NFC (Near Field Communication) is a wireless technology that allows two devices to exchange data over a short distance. You may have already used NFC to make mobile payments, transit cards or access cards. But did you know that NFC can also be used to create custom nfc cards, which are personalized NFC cards that can enhance your marketing and customer service?
In this article, we will explain what are nfc cards, how do nfc cards work, benefits of nfc cards, and how to use nfc cards. We will also compare nfc cards vs rfid cards, and review some of the best custom nfc cards brands. Finally, we will show you how to program nfc cards and how to fix some common problems with nfc card not working.
What are NFC Cards?
NFC cards are small and thin cards that contain an NFC chip and an antenna. The NFC chip is a tiny microchip that can store data and perform various actions when activated by an NFC reader. The antenna is a coil of wire that enables the communication between the NFC chip and the NFC reader.
NFC cards can be used for various purposes, such as identification, authentication, payment, access control, information sharing, marketing and more. For example, you can use an NFC card to:
Unlock your hotel room or office door
Pay for your coffee or subway ticket
Share your contact details or social media links
Access exclusive content or offers
And more!
How do NFC Cards Work?
NFC cards work by using electromagnetic induction to create a wireless connection between the NFC chip and the NFC reader. The NFC reader is usually a smartphone or a tablet that has an NFC feature enabled. When you bring the NFC card close to the NFC reader (usually within 4 cm or less), the reader will generate a magnetic field that will power up the NFC chip and initiate the data transfer.
Depending on the type of NFC card and the programming of the NFC chip, different actions can be triggered when you tap the card with your phone. For example, you can:
Open a web page or an app
Display a text or an image
Play a sound or a video
Send an email or a message
Make a call or a video call
And more!
Benefits of custom NFC Cards
Custom nfc cards are a great way to showcase your brand identity and value proposition. They can also help you build trust and rapport with your customers and prospects. By providing them with useful information, exclusive offers and engaging content, you can increase their satisfaction and retention. Custom nfc cards can also help you generate more leads, conversions and referrals.
Security: NFC cards are encrypted and can only be read by authorized devices. You can also protect your data with passwords or biometrics. No risk of losing or stealing your information.
Engagement: NFC cards can provide interactive and personalized experiences for your customers and prospects. You can offer them useful information, exclusive offers and engaging content. You can also collect feedback, reviews and testimonials.
Loyalty: NFC cards can help you build trust and rapport with your customers and prospects. By providing them with value-added services, rewards and incentives, you can increase their satisfaction and retention. You can also generate more leads, conversions and referrals.
How to Use NFC Cards
NFC cards can be used for various purposes, depending on your goals and needs. Here are some examples of how to use nfc cards:
Business card: You can create a custom nfc card that contains your digital business card or resume. You can print your logo, name, contact information or any other design on the card. You can also program the card to redirect people to your website, portfolio or social media when they tap it with their phone.
Marketing campaign: You can create a custom nfc card that contains your marketing message or offer. You can print your slogan, call-to-action or any other design on the card. You can also program the card to show people a video, audio or image when they tap it with their phone.
Product packaging: You can create a custom nfc card that contains your product information or instructions. You can print your brand name, product name or any other design on the card. You can also program the card to give people more details about your product features, benefits or reviews when they tap it with their phone.
Event invitation: You can create a custom nfc card that contains your event information or registration. You can print your event name, date, time or any other design on the NFC Cards.
What are Custom NFC Cards?
As we mentioned before, custom NFC cards are NFC cards that are customized with or without printing. By default, NFC cards are made of white PVC with a standard ISO/CR80 card size (85.6 x 54 mm), which is the same as credit card size. However, they can also be made of other materials, such as metal, wood, paper or cork. They can also have different sizes, with one or two holes and other features.
Some examples of custom NFC card types are:
Custom NFC metal cards: Durable and elegant cards made of stainless steel or aluminum alloy, which can withstand harsh environments and resist scratches and corrosion.
Custom NFC wood cards: Natural and eco-friendly cards made of bamboo or walnut wood, which can biodegrade and reduce the environmental impact.
Custom NFC paper cards: Lightweight and recyclable cards made of pulp, which can be easily processed and replaced.
Custom NFC cork cards: Soft and flexible cards made of cork material, which can provide a unique texture and appearance.
The advantages of custom NFC cards are:
Branding: You can create a card that reflects your brand identity and value proposition, such as your logo, color scheme, font style, slogan and more. This can help you increase your brand awareness and recognition among your customers and prospects.
