A primer on radio frequency identification

For more than two decades, the contactless card has been a key tool in managing security, access and payments. Whether it’s used to open doors, facilitate public transit ticketing or mange multiple applications, contactless has become an essential element in many environments. But how does the...

A primer on radio frequency identification

For more than two decades, the contactless card has been a key tool in managing security, access and payments. Whether it’s used to open doors, facilitate public transit ticketing or mange multiple applications, contactless has become an essential element in many environments. But how does the technology enable all these uses without ever touching a reader?

Contactless cards use radio waves of specific frequencies as carriers for communication. Bryan Ichikawa, vice president for Identity Solutions at Unisys, explains that when used for identification applications radio frequencies come in three basic categories: low frequency, high frequency and ultra-high frequency. Each has a set of ideal applications.

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