NFC in intelligent packaging and product authenticity assessment
How does NFC work in intelligent packaging, how does it differ from QR, and why is reading a tag alone insufficient to assess a product’s authenticity?
What is NFC and how does it work?
NFC, or Near Field Communication, is a way to exchange data over a very short distance. In intelligent packaging, a compatible phone reads the data stored on an NFC tag when it is brought close to it. That data can direct a user to product information or to a page or process defined in a system.
Reading a tag alone, however, does not confirm a product’s authenticity. The result depends on the type of chip, how the identifier is linked to the product, the registered information, and the process the system uses to assess it.
An NFC tag usually has two core parts: a chip that stores data and an antenna that enables communication with a phone or reader. In passive tags, the energy needed for reading comes from that device's field, so the tag does not need a separate battery to be read.
However, having NFC enabled on a phone does not by itself mean it will work with every tag or every use case. The NFC Forum technology introduction explains the communication modes.
How does NFC differ from QR?
A QR code is a visual code printed on packaging and read with a phone’s camera. Its usual role is to lead a user to a URL, an information page, or other digital content.
NFC is an electronic tag that is read when a compatible phone is brought close to it. It can store an identifier or data and support interaction with a product without scanning a visual code.
So QR is primarily a visual route to content, while NFC relies on a tag and close-range communication with a phone. In either case, displaying information or opening a link alone does not confirm a product’s authenticity; authenticity assessment requires a process that checks the identifier and product information.
How does reading a tag differ from authenticity assessment?
Reading a tag means that a phone receives the data or identifier stored on an NFC tag. That data can direct a user to product information or to a related page in a system.
Authenticity assessment is a separate step. It must establish whether the identifier that was read belongs to that product, whether the information is valid, and what result the system should show. Bringing a phone close to a tag or displaying a page does not, by itself, confirm a product’s authenticity.
In gold packaging, the reliability of this process depends on how the identifier is linked to the product, the information registered for it, and the mechanism used to assess that information.
What role can NFC play in gold packaging?
NFC can turn packaging into a point of access to product-related information. When a compatible phone is brought close to the tag, a user can view the information defined for that product.
In gold packaging, NFC is more than a way to read a tag. The tag gains meaning alongside the way an identifier is linked to the product, the information registered for it, and the process the system uses to assess that information.
Information read directly from a tag is not necessarily the product’s current status in the system. Checking up-to-date information or the result of a defined process may, depending on the system’s design, require an internet connection and authorised access.
For more about the product structure, see intelligent NFC cards. For the role of registering and managing information, see the management platform.
What should you check when reading a package?
- Check that the phone supports NFC, that NFC is enabled, and where to hold the phone near the package.
- Follow the product’s official instructions and identify a link’s destination before entering any information.
- Compare the displayed information with the package’s details and physical condition.
