A new survey of more than 2,000 British mobile phone users conducted by Opinion Matters for Gemalto has found that there is a large gap between consumer perception of NFC technology and how it actually works.

The survey found that:

• Only 32% of consumers have heard of or understand what NFC is.
• When asked if they have ever used or would use their phone as a mobile wallet, 34% said they didn’t or wouldn’t due to security concerns and 24% said they didn’t trust it as they didn’t fully understand how it works.
• Respondents expressed concern about what would happen if their phone was lost or stolen and many worried that somebody would make large purchases or acquire their bank details. 46% were concerned that somebody would run up huge bills if their NFC phone was lost or stolen, but 35% said they would be positive about using NFC if they knew it was completely secure.

“The research results show a clear need for further consumer education to dispel the myths surrounding mobile payments using NFC,” says Gemalto. “Similarly to when ATMs, chip-and-PIN and e-commerce were introduced, consumers will need to build trust and become accustomed to mobile NFC by using the technology to learn how it works.”

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