NFC cards

• Contactless payments – Tap your card to pay at stores (like debit/credit cards)
• Access control – Unlock doors, offices, or hotel rooms
• Public transport – Tap cards for buses or trains
• ID & security – Employee badges or student IDs
• Sharing info – Some cards can store data like a website link or contact info

NFC Cards – Discover all our contactless cards with NFC technology

Chip

• FeliCa Lite-S
• ICODE SLI
• ICODE SLIX
• ICODE SLIX2
• MIFARE Classic
• MIFARE Classic EV1
• MIFARE DESFire EV2
• MIFARE DESFire EV3
• MIFARE DESFire Light
• MIFARE Plus
• MIFARE Ultralight C
• MIFARE Ultralight EV1
• NTAG213
• NTAG215
• NTAG216
• NTAG424 DNA
• ST25TN
• ST25TV
• Topaz 512

Thickness

• 0.76 mm (12)
• 1,1 mm (5)
• 1,4 mm (14)

An NFC card, smart card, and Java Card are related but not the same thing

An NFC card, smart card, and Java Card are related but not the same thing.

1. Smart Card (Broad Category)

A smart card is any card containing an embedded microchip that can store and process data.

Types of smart cards:

• Contact smart cards (ISO 7816)
• Contactless smart cards (ISO 14443)
• Dual-interface smart cards (Contact + Contactless)

Many NFC cards are contactless smart cards.

2. NFC Card

An NFC card is a contactless card that supports NFC communication (typically based on ISO 14443 standards).

Examples:

• MIFARE Classic 1K
• MIFARE DESFire EV3
• NTAG 213

Not all NFC cards are Java Cards. Many NFC cards are simple memory cards with no ability to run applications.

3. Java Card

A Java Card is a smart card running a Java Card operating system that can execute Java Card applets.

Examples:

• NXP JCOP 4.5 P71
• NXP JCOP 4 SE050

Java Cards are used for:

• FIDO2 Security Keys
• PKI and Digital Signatures
• PIV/CAC Credentials
• eID and ePassport Applications
• Banking and Payment Applications

Relationship

Card Type	Smart Card	NFC/Contactless	Java Card
MIFARE Classic	Yes	Yes	No
MIFARE DESFire	Yes	Yes	No
NTAG Series	Yes	Yes	No
JCOP Java Card (Contact)	Yes	No	Yes
JCOP Java Card (Dual Interface)	Yes	Yes	Yes

For AFT India’s Products

Products such as NXP JCOP 4.5 P71, ePass Java Card, and FIDO Security Cards are typically:

• Smart Cards ✔
• Java Cards ✔
• NFC Cards ✔ (if dual-interface/contactless enabled)
• NFC Smart Cards
• NFC Access Control Cards
• NFC Business Cards
• NFC Authentication Cards
• NFC Java Cards
• NFC Security Cards
• NFC Contactless Smart Cards
• NFC Card Supplier
• NFC Card Manufacturer
• Programmable NFC Cards
• NFC Cards for Mobile Applications

So the hierarchy is:

Java Card ⊂ Smart Card

and

NFC Card ⊂ Smart Card

A card can be:

• Smart Card only
• Smart Card + NFC Card
• Smart Card + Java Card
• Smart Card + Java Card + NFC Card (e.g., dual-interface JCOP cards)