EMV Contactless Chip covers tap-to-pay transactions made with contactless chip cards and NFC-enabled mobile devices, generating a one-time security code for every transaction just like contact chip. It is specified in the EMV Contactless Books — Book A architecture, Book B entry point, and the Book C kernel specifications, including the unified Book C-8 kernel — built on ISO/IEC 14443 proximity communication.
EMV Contactless Chip
EMV Contactless Chip is the tap. The same cryptographic protections as contact chip — card authentication and a one-time code per transaction — carried over a short-range radio link, so a card, phone or watch can pay by waving it at the terminal.
- Book A and Book B - The overall architecture and the entry point that selects which kernel handles a tap.
- Book C kernels - The kernel specifications, now converging on the single Book C-8 kernel.
- ISO/IEC 14443 - The proximity card (PICC) and reader (PCD) communication underneath.
- Cards and devices - The same specifications serve plastic cards and NFC-enabled mobile devices.
Contactless is where the in-store and mobile halves of EMV meet, and the C-8 kernel consolidation is a good example of the card networks converging on one shared implementation where they once each had their own.
Industry: Payments
Related standards
Standards this one builds on, supersedes, profiles or is commonly deployed beside.
EMV
The specification family.
EMV Contact Chip
The inserted-card original.
EMV Mobile
Phones and wearables tapping as cards, or accepting taps as terminals.
