Standards & Protocols

NFC-F (FeliCa)

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The NFC communication technology based on Sony's FeliCa standard (JIS X 6319-4), supporting 212/424 kbps data rates. Dominant in Japan for transit (Suica, PASMO) and mobile payment systems.

    


    
    
    

      Also known as:
      
      NFC-F
      
      FeliCa protocol
      
    

    
  


  




  
  

    
NFC-F (FeliCa)


NFC-F is the NFC communication technology based on Sony's FeliCa (Felicity Card)
standard, defined in JIS X 6319-4. Operating at 13.56 MHz with native data rates of
212 kbps and 424 kbps, NFC-F is significantly faster than the base 106 kbps of
NFC-A and NFC-B. NFC-F is the dominant
contactless technology in Japan, powering transit systems, mobile payments, and
electronic money across the country.


Technical Architecture


NFC-F uses a distinct modulation and encoding scheme:


    

  • Modulation: 10% ASK in both directions (reader-to-card and card-to-reader), similar
  to NFC-B. This provides continuous power delivery to the card.
    • 

  • Encoding: Manchester coding for both directions, providing inherent clock recovery.
    • 

  • Data rates: 212 kbps (default) and 424 kbps (selectable). These higher base rates
  reduce transaction times, which is critical for high-throughput transit gates
  processing passengers at rush hour.
    • 

  • Anti-collision: Time-slot based. Each card has a unique IDm (Manufacture ID) used
  for selection.
    • 



The FeliCa Ecosystem in Japan


FeliCa technology is deeply embedded in Japanese infrastructure:


    

  • Transit: Suica (JR East), PASMO (Kanto private railways), ICOCA (JR West), and
  other IC cards process millions of gate transactions daily. Processing time per tap
  is under 200 ms.
    • 

  • Electronic money: Edy (Rakuten), nanaco (Seven & i), and WAON (Aeon) use FeliCa
  for stored-value payments at convenience stores and retailers.
    • 

  • Mobile FeliCa: Sony's Mobile FeliCa chip is embedded in Japanese smartphones,
  enabling the phone itself to function as a transit card and payment device.
    • 

  • Student/employee IDs: Many Japanese universities and corporations issue FeliCa
  cards for building access and cafeteria payments.
    • 



NFC Forum Integration


The NFC Forum designated NFC-F as one of the mandatory
communication technologies and mapped it to NFC Forum Type 3 tags. Chips like
FeliCa Lite-S are certified as Type 3 tags, supporting
NDEF data storage. Modern NFC-enabled devices
worldwide include NFC-F support via NFCIP-2, meaning any
smartphone can read a FeliCa tag — though the transit and payment applications
require specific app and secure element integration.

  

  

  
  
  




  
  
Related Terms

  

  

    
    ISO 14443
    
    NFC-A (Type A)
    
    NFCIP-1 (ISO 18092)
    
    NFCIP-2 (ISO 21481)
    
  





  

  
  

  
  

  
  
  

    
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Frequently Asked Questions


  

    
    

      
      

        
The NFC glossary is a comprehensive reference of technical terms, acronyms, and concepts used in Near Field Communication technology. It is designed for developers, product managers, and engineers who work with NFC and need clear definitions of terms like NDEF, APDU, anti-collision, and ISO 14443.

      

    

    
    

      
      

        
Each glossary term is cross-referenced with related NFC chips, standards, and other terms. For example, the term 'AES-128' links to chips that support AES encryption (NTAG 424 DNA, DESFire EV2/EV3), and the term 'ISO 14443' links to all chips compliant with that standard.

      

    

    
    

      
      

        
Yes. NFCFYI provides glossary definitions in 15 languages including English, Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Arabic, French, Russian, German, Turkish, Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Thai. Use the language selector in the header to switch languages.