How does bling tag work

The technology sounded so simple that I had to go try it out for myself. I made my way to downtown Palo Alto, where Bling Nation is headquartered, and found Bling Tags available at a few local shops.

The Tag itself is free to everyone, and setting it up is simple. When checking out at the cashier, simply tap the Tag on the Bling Box, which is like a credit card machine, but cooler. The cashier will ask you for your phone number and use that to authorize the purchase. NFC is a short-wave radio communications technology that's not unlike Bluetooth in concept. However, it has a much tighter range--up to 10 centimeters about 4 inches for NFC versus up to 30 meters not quite feet for Bluetooth.

To make a payment, the cashier types in your total and your phone number. You tap or hover the BlingTag sticker over the sensor and almost immediately receive a text message with an authorizing pin that the cashier then types into the console. The machine spits out a receipt and you receive a second text message verifying your purchase.

The dollar amount, meanwhile, is deducted from your paired PayPal account. If the merchant has signed onto Bling Nation's loyalty program, they could opt to credit you points that you could rack up, in lieu of using a punch card, to eventually purchase more of their product. As with debit card payments made through a supermarket's card-reading terminal, there's no ID involved, just a pin-based authentication.

In Bling Nation's case, the pin code isn't a secret, and it's constantly changing. The entire process took no longer than paying by credit card, although we did experience a false start that required us to abandon our first BlingTag and begin again because Bling Nation is currently incompatible with Google Voice numbers.

There's always risk of fraud or theft involved when it comes to money changing hands. It's the nature of the beast, and one that merchants, banks, credit card companies, and e-commerce verifiers spend billions on in operating costs to forestall.

Proponents of NFC technology point out the following benefits. First, the NFC radio signals that bounce the short distance between the payment console and the RFID chip, like the one embedded in the Bling Tag sticker, are encrypted. Second, the codes are dynamic, in contrast to the static security codes you find baked into plastic credit and debit cards. Anyone in search of bling heads to the nearest jewelry store.

Small and family owned jewelry shops are often known for their long-standing relationships with their customers. The best way to build trust between customers and store associates is through consistency.

A small shop can help build relationships with their shoppers by wearing branded name tags, but also by going a step further and featuring a little sparkle along with the store name and logo. Manicures and pedicures are a luxury. Why not build branding around the idea of extravagance? Hair salons are also known for decadence and new beginnings. After several hours in the salon chair, the hair stylist and client build a relationship that often lasts for years.

Sparkles and rhinestones are the epitome of lavishness! Framed with sparkly gems, these fancy badges are sure to appeal to the right customer base.