This category includes virtually everything other than barcode scanning, such as smart cards, magnetic stripes, MICR, OCR, and so on.
The term biometric refers to any means by which a person can be uniquely identified by evaluating one or more distinguishing biological traits. This technology most commonly includes fingerprint scanning and facial recognition.
Fingerprint scanners don't actually store images of fingerprints - instead, the scanner looks for where ridges and lines end, or where a ridge splits, and this and other minutiae is stored during enrollment. If a scanned fingerprint matches enough of this stored minutiae, it is considered a match.
NFC is fast becoming an everyday thing, allowing you to use your mobile phone with "tap-and-go" services like Apple Pay and Google Wallet. In general terms, though, NFC is a short-range radio communications technology, designed to transfer small amounts of data between the two devices held a few centimeters apart. It's fast, it easy, and it works.
Radio-frequency identification (RFID) is the use of an object (typically referred to as an RFID tag) applied to or incorporated into a product for the purpose of identification and tracking using radio waves. RFID can be used in a variety of applications, such as: Access control Tracking of goods Public transport ticketing Toll collection and contactless payment Transportation and logistics Libraries Passports and travel documents Identification of patients and hospital staff Airport baggage tracking Loyalty systems Race timing Ski resorts and ski-lift ticketing