There is no single RFID tag price in India: the per-piece figure is set by housing, chip, quantity, environment and customisation. A paper or PET UHF label for apparel or cartons is the cheapest form; a hard-cased on-metal tag costs far more. Quantity is the biggest lever, and per-piece cost steps down in tiers. Per-SKU list prices are on the India RFID Store; Identium quotes against your specification.
For current prices, see the India RFID Store: its RFID tag price guide ranks each tag type by cost class and links to the store category pages that carry live list prices, and its UHF RFID tags category shows per-SKU list prices for hard-cased UHF tags. This guide covers what moves the price; for a firm figure, send your specification for a quote.
The six things that set the price
- Tag type and housing. A thin adhesive inlay/label is the cheapest form. A hard-cased on-metal tag with an ABS/PC housing, potting and mounting hardware costs far more because it is a manufactured device, not a printed sticker.
- Frequency and chip. The RFID IC matters. A basic UHF EPC Gen2 chip is inexpensive; larger user memory, better sensitivity, or HF chips like NXP Mifare/DESFire raise the price.
- Quantity. This is the biggest lever. Per-piece cost falls as order quantity rises, because setup is spread over more pieces. Small trial orders always cost more per tag.
- On-metal / harsh environment. Tags engineered to read on metal or survive heat, chemicals, autoclave or laundry cycles use specialised materials and cost more than a general-purpose label.
- Customisation. Printing, laser marking/engraving, custom encoding, serial numbering, special die-cuts and adhesives all add cost.
- Certification and quality. Industrial sealing (ultrasonic welding, epoxy potting) and consistent QC cost more than the cheapest grey-market stock — and save far more in field failures.
What moves the price, by tag type
Each format has its own cost drivers; the table lists them, and the current price for any format is on the store listing for the exact SKU.
| Tag type | Typical use | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Paper/PET UHF label (inlay) | Apparel, cartons, logistics | Chip, size, face material and adhesive, printing and encoding |
| PVC RFID card | Access, attendance, parking | Chip and frequency (LF, HF/NFC, UHF or dual-frequency), printing and personalisation |
| RFID wristband (PVC/Tyvek) | Events, festivals | Band material, chip, artwork, numbering and encoding |
| ABS hard UHF tag | Reusable asset tracking | Housing and sealing, chip, mounting method |
| On-metal / anti-metal tag | Tools, machinery, cylinders | Housing, potting and build for reading on metal; mounting hardware |
| Rugged/specialty (laundry, high-temp, ceramic) | Linen, harsh industrial | Materials that survive the wash, heat or chemicals — spec-dependent |
RFID wristbands start from about ₹15 per unit at volume, and band material, chip, artwork, numbering and encoding move the figure up from there.
The pattern: high-volume labels are cheap; engineered tags for metal, heat or reuse are where cost climbs. If a quote for a rugged metal tag looks as cheap as a paper label, be suspicious of the sealing and chip quality.
Do not forget the rest of the system
The tag is one line item. A working deployment also needs readers (fixed, handheld or gate), antennas, and software. For most projects the hardware and software are the larger first-year spend, and the tags become the recurring consumable. If you are pricing a full rollout, our companion piece on RFID vs barcode covers where RFID’s cost is repaid in saved labour and accuracy.
How to get accurate pricing
A vendor can quote accurately only when you give them the five things that decide it:
- What you are tagging — the item, surface (metal? plastic? fabric?) and environment (indoor, outdoor, wash, heat).
- Read range and frequency you need (this points to UHF vs HF).
- Quantity — and whether it is one-off or recurring.
- Customisation — printing, encoding, numbering, special adhesive.
- Any certification requirement.
Send those and you will get a real number, not a range. As a manufacturer in India, we quote against your specification, including any sample or trial lot.
Bottom line
There is no single “RFID tag price” — there is a price for your tag, set mostly by housing, chip, quantity and how tough the environment is. Use the drivers above to scope it. For current figures, see the India RFID Store’s RFID tag price guide and the per-SKU list prices in its store categories, such as UHF RFID tags, then get a firm quote against your actual specification.
Tell us what you need to tag and we will send a quote for it.
RFID tags bulk price: how MOQ changes the per-piece cost
An RFID tags bulk price does not fall in a straight line — it steps down in tiers as order quantity rises. A trial lot carries the whole cost of setting up a run: converting set-up, printer and encoder configuration, and QC on a handful of tags. As quantity grows, that setup is spread across more pieces and the converting line runs more efficiently. At the largest volumes, or against a committed recurring volume, per-piece cost is usually at its lowest and pricing tends to be negotiated as a rate contract.
| Order tier | Per-piece cost direction | What changes |
|---|---|---|
| Sample / trial lot | Highest per piece | Setup cost sits on very few pieces |
| Small batch | Noticeably lower | Custom printing and encoding become practical; setup still visible |
| Volume run | Lower still | Custom housings, adhesives, die-cuts; converting-run efficiency kicks in |
| Large or recurring volume | Lowest per piece | Chip volume brackets, scheduled deliveries, rate contracts |
Tags are made at our New Delhi factory, and custom tag orders typically turn around in 5–10 days. For recurring label and inlay volumes, plan orders ahead.
For a wholesale quote, state the tag type, quantity per order, one-off or recurring, and any encoding or printing per piece. Send those details and we will price against the right tier.
Budgeting against a headline market figure rather than a specification? What the 2026 chip-shipment data actually shows explains why those numbers are a poor basis for a tag budget.