RFID Tag Pricing Guide™

RFID tag pricing. You can look at it two ways. There is either a slew of information availble or a lot of misleading information. One of the most common questions we receive at ODIN is, “What do RFID tags cost?” That is a loaded question. The answer: “What kind of tags?”

The inaugural issue of ODIN’s RFID Tag Pricing Guide™ produced in 2009 is designed to address one of the fundamental cost components of an RFID system, the tag. It is also intended to get past the marketing hype and provide objective, fact-based information. You may be aware of ODIN’s industry leading RFID Benchmark Series™ which routinely provides objective, fact-based RFID performance data (http://www.odintechnologies.com/scientific-benchmarks). This Pricing Guide complements that work with cost data.

The guide provides end users with a snapshot of RFID tag pricing. Other contextual information is also provided to help users become better consumers of tag information and understand when a five cent tag isn’t really a five cent tag.

The report includes sections on the following topics:

Setting the Record Straight – What do tags cost? Myths about passive RFID Tag Pricing The Impact of Tag Silicon The Impact of Tag Dimensions The Role of Frequency Key Tag Features Pricing Guide May 2009 Recent Industry Updates

The good news is that RFID tag prices are falling. At the same time performance has improved. This is the right price-performance curve for end users. In this issue, we have focused on three types of tags across two frequency ranges and industry standards – High Frequency (HF) ISO 15693 and Ultra High Frequency (UHF) ISO 18000-6C / EPC Global Class 1 Gen 2. That is a mouthful, but these are the most common requests from customers through ODIN’s Ask the RFID Expert free question and answer service.

To compile the guide we collected list prices from leading RFID label converters and manufacturers. We present the Low, High and Average prices in an effort to inform you of what the current price ranges are and what to expect when you are considering tag costs into your budget. You can download the RFID Tag Pricing Guide™ here:

http://www.odintechnologies.com/odinstore.html

As always we encourage you to ask questions and submit comments for future research. The Ask the RFID Expert box in the upper right corner is always available for your questions.