Trackers & tags
NFC pet tags: the simplest dog ID technology
NFC pet tags hold no battery and need no app. A finder taps the tag with their phone and your dog's identity opens instantly. Here's how they work and how they compare to engraved tags, QR tags, and GPS.
In short
How NFC tags work
NFC (Near-Field Communication) is the same technology behind tap-to-pay. The tag is a tiny passive chip — no battery, nothing to charge or break. When a phone touches it, the phone powers the chip just long enough to read a web link, and your dog’s Pawsport opens in the browser. It works in the rain, in the cold, and years later, because there’s nothing to run down.
NFC vs engraved tags
An engraved tag fits a name and maybe one phone number — and if your number changes, the tag is wrong forever. An NFC PawTag™ points to a profile you update any time, with room for medical alerts, a vet, emergency contacts, and Lost Mode — none of which fits on metal.
NFC vs QR tags
Both open a web profile. NFC is a tap — fast and intuitive — while a QR code needs the finder to line up a camera, which can be fiddly in low light or with a wriggly dog. A PawTag™ carries both: tap for speed, scan as a universal fallback.
NFC vs GPS trackers
They’re not rivals. A GPS tracker tells you where your dog is; an NFC tag tells a finder who your dog is. See best dog tracking devices for how the categories fit together.
The PawTag™ is an NFC tag with a brain
No battery, no app, works on iPhone and Android, and a scannable code as backup. Tap it and your dog's full Pawsport — identity, medical, contacts, safe-return — opens instantly.
Membership includes your dog’s full Passport.
Frequently asked questions
- Do NFC pet tags require batteries?
- No. NFC tags operate without batteries and activate when scanned by a compatible smartphone.
- Does the PawTag work with iPhone and Android?
- Yes. NFC tap-to-open works on modern iPhones and Android phones, and every tag also carries a scannable code as a fallback, so any smartphone camera can open it.
- Does a finder need an app to read my dog's Pawsport?
- No. A finder taps the PawTag with any NFC-capable phone, or scans the printed code — the Pawsport opens in their browser. No app or account is required.
- What happens if someone finds my dog?
- A finder can scan the PawTag and immediately access contact information, emergency details, and return instructions.
- Can my dog use both an AirTag and a PawTag?
- Yes. Many owners use both. AirTag helps locate. Pawsport helps identify.
More on the Passport Center
How it works
The cornerstone: a dog's three states, and why Pawsport completes what a GPS tracker starts.
Digital pet passport
The concept: one shareable home for your dog's identity, records, and emergency info.
AirTag vs Pawsport
Locate vs identify — what each does, and why they pair up.
Fi vs AirTag vs Pawsport
Live GPS, Find My, and identity — a three-way side-by-side.
Best dog trackers
GPS, Bluetooth, NFC — how the categories compare, side by side.
AirTag & medical records
Short answer: no. Here's the layer that actually holds medical info.