NFC review cards: real business or pyramid scheme

The NFC review card business: real margin or pyramid scheme?

A pack of five NFC cards costs around 15 euros on AliExpress. Sold individually, each one goes for 30 euros. If someone offers you this business, quick maths gives a 900% margin. The scheme is sold as a way for small businesses to get more Google reviews or more Instagram trinc: just tap your phone against the card. But sceptics compare it to dropshipping: a model that feeds on misinformation and sooner or later runs dry.

The margin and the shadow of dropshipping
The setup is simple: buy cheap on AliExpress, configure the chip with an app, and sell to local shops at ten times the price. The key is making the customer believe the card will magically attract reviews. The reality, though, is that most users never scan an NFC tag or a QR code. And if they do, all they get is a web address they will probably ignore. The profit, therefore, depends on the buyer's ignorance. As with dropshipping, the business has little mileage left in it.

The ignored security risk
There is also a risk nobody mentions: NFC cards are programmable chips. If they are set up to open the browser, tapping the phone can send the user to any page, including one that downloads malware. At best, it is a curiosity; at worst, an attack vector. Any shop installing these cards should consider whether the supplier is reliable enough.

The real business, according to some, is not selling cards but selling the illusion of selling cards. The videos promoting this scheme often lead to a store where the guru himself sells the very same cards (bought wholesale) and, while he is at it, a guide for even more gullible buyers. It is the classic pyramid scheme: the only way to make money is to recruit other sellers. Where is the line between legitimate marketing and a scam? Perhaps in the answer each person gives themselves.