Learn · Comparison
RFID tag types compared
Every retail RFID tag is the same technology inside: a passive UHF chip and antenna following the EPC Gen 2 standard. What differs is the packaging, and matching that packaging to your merchandise is the whole decision. Three forms cover nearly everything a store sells.
The three forms, side by side
| Apparel hangtag | Adhesive label | Jewelry tag | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it attaches | Loops through the hangtag hole at receiving | Peel and stick to packaging or product | Loop or barbell fastens around shank, band, or clasp |
| Best for | Clothing, accessories, footwear | Cosmetics, fragrance, packaged goods, boxed items | Watches, fine jewelry, small high value SKUs |
| Why this form | Nothing touches the fabric; comes off at the register like a price ticket | Fastest to apply at volume; lowest cost per label | Sized for pieces where a hangtag is too large; hangs off the piece so metal does not smother the read |
| RSG product | C8102, $99.95 per 1,000 | C8101, $79.95 per 1,000 | C8103, $89.95 per 1,000 |
| Radio spec | Identical: passive UHF 860–960 MHz, EPC Gen 2 / ISO 18000-6C, encoded in store on the C8005 printer | ||
The rule of thumb: if it has a hangtag hole, use the hangtag. If it has a flat surface, use the adhesive label. If it is small and precious, use the jewelry tag. Mixed catalogs run all three on one account; a boutique commonly puts hangtags on garments and adhesive labels on its beauty wall.
The vocabulary, decoded
Vendor catalogs use overlapping terms for the same things. A short glossary:
| Term | What it actually means |
|---|---|
| Inlay | The working core: chip bonded to its printed antenna on a thin film. Every tag form has one inside. |
| Wet inlay | An inlay with adhesive backing, ready to stick. An adhesive label is a wet inlay with a printable face. |
| Dry inlay | An inlay with no adhesive, destined to be laminated into a hangtag or embedded in packaging. |
| Smart label / RFID sticker | Marketing names for the adhesive label form. |
| Hard tag | A rigid, reusable plastic housing. For inventory tagging, disposable labels are the norm instead, because they cost cents and need no removal tooling. |
| RAIN RFID | The industry marketing name for passive UHF EPC Gen 2, the standard all of the above follow. |
Three questions that settle the choice
- What is the attach point? Garments have a ticket hole; boxes have surfaces; jewelry has a shank or clasp. The merchandise usually answers the question for you.
- What is near the chip? Metal and liquid attenuate radio (see how RFID works). Foil packaging, metal compacts, and liquids favor placement testing; jewelry tags hang off the piece for exactly this reason.
- What is the volume? At thousands of units, application speed matters: peel and stick beats looping. That is one reason cosmetics walls get adhesive labels even when a mini hangtag would also fit.
When the answer is not obvious, the standard move is a sample pack: test reads on your actual merchandise before committing to a quantity. Request one from RSG.
Frequently asked
What are the main types of RFID tags for retail?
Three label forms cover nearly all retail merchandise: hangtags that loop onto apparel and accessories, adhesive labels that stick to packaged goods, and compact jewelry tags that fasten around small high value pieces. All three are passive UHF EPC Gen 2 inside; only the packaging differs.
What is an RFID inlay and how is it different from a label?
The inlay is the working core: the chip bonded to its antenna on a thin film. A wet inlay adds adhesive backing; a label adds a printable face over the inlay; a hangtag laminates the inlay into card stock. When you buy finished labels, the inlay is already inside.
Can I mix different RFID tag types in one store?
Yes, and mixed catalogs usually should: hangtags on garments, adhesive labels on cosmetics, jewelry tags in the case. All formats are encoded on the same printer, read by the same handheld, and tracked in the same software account.
Do RFID tags stay on the merchandise after purchase?
For inventory tagging, the tag leaves with the packaging or ticket: hangtags and jewelry tags come off at the register like any price tag, and adhesive labels sit on packaging rather than the product. Nothing needs to be detached with special tools.
Keep Reading
Ready to buy? Compare prices and order on the labels page. Curious what happens after the tag is on? What is RFID inventory management walks the whole workflow.