NFC + Mobile Wallet Integration

Infrastructure
#1

Seeing as I believe this to be important in competing in today’s world, I want to bring about the topic of NFC wallets/better use wallets.

Note: In the past there may have been restrictions on Apple’s side, but these are no longer there. NFC is open for basically all.

Problems today:

  • Back in the early days of Bitcoin, P2P payments (even through financial institutions/intermedians) were non-existent or complex. When Bitcoin came around and you could pay to a QR code, this was revolutionary. Not only was it instant, but it was easy.
  • Today, though, there numerous different applications where P2P (even through FIs/otherwise) are instant, and even easier. I can tell Siri to send Apple Cash to someone over iMessage, use Zelle, Paypal, Venmo, CashApp, WeChat Pay, AliPay, etc. I can do some of these without even navigating to the app.
  • At merchants, people can just tap to pay (be it their phone or their watch).
  • Bitcoin is rather clunky in all this, requiring users to unlock their mobile device, navigate to the app, click send, scan QR code… To the end user, most won’t see the benefit as being greater than the inconvenience.

The thought:

We need two things:

  1. Integration into mobile wallets (Apple Wallet, Android Wallet, etc.)

    • How I see this looking (basically) is that the card itself that will pop up will at least have your QR receive address populate. This can still rotate addresses since these cards can update live. This way it is easy to receive. Then you can also tap to pay (this is #2). The beauty of this is that people can now just open their wallet at the click of a button (still securely as password/biometric is required to use the wallet (more relevant for #2)

  2. NFC payment abilities

    • This also should be rather doable (but this would come second to basic integration in #1). You should be able to transmit any payment data (anything in BIP 70 or otherwise) through NFC, meaning we can just tap to pay, and the receiver broadcasts the transaction (this enables offline use of a wallet as well, which is another benefit (as now only the merchant needs an internet connection, which is more likely in most cases).

Just some high-level thoughts, but I very much would like to see this discussion going and to see a wallet integrate this! Would be a killer feature in my opinion.

#2

The ideas of doing peer to peer payments requires a new payment-protocol. BIP70 for instance requires more than 2 parties.

The actual NFC part is not the hard part, as you seem to have concluded already. The hard part is to

a. come up with a new payment protocol
b. get everyone to use it.

And the second part is relevant in that you don’t want it to be JUST about NFC. You ideally want to have a longer list of new cool stuff that becomes possible with the payment protocol as that makes getting people actually implement it much easier.

I posted some WIP docs before, but it stalled. Would love some help there!

I need to point out that integration into things like the ones you mention is impossible. Youd have to get a banking license or something stupid like that to be allowed to charge those. Next to that, it has nothing to do with a normal payment protocol, those are literally just a replacement to you swiping your bank-card. A conceptually different thing than we want.

#3

I’d gladly help on the brainstorming!

I definitely think we need to push this now rather than later. This will be an awesome thing, and once done properly once, realistically shouldn’t be that hard for more wallets to support. Basically no cryptos offer this today. This could even be a stand out feature for BCH!

This isn’t accurate, though. Anyone can put a card up. I’m not talking about credit cards or debit cards. Any app can put something into the wallet functionality. I have plenty for memberships (rotating QR code per visit to gym, for instance), tickets, insurance cards, etc. No need for any license at all. This is actually the easiest of all things listed.

#4

the “pay fast” section of read.cash

  • open BIP21 links
  • optional PIN for app open
  • instant payments limit
  • instant payments app shortcut (home screen quick actions)

i believe these are much easier to implement and would improve the situation dramatically.