Reference-range calculator

RFID & NFC cost estimator

Pick a product family, chip/material tier, and order volume for an instant cost-per-unit and total-order planning range. Figures are drawn from Proud Tek's own published cost breakdowns in the card and wristband cost guides, cross-checked against independent 2026 industry pricing reports. This is a directional planning band, not a quote.

Chip and material tier

Each option is a finished-card range at first-production volume (5,000-10,000 units) — the volume tier below adjusts it up or down.

LF / entry NFC, standard PVCEM4100/T5577 or Ultralight/NTAG 213 · US$0.20-0.45 Standard NFC, standard PVCMIFARE Classic 1K / NTAG 213 · US$0.30-0.70 High-security, standard PVCDESFire EV3 / NTAG 424 DNA · US$1.00-4.00 Premium wood bodyAny chip tier · US$1.20-3.50 Polycarbonate bodyAny chip tier · US$2.40-6.20

Order volume

Pilot500-1,000 units First production5,000-10,000 units Established50,000+ units

Order quantity

Reader pricing doesn't scale linearly with quantity the way cards and wristbands do — it's driven by reader class, and volume discounts kick in around 50+ units through direct manufacturer or authorized-integrator pricing rather than a smooth per-unit curve. These bands are quoted directly from the reader & writer selection guide's procurement section.

Reader class	Typical price
Entry HF/NFC desktop (ACR122U-class)	US$30-80
Commercial HF/NFC desktop (OMNIKEY-class)	US$80-260
Entry UHF desktop / module	US$150-450
Enterprise fixed UHF reader	US$700-3,500 per reader
Handheld UHF reader	US$900-4,500
Industrial portal system, installed	US$8,000-24,000 per door

Fixed and portal figures are hardware or installed-hardware only. Full 3-year total cost of ownership (antennas, cabling, middleware, labour, maintenance) typically runs 2.2-3.5x the reader hardware spend — see the guide's TCO breakdown for the category-by-category add-ons.

Get a real reader quote → Read the full reader selection guide

All card and wristband figures are industry-reference planning ranges assembled from Proud Tek's own published chip, material, and durability data plus independent 2026 industry pricing reports (see the card and wristband cost guides for full sourcing). They are not a quote, do not include tooling, freight, duties, or custom artwork setup, and will not match every supplier or spec exactly.