Google and Apple Wallet passes with NFC - what is the difference between NFC and RFID?
Wireless applications like RFID and NFC are everywhere - for example, as plastic cards or transponders for access control, credit cards, tickets, IDs, product labels, toll transponders and anti-theft systems.
Smartphones only support NFC ("Near Field Communication"), which is a specific type of RFID ("Radio-Frequency Identification").
European RFID logo, old NFC logo, current NFC logo
What is RFID?
Several types of RFID are distinguished by the frequency used:
- LF RFID (Low Frequency) with 125 - 148 KHz: These RFID chips are sometimes still used for access control, although nowadays they often can be copied with special devices. Commonly used chipsets are EM Microelectronic EM4100, EM4102, EM4200 and Fudan TK4100 (all read-only), writable chips include TEMIC T5577, EM4450 and EM4550.
- HF RFID (High Frequency) with 13.56 MHz: These RFID chips are significantly more secure and allow for example encryption for non-copyable access control cards. This frequency range also includes smart tags and NFC chips. Commonly used chipsets are Mifare Classic, DESFire, Ultralight, NXP NTAG213, NTAG215, NTAG216, ICODE SLIX and Fudan F08.
- UHF RFID (Ultra High Frequency) with 433 MHz: These RFID chips allow a range of several meters and are used industrially for example in logistics. Commonly used chipsets are EM Microelectronic EM4425, Alien Higgs-3, NXP UCODE and Impinj Monza.
What is NFC?
NFC is a special variant of HF RFID with 13.56 MHz. NFC is defined by additional protocols. Basically all NFC chips are compatible with smartphones.
| RFID | NFC | |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency | 125 kHz - 2.45 GHz | 13.56 MHz |
| Range | up to 100 meters | up to 10 cm |
| Communication | one-way only | two-way |
| Advantages | long ranges possible | high security |
What is supported by Apple Wallet and Google Wallet?
Both Apple Wallet and Google Wallet only support NFC. Other RFID applications are not possible with Apple Wallet and Google Wallet.
Apple Wallet passes with NFC only work with the "Apple VAS" protocol, Google Wallet passes with NFC only work with "Google Smart Tap".
updated on: 13 August 2023