PIING
Reading Hardware and NFCNFC readers and cards
Hardware and NFC
- Tap Box overview
- Install a Tap Box
- NFC readers and cards
- While you wait for Apple's tap entitlement
- Troubleshooting taps
- Scan-in points
- What staff see at POS
In this guide
- Physical NFC cards
- Apple Wallet
- Google Wallet
- Kiosk and reader together
- QR and NFC are complementary
- Next steps
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Hardware and NFC 3 / 7
NFC readers and cards
The exact difference between physical NFC cards, Apple Wallet VAS taps and the QR recognition used by Apple and Google Wallet passes.
NFC is the short-range contactless route used by Piing readers. A physical card and an Apple Wallet VAS pass can both identify a customer at a compatible reader, but they are provisioned differently. Google Wallet currently uses QR in Piing.
Physical NFC cards
A physical card can be linked to a Shopify customer and tapped at a compatible reader. Piing can generate batches of 1 to 500 card records and export the values needed to programme them. The merchant or its card partner writes those values to the cards, then links and tests them in Piing.
Physical cards can be deactivated, reactivated, unlinked and tested. Branded PVC or metal production is a separate quoted service through Piing Studio; generating a batch in the app does not manufacture or dispatch cards.
See Physical NFC cards for the operating workflow.
Apple Wallet
Choose QR or NFC for each Piing Apple Wallet pass design, not both on the same pass. QR is the default. An NFC design supports phone-to-reader taps through Apple VAS when all of the following are in place:
- Apple has granted the brand the VAS entitlement;
- the NFC-entitled certificate and Pass Type ID are configured;
- the pass is published with the matching NFC payload;
- the reader supports and is configured for that VAS deployment.
Piing-managed Apple issuing is the default for ordinary passes. That does not remove the brand-specific Apple VAS requirements.
Google Wallet
Piing's current Google Wallet pass uses QR. It does not currently enable Google Smart Tap, so a customer should present the pass QR to the kiosk camera or a compatible scanner. A linked physical card remains the NFC option for that customer.
Kiosk and reader together
The Piing kiosk leads with a branded pre-tap screen on a tablet. A customer can present a Wallet QR to its front camera. Where a reader is assigned to the same store, a recognised physical-card or approved Apple Wallet tap can also flip the kiosk to the same member welcome. This screen bridge is on by default and can be turned off in kiosk settings without disabling the reader visit itself.
QR and NFC are complementary
- Use a kiosk camera when you want one clear tablet experience for Apple and Google Wallet.
- Use a physical card and reader when you need a universal contactless credential.
- Add Apple VAS when the brand and reader estate are approved for iPhone tap-to-reader.
- Use a scan-in point when the customer's own phone should do the work with no powered hardware.
All accepted routes enter the same customer and visit model, while keeping their source for reporting.
Next steps
Related guides
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While you wait for Apple's tap entitlement
Launch QR, kiosk, Shopify POS, scan-in points and physical-card recognition while the brand completes Apple VAS approval.
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