Contactless Smart Card Reader
Arnaude Kubiak
A contactless smart card is a contactless credential whose dimensions are credit card size. Its embedded integrated circuits can store (and sometimes process) data and communicate with a terminal via NFC. Commonplace uses include transit tickets, bank cards and passports.
There are two broad categories of contactless smart cards. Memory cards contain non-volatile memory storage components, and perhaps some specific security logic. Contactless smart cards contain read-only RFID called CSN (Card Serial Number) or UID, and a re-writeable smart card microchip that can be transcribed via radio waves.
Contactless smart cards can be used for identification, authentication, and data storage.[2] They also provide a means of effecting business transactions in a flexible, secure, standard way with minimal human intervention.
Since then, smart cards with contactless interfaces have been increasingly popular for payment and ticketing applications such as mass transit. Globally, contactless fare collection is being employed for efficiencies in public transit. The various standards emerging are local in focus and are not compatible, though the MIFARE Classic card from Philips has a large market share in the United States and Europe.
With the COVID-19 pandemic, demand for and usage of contactless credit and debit cards has increased, although coins and banknotes are generally safe and this technology will thus not reduce the spread of the virus.
Contactless smart card readers use radio waves to communicate with, and both read and write data on a smart card. When used for electronic payment, they are commonly located near PIN pads, cash registers and other places of payment. When the readers are used for public transit they are commonly located on fare boxes, ticket machines, turnstiles, and station platforms as a standalone unit. When used for security, readers are usually located to the side of an entry door.
A contactless smart card is a card in which the chip communicates with the card reader through an induction technology similar to that of an RFID (at data rates of 106 to 848 kbit/s). These cards require only close proximity to an antenna to complete a transaction. They are often used when transactions must be processed quickly or hands-free, such as on mass transit systems, where a smart card can be used without even removing it from a wallet.
The standard for contactless smart card communications is ISO/IEC 14443. It defines two types of contactless cards ("A" and "B")[6] and allows for communications at distances up to 10 cm (3.9 in)[citation needed]. There had been proposals for ISO/IEC 14443 types C, D, E, F and G that have been rejected by the International Organization for Standardization. An alternative standard for contactless smart cards is ISO/IEC 15693, which allows communications at distances up to 50 cm (1.6 ft).
There are dual-interface cards that implement contactless and contact interfaces on a single card with some shared storage and processing. An example is Porto's multi-application transport card, called Andante, that uses a chip in contact and contactless (ISO/IEC 14443 type B) mode.
Like smart cards with contacts, contactless cards do not have a battery. Instead, they use a built-in inductor, using the principle of resonant inductive coupling, to capture some of the incident electromagnetic signal, rectify it, and use it to power the card's electronics.
Since the start of using the Seoul Transportation Card, numerous cities have moved to the introduction of contactless smart cards as the fare media in an automated fare collection system.[citation needed]
Contactless MSD cards are similar to magnetic stripe cards in terms of the data they share across the contactless interface. They are only distributed in the U.S. Payment occurs in a similar fashion to mag-stripe, without a PIN and often in off-line mode (depending on parameters of the terminal). The security level of such a transaction is better than a mag-stripe card, as the chip cryptographically generates a code which can be verified by the card issuer's systems.
Contactless EMV cards have two interfaces (contact and contactless) and work as a normal EMV card via their contact interface. The contactless interface provides similar data to a contact EMV transaction, but usually a subset of the capabilities (e.g. usually issuers will not allow balances to be increased via the contactless interface, instead requiring the card to be inserted into a device which uses the contact interface). EMV cards may carry an "offline balance" stored in their chip, similar to the electronic wallet or "purse" that users of transit smart cards are used to.
