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Which are you more likely to have with you at any given moment-your cell phone or your wallet? Soon
you may be able to throw your wallet away and pay for things with a quick wave of your smart phone over
an electronic scanner.
In January, Starbucks announced that customers could start using their phones to buy coffee in 6,800
of its states. This is the first pay-by-phone practice in the U.S., but we're likely to see more wireless payment
alternatives as something called near field communication (NFC) gets into America's consumer electronics.
Last December some new smart phones which contain an NFC chip were introduced to the public.
Already in use in parts of Asia and Europe, NFC allows shoppers to wave their phones a few inches above
a payment terminal-a contact-free system built for speed and convenience. But before NFC becomes widely
adopted in the U.S., a few problems need to be worked out, like who will get to collect the profitable transaction
(交易) fees. Although some credit card providers have been experimenting with wave-and-pay systems that
use NFC-enabled credit cards, cell phone service providers may try to muscle their way into the point-of-sale
(POS) market. Three big cell phone service providers have formed a joint venture (合资企业) that will go into
operation over the next 15 months. Its goal is "to lead the U.S. payments industry from cards to mobile
phones."
The other big NFC issue, apart from how payments will be processed, is security, for instance, what's to
stop a thief from digitally pick-pocketing you? "We're still not at the point where an attacker can just brush
against you in a crowd and steal all the money out of your phone," says Jimmy Shah, a mobile-security
researcher." Users may also be able to set transaction limits, perhaps requiring a password to be entered for
larger purchases.
Still uneasy about this digital-wallet business? Keep in mind that if you lose your smart phone, it can be
located on a map and remotely disabled. Plus, your phone can be password protected, your wallet isn't.
1. What is predicted to happen in the U.S.?
A. The expansion of cell phone companies.
B. The boom of pay-by-phone business.
C. The disappearance of credit cards.
D. The increase of Starbucks sales.
2. The NFC technology can be used to _____.
A. ensure the safety of shoppers
B. collect transaction fees easily
C. make purchase faster and simpler
D. improve the quality of cell phones
3. Three cell phone service providers form a joint venture to _____.
A. strengthen their relationship
B. get a share in the payments industry
C. sell more cell phones
D. test the NFC technology
4. According to the passage, what can users do if they lose their smart phones?
A. Stop the functioning of their phones.
B. Set up a password.
C. Get all the money out of their phones.
D. Cancel large purchases.
