UHF RFID Labels

What a UHF RFID label is

A UHF RFID label, also called a RAIN RFID label, is a self-adhesive label with a passive UHF inlay (a chip bonded to a thin antenna, typically etched aluminium) under a printable face. A UHF reader identifies it without line of sight and reads many labels in one pass, which is why retailers and logistics operators tag items, cartons and pallets with UHF; NFC labels are made for short-range taps by a phone.

The chips follow the GS1 EPC Gen2 air interface, also known as ISO/IEC 18000-63 (GS1 TDS section 9.2); RAIN is the RAIN Alliance's name for passive UHF RFID on that standard (RAIN Alliance FAQ). Any Gen2 reader reads a Gen2 label whatever the chip brand; the chip changes memory, sensitivity and security features.

Proud Tek produces both the inlays and the finished labels in its Shenzhen factory, where it has made RFID products since 2008. A dry inlay is the chip and antenna on a thin carrier film, usually PET, with no adhesive; a wet inlay adds adhesive and a release liner; a label adds a printable face and is die-cut on a roll. Inlays alone are on the UHF RFID inlay page, and rigid constructions are under custom RFID tags.

Label formats we produce

We produce blank rolls, retail price labels, hang tags, shipping, carton and pallet labels, asset labels and race bib labels; on-metal and specialty variants are made per request. The quotation states whether your label is standard (free samples, standard 2–3 week lead time) or customised (sample setup fee, lead time stated in the quotation).

Blank UHF labels for RFID printers

Blank UHF labels are wound for an RFID printer that prints and encodes each label on site. Choose a direct thermal or thermal transfer face (see below) and send the printer model, so the inlay sits where it encodes.

Retail price labels, tickets and apparel hang tags

An RFID retail price label is a ticket or sticker with an inlay under the printed face, for item-level inventory on packaged goods. An RFID hang tag is a card or synthetic ticket with the inlay laminated inside, printed to your artwork. Under GS1-based retail programmes both carry an SGTIN, a serialised GTIN. Tell us the artwork, stock, attachment and your retailer's Spec; see RFID for retail and apparel.

RFID shipping, carton and pallet labels

An RFID shipping label adds a UHF inlay to the shipping label, so a carton is read at the dock door and can still be scanned by barcode where there is no reader. The SSCC in a GS1-128 barcode is the one mandatory element of a GS1 logistic label (GS1 Logistic Label Guideline), and the inlay can carry the same SSCC as SSCC-96. Use SSCC-96 for a logistic unit such as a pallet, or SGTIN-96 when the carton is a trade item with its own GTIN, as your programme specifies.

UHF asset labels

A UHF asset label identifies IT equipment, furniture, tools or other fixed assets for audits and check-out. Choose a synthetic face such as PET for durability, tamper-evident construction if needed, and GIAI-96 encoding or your own numbering. For metal assets, see the on-metal note below and RFID tool tracking.

Race bib labels

A race bib label is a UHF label stuck to or built into a race bib, often on a foam spacer. Tell us the timing system's chip and encoding requirements and the bib material, and test samples on the timing provider's readers; the timing system comes from your provider (RFID race timing).

On-metal and specialty labels

A standard UHF label on metal or on a liquid-filled container reads poorly or not at all: metal detunes the antenna and reflects the field, and water-based contents absorb UHF energy. On-metal variants typically use a spacer construction and are made per request once we know the item. See also the RFID tag with LED light and RFID windshield tag.

Chip options by label use

Most retail and logistics labels need only an EPC and the factory TID, so an EPC-only chip is often enough. Full datasheet figures and sources for UCODE 9, UCODE 9xe, UCODE Nxm, the Impinj M700 and M800 chips and Higgs-9, and notes on discontinued chips, are on the UHF RFID inlay page.

Impinj M780 has a 496-bit EPC and 128-bit user memory, and M781 a 128-bit EPC and 512-bit user memory (Impinj); NXP UCODE Nxm shares 880 bits between EPC and user memory in three memory maps (NXP UCODE Nxm). NXP lists UCODE 8/8m as no longer manufactured and UCODE 9xm as end of life, so neither is recommended for a new label design; if your existing specification names one, the quotation proposes a current chip and samples are tested before the switch. For password-protected locking, Higgs-9 has a 32-bit access password, while UCODE 9 and UCODE 9xe have none that can be used; for Impinj chips the quotation confirms it from the datasheet. Read range depends on the inlay antenna, item, reader and band, so we publish none per chip.

