Dual technology labels: why combine RFID with NFC chips and RF chips?

‘Dual technology’ labels are garment labels which use a combination of two technologies to maximize the functionality. You start with RFID (radio-frequency identification) as the foundation and add a second technology, like NFC (near-field communication) or RF (radio frequency).

RFID chips record and store detailed value chain information for each product and create valuable sales data. Retailers who tag their stock with RFID benefit from total inventory transparency and up to 99% stock accuracy without doing manual counts. Not only that — RFID is the perfect building block for any investment due to its easy-to-demonstrate ROI.

Read: Everything you need to know about RFID technology

Like all RFID labels, dual technology RFID labels contain a chip that sits inside an inlay alongside an antenna, which helps send and receive the information stored on the chip. Dual technology inlays can come in various formats, like discrete pocket tags embedded in your garment or hang tags that are easy for customers to see and access.

Here at Checkpoint, we offer an NFC and UHF RFID dual technology label called DUÉ Mini labels. They’re designed to give inventory intelligence and have the added benefit of being interactive for customers.

NFC chips can be scanned by smartphones, meaning your products are scannable by the estimated 3 billion NFC-enabled smartphones currently in use globally. With one tap of a phone, your labels will take shoppers to whichever destination you’ve encoded them to.

Retailers use NFC and RFID dual technology labels to give customers detailed product and sustainability information at the point of purchase. They can also be used to pull up product recommendations, style advice, user guides, video content, and even mobile games. You can put NFC and RFID dual technology inlays into stickers, hang tags, and pocket tags, depending on how accessible you want the tech to be.

Blending RF and RFID will give you something like our UNO labels. Combining RF and RFID gives retailers inventory accuracy and more effective loss prevention without upgrading or changing existing hardware.

RF (radio frequency) technology protects stock by communicating with antennas around the shop floor and at the door. Combining RF with RFID lets you turn your label into EAS (electronic article surveillance) tech.

RF and RFID dual technology inlays can be formatted as pocket tags, branded tickets, or sew-in solutions, depending on the distance you want to cover (bigger inlays mean further reading distance!).

When retailers invest in technologies and infrastructures for business, they want to start generating a return ASAP. Although RFID delivers a return in around 12 months, retailers who upgrade to dual technology labels often save more time and money thanks to the added functionality from the complementary chips.

Retailers using RF/RFID inlays save revenue via reduced shrinkage rates and optimized staff resources. Those who choose NFC/RFID dual technology labels can improve customer loyalty through deeper engagement while adding value to their brand.

RF/RFID dual technology labels are a good option for retailers who don’t have the budget or staff resources to spend hours hard tagging each item on the delivery truck. They’d rather have staff dedicate time to replenishment and customer service than time-consuming manual tasks.

Products with RF-based dual technology labels are loss prevention-ready right off the delivery truck, so no time is wasted. Using data collected from the RFID chips, you'll get more accurate shrinkage figures to target your hard tagging efforts for more effective protection.