Tap-and-Go Shopping

By Gina Hughes

on Sat Jan 7, 12:47 PM ET

Imagine walking past a movie poster and being able to wave your cell phone in front of it to download a movie preview or buy tickets. Or checking out at the supmarket with the flutter of your mobile. Near Field Communication (NFC) wants you to be able to do just that. The company is showing off contactless payment technology here at CES that lets customers shop without swiping a card.

NFC-enabled devices are already being used in the United States, Canada, Germany, Europe, and parts of Asia; so keep your eyes peeled for NFC contactless card terminals at fast food restaurants and gas stations. To use your credit card at one of these touch-and-pay spots, you'll need a smart-chip-embedded credit card, already offered by providers like MasterCard, Visa and American Express. The technology is slower in coming to mobile phones, but

Nokia and Motorolaare have started embedding smart chips into some of their existing handsets.

Once NFC armed, users are able to simply wave or tap their mobile device or card in front of any point-of-sale terminal, and transactions made will then be charged to their credit card or bank account -- which are securely stored in the integrated smart card chip. This new technology also lets users exchange contact information with NFC’s peer-to-peer functionality, and even shop from the comfort of their living room sofa through their TV.

What do you think about this new way of shopping? Are you ready to replace your credit cards with your cell phone and tap-n-go cards? Post a comment and let me know.

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no, screw this, it's already too easy to go into debt for crap i don't need already.

Posted by allenmpdx on Sat, Jan 7, 2006 4:58 PM ET

I think this technology is going to be really cool. For one it will most likely alleviate long lines in retail stores around the holidays, and secondly you wouldn't have to wait for some booger-picking moron standing behind the cash register(there seems to be a lot of them these days) to check you out, and hope that they will give you your credit card back after swiping it through the machine. I think this technology combined with RFID tags (something like RFID is inevitable) will help to cut down on theft too. Aren't there vending machines in Japan or somewhere already, that you can use your cell phone to buy stuff or was that just a rumor?

Posted by dgray1978 on Sat, Jan 7, 2006 8:16 PM ET

This has been in Japan for 5 years.

Posted by donaldson.rm on Mon, Jan 9, 2006 9:15 AM ET

i completely agree with allenmpdx above. it is so simple to get debted up, no thanks. make life simple like it used to be.

Posted by cherylfrancis33414 on Tue, Jan 10, 2006 3:44 PM ET

Can't wait. My debit card has been failing a lot lately and the clerk has to enter the numbers manually. What a pain. But, we will still have those old fashioned souls that want to take their good old time writing a damn paper check and gabbing to the cashier because of their insecurity with themselves and the world. All the while we try not to look like we are annoyed with them. A chip in or on my cell phone? No, I'd like an implant please. Just wave my hand. Now that's Star Trek, baby!

Posted by paulintampa on Thu, Jan 12, 2006 4:52 AM ET

I am using Nokia 8100 and I am familiar with this technology from Japan. It's making your life more full of fun and "easy to buy". Yes - it's making you spend more money, since it's too easy:) No, it's not bad and it's not vulnable IF IT'S DESIGNED SAFE OVER HERE IN USA.

Posted by vahanavagyan on Thu, Jan 12, 2006 8:49 PM ET

Paying with mobile phone has been around for 5 years now in slovenia and it's great! I only have my phone with me and i'm good to go! But you cant' get in debt because you have a limitation of 50 euros, but you can ask for bigger limit on your account!

Posted by chimeraeu on Mon, Jan 16, 2006 9:17 AM ET