boost as the standard will now operate at 2cm away, nearly four times the previous requirement in a change aimed at improving the reliability of actions such as tap to pay.

The NFC Release 15 went official this week, being announced with extended range being its key upgrade. The range, also called “operating volume,” of the NFC standard will be increased to 2cm, up from the current range of just 0.5cm. In the announcement, it’s noted that this means “connections will start sooner and require less precise device alignment, making NFC quicker, more reliable and easier to use than ever.”

Further breaking down the standard update, NFC Forum Chair Preeti Ohri Khemani explains that tap to pay solutions will be one of the places this change is most clearly felt:

NFC is being integrated into increasingly compact devices that are expected to handle more complex, sensitive interactions – such as Tap to Mobile solutions that allow smartphones to accept payments, or Multi-Purpose Tap use cases where a single tap unlocks multiple functions (e.g., payment, loyalty rewards, access, or product data). These applications demand higher reliability and a broader operating range to succeed.

It’s not yet clear if these changes will apply to existing devices, though. It’s noted that “some” NFC-equipped devices already work at ranges beyond 2cm. The standard update just ensures that this works on both sides, meaning that the success rate with NFC should improve considerably. If that means I don’t have to tap three times at the grocery store, I’m all for it.

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NFC Release 15 will start certifying compliance in devices starting later this year (Fall 2025).