Both work. They do different things, and the difference matters more for who is holding the phone than for the tag on the machine. Every TagRite tag carries both: an NFC chip inside and a printed QR code on the face. This page explains when each one gets used.
The short version
NFC is faster for the operator. QR works on every phone ever made. Because our tags carry both, you do not have to choose — the operator uses whichever their phone supports, and the record that comes out is identical either way.
How each one works
NFC
The operator holds the phone near the tag. The checklist for that unit opens. No app, no camera, no aiming. On an iPhone XS or newer the phone reads the tag with the screen on and nothing installed — the background NFC reader handles it. Most Android phones from the last several years do the same.
NFC works in the dark. It works with a dirty or scuffed tag face. It works with gloves on, which matters more in a cold store than people expect.
QR
The operator opens the camera and points it at the tag. The checklist for that unit opens. Every smartphone with a camera can do this, including older handsets and locked-down company devices that have NFC disabled.
QR needs light and a reasonably clean tag face. A code that has been scraped along a rack upright or caked in grease may not scan, whereas the NFC chip behind it still will.
Which to use
| Situation | Use |
|---|---|
| Mixed fleet of operator phones, unknown ages | QR primary, NFC for those who have it |
| Company-issued modern phones | NFC — it is one motion, no aiming |
| Cold store or operators in gloves | NFC |
| Poorly lit aisles or night shift | NFC |
| Tag faces take physical abuse | NFC, with QR as the fallback |
| NFC disabled by device policy | QR |
| Older or budget handsets | QR |
The one real caveat: writing tags
Reading an NFC tag is easy and works nearly everywhere. Writing one from a web browser is not. Web NFC only exists in Chrome on Android, version 89 or later, over HTTPS, in a top-level tab, triggered by a tap. It does not work on iOS at all, in any browser, and it does not work in Safari or Firefox on any platform.
This affects you only when you first encode a batch of tags. If you are on an Android phone with Chrome, TagRite's tag writer gives you a Write button and you encode tags directly. If you are on an iPhone, it shows you the URL for each unit and you write the tags with a free app such as NFC Tools — a one-time job.
Or skip it: tell us at checkout and we will ship the tags pre-encoded to your account at no cost, so they work the moment they come out of the box.
What the scan produces
Either way, the record is the same. The scan opens the checklist for that specific unit, the operator works through it, and what gets stored is who ran the check, when, which items passed or failed, and any photos attached. The unit goes green or red on the strength of that. A plastic hang tag carries a colour and nothing else — see where the green tag / red tag system fails for why that gap matters after an incident.
Getting tags
Both tag types carry NFC and QR:
- Zip-tie tags — mount fast without drilling, easy to move between units
- Bolt-on screw tags — permanent, for machines and locations that take abuse
For the mechanics of what the phone actually reads, see NFC tags for equipment inspection.