What is a TapCoin™

NFC TapCoin™ for Smartphones

Near Field Communication (NFC) is a short-range wireless technology built into most modern smartphones that allow them to communicate with other devices or "tags" by simply tapping them together. NFC operates at a distance of 4 cm or less, making it highly secure for transactions and data sharing.

Our TapCoins™ have embedded NTAG215 chips capable of holding 504 bytes of information (text) and ideal for triggering phone actions, smart home automation, phone dialing, browser launching, SMS texting and more. Their popularity is also coming from the game world, like the ability to create custom Nintendo Amiibo figures for gamers. 

Order a single novelty TapCoin™ from our full collection, ready-to-ship — lightweight and easy to present coins or customize your own. You can also order a free sample (sans TapCoin™ option) and pay only S&H.

What Can I Do with NFC?

Tap-to-Pay type functions will require an upgraded NFC chip. Otherwise, anything you can do on your phone can probably be automated with your TapCoin™ using an app like "NFC tools" (free on your app store). 

• Mobile Payments (Tap-to-Pay): Use Apple Pay, Google Wallet, or Samsung Pay to pay securely at contactless terminals.
• Share Information: Quickly share website links, contact details, or photos between devices.
• NFC Tags/Automations: Tap your NFC TapCoin™ to trigger tasks like setting an alarm, connecting to a Wi-Fi, or launching smartphone apps.
• Digital Keys/Transit: Use your phone to unlock smart doors or pay for public transit.
• Instant Pairing: Pair your phone with Bluetooth speakers or headphones just by tapping them.

How to Use NFC with Your Phone

Most new smartphones do not require setup. In-fact, some phones cannot even have their NFC disabled. There is virtually no security risk with leaving NFC turned on since all actions initiated from reading an NFC tag need to be acknowledged first by the user.

Android

1. Activate: Go to Settings > Connections (or Connected Devices) > NFC and toggle it On.
2. Usage: Ensure your phone is unlocked, then hold the back of your phone near the contactless terminal or tag.
3. Quick Access: You can also turn NFC on/off via the quick settings panel by swiping down from the top of the screen.

iPhone (iPhone 7 and newer)

1. Activate: NFC is on by default and cannot be disabled. On older models, you may need to enable "NFC Tag Reader" in the Control Center.
2. Usage: For payments, use Apple Wallet. For reading tags, bring the top edge of your iPhone close to the tag.

Common Troubleshooting

• Remove Case: If NFC isn't working, a thick phone case might be blocking the signal.
• Locate Antenna: The NFC antenna is usually near the top of iPhones and the center-back of Android phones.

Is NFC Safe?

Yes, NFC is considered very secure because of its extremely short range. For payments, NFC does not transmit your actual credit card number; instead, it uses tokenization to send an encrypted, one-time security code.