Retailer RFID programmes and ARC inlay approval

A retailer's RFID playbook may specify acceptable inlays. Under the ARC program, run by the Auburn University RFID Lab since 2009, the end user works with the lab to define a performance Spec (named with a code such as Spec W5), and ARC lists the inlays approved for it (ARC program, approved inlay lists). Approval belongs to a specific inlay model, not to a label factory, and this page claims no ARC listing for any Proud Tek inlay. We can convert an ARC-approved inlay for your Spec into labels and hang tags. Send us your Spec: the quotation names the inlay, how it is sourced and whether it is listed; an unlisted inlay should not be used where the playbook requires an approved one. Auburn's separate ARC Quality Certification audits inlay manufacturers; check whether your playbook asks for it.

EPC, TID and user memory explained

A Gen2 chip has four memory banks (GS1 EPC Tag Data Standard, section 9.2). Your system mostly reads the EPC; the TID identifies the chip itself.

Encoding to your data plan

We deliver labels blank, or encoded to your data plan through our RFID encoding service, with scheme, lock state and data report confirmed per order. Retail and logistics programmes usually follow the GS1 EPC Tag Data Standard, currently release 2.3 of October 2025 (GS1 TDS), which keeps the schemes of TDS 1.13 and adds newer ones.

• SGTIN-96 encodes a GTIN and a serial number in 96 bits for item-level tagging. The serial must be numeric, without leading zeros, and no higher than 274,877,906,943; any other serial needs SGTIN-198 or a TDS 2.x scheme such as SGTIN+ (variable length, up to 216 bits) (GS1 TDS, table 12-2).
• SSCC-96 encodes the Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC) that identifies a logistic unit such as a carton or pallet.
• GIAI-96 encodes a Global Individual Asset Identifier for one specific asset, such as a computer, a vehicle or a piece of transport equipment.

GS1 encodings (SGTIN, SSCC, GIAI) need your own GS1 Company Prefix and a serial allocation, so two runs never issue the same number; a closed-loop system can use its own numbering. On a label that is both printed and encoded, the printed barcode or serial is matched to the EPC on the same label and, as agreed for the order, reported per piece.

Face stock, adhesive and roll format

Choose the face by how long the print must last. Direct thermal paper darkens under the printhead without a ribbon and is sensitive to heat and light, so it suits short-life labels such as shipping labels; thermal transfer melts a ribbon onto the face and, with a matched face and ribbon, gives a longer-lasting print that resists moisture and rubbing (Zebra). For asset and long-life labels, use thermal transfer, on PET or another synthetic face where moisture, abrasion or chemicals are expected. We publish no temperature or durability ratings; test samples in your conditions.

Regions, surfaces and read performance

UHF bands differ by region. The 2021 edition of ISO/IEC 18000-63 is titled for 860–960 MHz, and ISO lists a newer edition under development; GS1's current Gen2 release (3.0.1, February 2026) specifies 860–930 MHz (GS1 Gen2 standard). Each region allows only a narrower band inside these ranges. Europe uses 865–868 MHz under ETSI EN 302 208, which also covers 915–921 MHz where implemented; the United States uses 902–928 MHz under 47 CFR 15.247. For other countries, our UHF RFID frequency lookup lists the bands and reader power limits GS1 gives for each country in its overview.

An inlay antenna is tuned for a band and for the material behind it. Tell us every region and surface; we match the inlay, and your integrator's test with your readers qualifies it for rollout.

What we confirm per order

Ordering checklist: what to send for a quote

1. Application and item: what the label goes on (carton, garment, plastic packaging, metal asset, race bib) and where it is read.
2. Equipment: RFID printer make and model if you encode in-house; reader make and model and the regions of use.
3. Chip: a preferred chip, or the ARC Spec or other inlay requirement from your retailer's playbook.
4. Label: size, face stock, adhesive, blank or pre-printed, artwork.
5. Encoding: EPC scheme (for example SGTIN-96, SSCC-96 or GIAI-96), GS1 Company Prefix and serial range, locking requirements. Do not include password values.
6. Roll format: core, roll diameter, labels per roll, wind direction.
7. Order: sample needs, quantity, destination country and target date.

Unknown details are resolved before sampling; a workable enquiry receives a quotation within one business day. Use this page's quote or sample buttons, which pass the product to the form, or the contact page.

What Proud Tek does not supply

We produce UHF labels, inlays and tags. We do not supply UHF fixed or handheld readers, reader antennas, UHF RFID printers or printer-encoders, middleware, WMS or ERP integration, race-timing systems or BLE beacons. The only readers we sell are on the RFID readers page, and none of them reads UHF. We send samples for your integrator's tests.

For project planning, see RFID inventory tracking, RFID supply chain management and RFID vs barcode. Other UHF products include the UHF wristband and textile RFID laundry tags.