NFC and RFID are both wireless communication technologies that are quite similar. They both employ radio signals for tagging and tracking purposes. An RFID system is comprised of an RFID tag (smart label or sticker), an RFID antenna, and an RFID reader while NFC technology is made up of a tag (sticker), reader, and device.
NFC stickers
NFC stickers are NFC labels with NFC chips embedded in either PET, paper, or other materials. These stickers allow data transfer between two NFC-enabled devices because they define the tags that can be applied to store and address information. The stickers are either square or round-shaped, and they can be custom printed with your graphics, logo, or serial number. NFC tags can store a URL or a telephone number and add protection. They can also be locked to prevent altering of data once it has been written. To write an NFC tag, you’ll require; an NFC-enabled smartphone, NFC stickers, and NFC-programming apps. These stickers can be used to; turn your lights on/off, pay for goods and services, unlock your door, advertise your business, set a timer, automate phone tasks, and share media content.
RFID stickers
RFID stickers are RFID tags with chips that use electromagnetic fields to exchange data between the RFID reader and the sticker tags. These stickers are available at 860-960 MHz UHF, 13.56 MHz HF, and UHF 902-928 MHz. They are resistant to harsh environments, have tamper-proof features, are printable, and are self-adhesive. They are also dustproof and waterproof and are built with flexible and resistant materials like cotton 35%, opaque matte paper 79%, coated paper, and a mix of 65% polyester. The stickers enable users to tag and track important assets of their business quickly and effectively. The stickers along with the RFID readers, enable users to locate and manage key business elements at any point. RFID stickers can be used for many applications including; inventory management, asset tracking, library management, retail items tracking, access control, laundry industry, supply chain management, ticketing, and vehicle industry.
Major differences between RFID sticker & NFC sticker
1. Reading range
NFC stickers operate on a reduced range, that is, the NFC-enabled device must be within four inches of the sticker. RFID stickers operate on an ultra-high frequency, therefore, they can read tags at distances going up to 10m which makes it the ideal solution for access control and vehicle identification.
2. Speed
With NFC stickers, only one tag can be read at a time which can limit its use cases. On the other hand, multiple RFID stickers can be read at once, therefore, they are better suited to environments where there are a lot of trackable components, for example, tracking fast-moving vehicles.
3. Cost-effectiveness
Due to their reduced reading range, NFC stickers and NFC-based readers tend to be cheaper than long-range RFID solutions. This makes NFC a great solution for companies that want to employ a high-quality solution that is still on a tight budget.
4. Data
NFC stickers stores and transmits multiple types of data. Due to their larger storage space, NFC devices can store and transmit more data than RFID devices, which can only carry simple ID information. This makes NFC stickers better suited to environments where membership, payment details, and ticket information needs to be transferred.
Nexqo is a professional RFID hardware provider with more than 10 years of experience in the RFID industry. Click here to learn how the RFID sticker and NFC sticker works.
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