Requirements

You will need:

  • Host

    A host is a computer connected to an NFC reader. In production environments the host computer could be a digital Door Lock, Parking Ticket Machine, POS (Point of Sale) etc. Host computer usually runs the business logic.

    Internet connection is highly recommended for updated and more strict security verification techniques, yet Cards Reader SDK does support offline or isolated environments.
    Contact us directly to request our Card Reader SDK with offline support.

  • NFC reader

    A standard NFC reader device, connected via USB/Serial. This must be a supported NFC reader (see Supported NFC Readers).

  • Smartphone

    Android 4.1+ smartphone with NFC, internet connection (for non-isolated environments) and Cards app installed.

    Unforunately, Apple's iPhone does not allow NFC mobile wallets other than Apple Pay.

  • Cards app

    You'll need to download Cards app from Google Play Store. Make sure you create a new Cards account and make sure you create a new digital card (see Create a New Card), under your organization's name.

Programming Languages

Lucky for you, our SDK is available in many languages and runtime environments:

Language Platform Platform Version OS OS Version Status
Javascript NodeJS 8.9.1 Windows XP Production
Linux In Development
Python Python 2.7 Windows XP Production
Linux XP In Development
C# .NET 4.6.1 Windows XP Production
.NET Core 2.0 Windows 7 (SP1) Production
Linux Beta
Java Java 8 Windows XP Production
Linux In Development
Visual Basic .NET 4.6.1 Windows XP Production
.NET Core 2.0 Windows 7 (SP1) Production
Linux Beta
C++/CLI .NET 4.6.1 Windows XP Production
C++ Windows XP Production
Linux In Development
PHP PHP 7.1 Windows XP In Development
Linux XP In Development

  1. "dev" = In development, not released yet.
  2. "beta" = In public beta, start integration but don't go production yet.
  3. "prod" = Production version, tested.
If your favorite language isn't here, let us know: devsupport@cards.app.

NFC Readers

For now we focus on popular and affordable NFC USB readers, mostly ones that are CCID specification compliant.

Manufacturer Model Chip Price Range Certified Sellers Support
ACS ACR122U NXP PN532 20$ - 80$ Yes

Network

Cards Reader SDK talks to Cards NFC Gateway API over the internet to verify, identify and authenticate smartphone wallet owners in a highly secure manner. We will access "api.cards.app" on port 443. This will require DNS resolving and frequent HTTP(S) communication, roughly a 15 KB transmition for a single verification process.


Our Cards NFC Gateway API is globally distributed to ensure low latency and a short routing plan. A full transmission usually returns under 80ms and much lower for cached and isolated environments.