The language of connected merch.

NFC (near-field communication)

Short-range wireless technology that lets a phone read a small chip from a few centimetres away. Used in contactless payments and connected products.

NFC tag / inlay

A tiny chip and antenna, usually on a thin flexible film, with no battery. The phone powers it during a tap.

Secure (encrypted) NFC

A chip that produces a new, cryptographically signed response on each tap, so it can be verified and resists cloning.

QR code

A printed square barcode that a phone camera scans to open a link. Cheap, visible and universal.

Connected merch

Merchandise with an NFC tag, QR code or both that opens a digital experience.

Unique ID / serialisation

Giving every item its own identity, so taps can be counted per product and ownership can be tracked.

Tap

Holding a phone to an NFC tag to read it.

First-party data

Information fans share directly with the artist or brand, with consent — not borrowed from a platform.

Fan profile

One record of a fan's interactions across merch, tickets and content.

Provenance

The documented history of an item: who made, signed or owned it, and when.

Certificate of authenticity (COA)

Proof that an item is genuine. Secure NFC can act as a digital COA.

Digital product passport (DPP)

An EU-mandated online record of a product's materials, origin and lifecycle, reached through a QR or NFC data carrier.

GS1 Digital Link

A standard for putting a product's GS1 identifier into a web address, so one QR can serve retail and consumer uses.

RFID

Radio-frequency identification. UHF RFID is used for stock and logistics at range; NFC is the phone-readable short-range form.

Swing tag / hang tag

The removable card label attached to new clothing — ideal for QR codes.

Woven label

A fabric label sewn into a garment. Can enclose an NFC inlay.

Smart vinyl

A record with NFC or QR in its packaging that unlocks content tied to that copy.

SmartLinks

The connected-product platform FanConnect is built on.

More definitions in the FanConnect glossary.