Decoding RFID Anti-counterfeiting Labels: A Comprehensive Guide from Active/Passive, Low Frequency/High Frequency to Anti-interference Technologies

Classification of Core Technologies of RFID Chips 

1. According to the energy supply method: Active vs. Passive 

· Active RFID:

· Principle: The tag has a built-in battery, which can actively transmit signals to the reader.

· Characteristics: Long reading and writing distance, large size, high cost, and lifespan depends on the battery (usually several years).

· Application scenarios: Vehicle management, tracking of valuable assets, personnel positioning (such as in mining areas, hospitals), etc.

· Passive RFID:

· Principle: The tag has no battery; its energy comes from the electromagnetic waves emitted by the reader, generating instantaneous energy through coupling and transmitting data back.

· Characteristics: Short reading and writing distance, small size, low cost, and extremely long lifespan (no maintenance required).

· Application scenarios: Product authentication, inventory management, logistics traceability, access control cards, etc. Currently, the mainstream application in the retail and anti-counterfeiting fields is passive RFID. 

2. According to working frequency: low frequency, high frequency, ultra-high frequency 

Frequency type Working frequency Reading and writing distance Interference resistance Main application scenarios

Low frequency Can penetrate water and metal surfaces Animal traceability, access control cards, car keys

High frequency Medium NFC anti-counterfeiting interaction, library management, tickets

Ultra-high frequency Easily absorbed by water and metal Retail inventory (Uniqlo), logistics warehousing, supply chain management 

3. Anti-interference Technology: The Key to Dealing with Complex Environments 

In practical applications, tags are often attached to metal surfaces or liquid goods, which can seriously interfere with radio frequency signals and lead to reading failures. Therefore, anti-interference (anti-metal/anti-liquid) tags have emerged. 

· Technical principle: By adding a special absorbing material between the tag antenna and the attachment surface, or by adopting a special antenna design, the eddy current effect generated by the metal surface can be counteracted, or the absorption of electromagnetic waves by liquids can be reduced.

· Value: Ensures the reliable application of RFID technology on almost all types of goods, expanding its usage boundaries. 

Industry Classification and Application Scenarios: Taking Uniqlo as the Core Case 

Core industry: Fashion clothing retail sector 

Representative company: Uniqlo 

Uniqlo is a prime example of a company that has successfully and extensively applied UHF RFID technology globally. Its solution involves embedding an ultra-high frequency passive RFID chip into the price tag of each item. 

Application scenarios and the problems they solve: 

1. Scenario One: Warehousing and Logistics

· Traditional Pain Points: Relying on manual scanning for inventory checks, the efficiency is extremely low and the error rate is high; the verification of inbound and outbound goods takes a lot of time and effort.

· RFID Solution: Deploy readers at the warehouse entrance. When goods pass through in boxes or batches, there is no need to open the boxes or align the line of sight. All product information can be collected instantly.

· Solutions:

· Inventory accuracy rate increased to 99%+: Achieve nearly 100% accurate inventory checks.

· Efficiency increased by a hundred times: Inventory time is shortened from several days to several hours.

· Supply Chain Transparency: Real-time tracking of goods movements.

2. Scenario Two: Store Operations

· Traditional Pain Points: Not knowing when shelves are out of stock; difficult to find items in the store; inventory checks affect business operations.

· RFID Solution: Employees use handheld RFID readers to scan shelves remotely. They can quickly obtain all product information.

· Solutions:

· Real-time Inventory Visualization: Quickly identify out-of-stock and damaged products and replenish them in time.

· Quick Search: Input SKU, and the device quickly locates the specific product through signal strength.

· Efficient Inventory Check: Can complete daily inventory checks before or after business hours.

3. Scenario Three: Cashiering and Theft Prevention

· Traditional Pain Points: Barcodes need to be scanned one by one, resulting in long queues; theft prevention relies on traditional EAS hard tags, which cannot identify specific products.

· RFID Solution: Deploy RFID cash registers. Customers place entire baskets of goods in the identification area, and all product charges are automatically completed within one second.

· Solutions:

· Ultimate Cashier Experience: Significantly reduce queue time.

· Precise Theft Prevention: Can identify which products have been illegally taken out and link it to the inventory system.

4. Scenario Four: Consumer Interaction and Anti-counterfeiting Traceability

· Traditional Pain Points: Consumers cannot easily verify authenticity; the connection between the brand and consumers is weak.

· RFID/NFC Solution: Although Uniqlo mainly uses it internally, the brand can open this technology to consumers. By touching the label with the NFC function (high-frequency RFID) on the phone, it can jump to the brand page.

 Verify Authenticity: Provide official proof of genuine products.

· Tell Brand Story: Display product materials, production processes, and traceability paths.

· Precise Marketing: Guide to online stores or issue coupons to complete the O2O loop. 

RFID anti-counterfeiting labels have long gone beyond the sole function of "anti-counterfeiting". It is a comprehensive solution that integrates various technologies such as active/inactive, low frequency/high frequency/ultra-high frequency, and anti-interference. Through the case of Uniqlo, we can see that its core value lies in: 

· For the internal operations of the enterprise: It has achieved digitalization, automation and intelligence in the supply chain and store operations, resolving the core pain points such as inaccurate inventory and low efficiency.

· For the external aspects of the enterprise: By integrating with NFC technology, it has become a bridge for brands and consumers to build trust and have in-depth interactions, transforming a simple purchase behavior into the beginning of a long-term user relationship. 

The choice of which RFID technology to adopt depends entirely on your specific business scenario, budget and the problems you aim to solve. A customized RFID solution is undoubtedly a strategic investment for enterprises to gain a competitive edge in the data-driven era.