Personalization: You can create a card that showcases your personality and preferences, such as your name, photo, hobbies, interests and more. This can help you establish rapport and trust with your contacts and network.
Differentiation: You can create a card that stands out from the crowd and impresses your audience with a unique and innovative design. This can help you attract the attention and curiosity of potential customers and partners.
How to Program NFC Cards?
To program NFC cards, you will need:
Blank NFC cards (you can buy them online or from local suppliers)
An NFC writer app (you can download one from the app store)
A smartphone with NFC feature enabled
The process is simple and fun:
Design your card using your preferred software or tool
Print your card using high-quality paper and ink
Program your card using the NFC writer app and your smartphone
Test your card by tapping it with another smartphone
Distribute your card to your target audience
Some examples of popular NFC writer apps are:
NFC Tools: A free app that allows you to read and write NFC tags with various functions, such as opening a URL, sending a text message, launching an app and more.
Trigger: A free app that allows you to create tasks that are triggered by NFC tags, such as changing settings, launching actions, sending messages and more.
NXP TagWriter: A free app that allows you to read and write NXP-based NFC tags with various features, such as password protection, counter tracking, mirror mode and more.
How to Compare/Review Custom NFC Cards?
To compare/review custom NFC cards, you will need to consider several factors, such as:
Material: The material of the card affects its durability, appearance and eco-friendliness. For example,OK. Here is the continuation of the comparison/review:
Material: The material of the card affects its durability, appearance and eco-friendliness. For example, metal cards are more resistant and elegant, but also more expensive and heavier. Wood cards are more natural and biodegradable, but also more prone to wear and tear. Paper cards are more lightweight and recyclable, but also more fragile and disposable. Cork cards are more soft and flexible, but also more porous and absorbent.
Size: The size of the card affects its portability, visibility and usability. For example, larger cards can fit more information and design elements, but also take up more space and weight. Smaller cards can be more convenient and discreet, but also less noticeable and readable.
Design: The design of the card affects its attractiveness, readability and functionality. For example, you can choose different colors, fonts, images, logos and shapes to create a card that matches your brand and style. You can also use different printing techniques, such as embossing, engraving, foil stamping and UV coating to add some texture and shine to your card.
Chip: The chip of the card affects its compatibility, capacity and security. For example, you can choose different types of NFC chips, such as NTAG 213, NTAG 215 or NTAG 216, which have different memory sizes and features. You can also choose different modes of operation, such as read-only, read-write or password-protected, which have different levels of access and protection.
Some examples of popular custom NFC card brands are:
-DO RFID Tag: A large Chinese RFID manufacturer that custom printed NFC Card,NFC tags and NFC reader writer.
Oomph Made: A UK-based company that offers custom printed NFC cards and NFC tag printing with various materials, sizes and designs.
Zapped: A US-based company that offers custom NFC cards and tags with various materials, sizes and designs.
Moo: A US-based company that offers custom NFC business cards with various materials, sizes and designs.
How to Solve Problems with Custom NFC Cards?
Sometimes you may encounter some problems with your custom NFC cards, such as:
NFC card not working: This could be due to several reasons, such as low battery on your phone or reader device, interference from other metal objects or devices nearby, damage or dirt on the card or the reader device or incompatible NFC chip or reader device. To fix this problem, you can try to:
Charge your phone or reader device
Move away from other metal objects or devices
Clean the card or the reader device with a soft cloth
Check the NFC chip type and the reader device compatibility
NFC card not readable: This could be due to several reasons,OK. Here is the continuation of the problem-solving:
NFC card not readable: This could be due to several reasons, such as low memory on your phone or reader device, corrupted or overwritten data on the card, wrong encoding or formatting of the data on the card or incompatible data type or format with the reader device. To fix this problem, you can try to:
Free up some memory on your phone or reader device
Erase and rewrite the data on the card using an NFC writer app
Check the encoding and formatting of the data on the card using an NFC reader app
Check the data type and format compatibility with the reader device
NFC card not writable: This could be due to several reasons, such as locked or protected NFC chip on the card, insufficient memory on the NFC chip or the phone or writer device, wrong encoding or formatting of the data to be written on the card or incompatible NFC chip or writer device. To fix this problem, you can try to:
Unlock or unprotect the NFC chip on the card using an NFC writer app
Free up some memory on the NFC chip or the phone or writer device
Check the encoding and formatting of the data to be written on the card using an NFC writer app
Check the NFC chip type and the writer device compatibility
These are some of the common problems and solutions with custom NFC cards. If you still have any issues or questions, you can contact your custom NFC card provider or an NFC expert for further assistance.
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