A quickly growing application is in digital identification cards. In this application, the cards are used for authentication of identity. The most common example is in conjunction with a PKI. The smart card will store an encrypted digital certificate issued from the PKI along with any other relevant or needed information about the card holder. Examples include the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) Common Access Card (CAC), and the use of various smart cards by many governments as identification cards for their citizens. When combined with biometrics, smart cards can provide two- or three-factor authentication. Smart cards are not always a privacy-enhancing technology, for the subject carries possibly incriminating information about him all the time. By employing contactless smart cards, that can be read without having to remove the card from the wallet or even the garment it is in, one can add even more authentication value to the human carrier of the cards.
The Malaysian government uses smart card technology in the identity cards carried by all Malaysian citizens and resident non-citizens. The personal information inside the smart card (called MyKad) can be read using special APDU commands.[10]
Smart cards have been advertised as suitable for personal identification tasks, because they are engineered to be tamper resistant. The embedded chip of a smart card usually implements some cryptographic algorithm. However, there are several methods of recovering some of the algorithm's internal state.
Smart cards can be physically disassembled by using acid, abrasives, or some other technique to obtain direct, unrestricted access to the on-board microprocessor. Although such techniques obviously involve a fairly high risk of permanent damage to the chip, they permit much more detailed information (e.g. photomicrographs of encryption hardware) to be extracted.
Square Reader for contactless and chip safely and securely accepts chip cards, contactless cards, Apple Pay, and Google Pay anywhere. Plus, get data security, 24/7 fraud prevention, and payment-dispute management at no extra cost.
Square Reader for contactless and chip packs a powerful battery in a pocket-sized POS. It takes 20% more transactions on a single charge (than the 1st generation reader), so you can take payments anywhere your customers are.
Be ready for every sale with Square Reader for contactless and chip. More customers than ever are paying with contactless (NFC) cards, and over 95% of cards processed through Square are EMV chip cards. Every dip or tap payment is the same simple rate: 2.6% + 10 cents. Plus no contracts, and no monthly fees.
Square Reader for contactless and chip is compatible with a wide range of Android and iOS devices. Square offers a range of cases, a dock, and other accessories to transform your Square Reader for contactless and chip into a mobile or countertop POS solution.
Square Reader for contactless and chip requires an internet connection. Connect Square Reader for contactless and chip to the internet through a Wi-Fi network, a hotspot, or cellular data. No Wi-Fi? You can use offline payments to keep taking payments for up to 24 hours. Additional terms apply.
Offline payments are processed automatically when you reconnect your device to the internet and will be declined if you do not reconnect to the internet within 24 hours of taking your first offline payment. By enabling offline payments, you are responsible for any expired, declined, or disputed payments accepted while offline. Square is unable to provide customer contact information for payments declined while offline. Offline payments are not supported on older versions of Square Reader for contactless and chip (1st generation - v1 and v2). Click here for help identifying your contactless reader. Learn more about how to enable and use offline payments here.
For application access, security, and identification, our contactless smart card readers/writers offer options in interfaces and form factors, from PC-linked USB to desktop. Check out our Logical Access Reader/Writer Tag Support documentation for more information.
The Pegoda CLRD730 reader is a reference design and evaluation reader based on PN7642 NFC controller with a powerful Arm Cortex-M33 microcontroller (MCU). By default, the reader is delivered in personal computer/smart card (PS/SC) mode and can be switched by use of the mode button to Virtual COM (VCOM) on USB-C 1 port. Drivers are installed to identify the reader as contactless as well as contact reader by support of Windows, macOS and Linux. The USB-C 2 power port can be used for an additional external power supply.
Faster transactions.More affordable operations.More efficient collection. Our transport solution, TapToPay, makes these possible through intelligent transportation systems (ITS) with emphasis on automatic fare collection (AFC). Our systems can cover bus, rail, ferry, road toll, parking, fast-food establishments, and convenience stores.
ACS offers product customization and product development services to meet specific customer requirements. With the help of our competent and experienced engineering team, we have the capability to design and develop new products that will give you a competitive advantage.
ACS smart cards are available for custom branding and promotional purposes. We welcome OEM enquiries for design printing and personalization at a reasonable cost. Furthermore, customers can buy white ACS cards, which they can design by their own.