This document provides a collection of use cases and usage scenarios for web pages and applications using Near Field Communication (NFC). More information about Web NFC can be found here.

This specification defines an API to manage selected NFC use cases from Web applications and pages, and to enable new use cases based on NFC technology.

Low-level I/O operations (e.g. ISO-DEP, NFC-A/B, NFC-F) and Host-based Card Emulation (HCE) are not supported within the current scope.

This document provides informative background to the Web NFC specification. Comments on the document should be filed as issues at https://github.com/w3c/web-nfc/issues.

Terminology

For NFC terminology see the Web NFC specification.

Use Cases

A few NFC user scenarios have been enumerated here. For the Web NFC API in particular, a few examples of intended user scenarios follow next. Some of them are not supported in the current scope.

Reading generic information in a museum

The user touches an NFC capable device to information points of works of arts in a museum, obtaining information about the exposed items. Also, by touching information points in halls, the user can get suggested itineraries, schedule and other information to the personal device for later consultation.

Reading information in administration office

In a population administration office, the user touches in information point in order to save a list of documents required for renewing a passport, and obtaining a the next queuing number for the clerk.

Updating tag information

A museum employee touches information points with a special device which can write to the museum's NFC tags in order to update (read, then write) information on them.

Sending image to another Web NFC capable device

While a user is actively interacting with web site, e.g. https://images.example.com/, and if the user taps the device with another device where another user is actively interacting with the same web site https://images.example.com/, then they can initiate sending an image from one device to the other, using the NFC connection or by handover to Bluetooth or WiFi connection. The second device may be for instance a TV set to show the picture, or a personal computer for image processing.

This use case is not supported within the current scope of the specification.

Handover to Bluetooth

NFC supports handover protocols to Bluetooth or WiFi connectivity for the purpose of larger volume data transfer. The user touches another NFC capable device, and as a result configuration data is sent for a new Bluetooth or WiFi connection, which is then established between the devices.

A related use case for gaming has been described here. Other use cases may include bulk transfer of contacts cards, photos, and other data.

This use case is not supported within the current scope of the specification.

Scenarios along side payment

Payment using NFC should be handled at a platform level due to security considerations and is thus not within the scope of Web NFC. On the other hand it is possible to associate the payment status with a web page in order to have secondary actions. For instance, the user buys goods in a store, and payment options include contactless payment using NFC technology.

In general, touching the device to the point of sales terminal receiver area will result in a transaction between the secure element from the device and the point of sales terminal. With Web NFC, if the user navigates to a web site before paying, there may be interaction with that site regarding the payment, e.g. the user could get points and discounts, or get delivered application or service specific data (e.g. tickets, keys, etc) to the device.

This use case is not supported within the current scope of the specification.

Acknowledgments

The editors would like to express their gratitude to Jonas Sicking and Jeffrey Yasskin.