Custom NFC Tags — Printed, Encoded, Ready to Tap

Pick the chip by memory, not by price

Chip	User memory	Typical use
NTAG213	144 bytes	Short URL + serial number, lowest cost
NTAG215	504 bytes	URL + product data + verification field, most common
NTAG216	888 bytes	Structured data, multi-step redirects
MIFARE Classic 1K/4K	1K / 4K	Access control, stored value, multi-application
DESFire / SM7	2K–8K	Anti-counterfeit with mutual authentication

If the project involves authentication, the chip choice is a security decision, not a cost decision. Plain NTAG tags can be cloned in under a minute.

Formats and materials

• Adhesive stickers — packaging, bottles, plastic housings
• PVC cards — access cards, membership, warranty cards
• Hang tags — apparel, bags, spirits; printable and destructible
• On-metal tags — with absorber, work on metal enclosures
• Waterproof / high-temp — wash-care, outdoor equipment, medical
• Tamper-evident — destructs on removal, cannot be re-applied

Three questions before you order

1. What surface? Metal, liquid, plastic, glass or fabric — this decides the antenna.
2. Phone or reader? Phone means NFC. Batch reading means UHF.
3. Does it need to resist cloning? If yes, move to DESFire or SM7 and add server-side one-time validation.

Answer those three and we can quote without a back-and-forth. Samples go out in 3–5 working days.

Where NFC beats a QR code

• One action instead of three (no camera, no aiming, no app)
• Encrypted chips cannot be photographed and re-printed
• Works in low light, on curved or dirty surfaces
• The tag can sit behind a panel, invisible from outside