Near Field Communication could help give retailers a new edge in the “wallet-share war” they have been losing for years to banks and their open-loop payment card brands, according to a new report from the giant National Retail Federation.

The new opportunity for store cards and other lower-cost payment options is among the many observations in a just-released “Mobile Retailing Blueprint” from the federation, a retail trade association with 5,600 members.
The 176-page report, which was drafted by an industry committee formed by the federation’s technology standards arm, covers a range of mobile technologies available to retailers to enable consumers to find stores, download coupons, compare products and handle payment. More >