How it works
Tap your phone.
It just works.
Hold your phone near a Tapora keychain or badge - whatever’s programmed opens instantly. If the tap fails, scan the QR code instead. No app. No Bluetooth. No battery.
The technology
What is NFC?
NFC stands for Near Field Communication. It is a short-range wireless standard that lets two devices exchange data when held within a few centimetres of each other. Unlike Bluetooth, NFC requires no pairing, no app, and no setup — the communication happens the moment the devices are close enough.
NFC chips are passive: they have no battery and carry no power of their own. When a phone’s NFC reader comes close, it generates a small electromagnetic field that powers the chip just long enough to transmit its data — typically a URL. The chip used in every Tapora product is the NTAG213, the most widely supported NFC Forum Type 2 chip, rated for 100,000+ read cycles and compatible with every iPhone from the 7 onwards and all modern Android phones with NFC enabled.
The difference between NFC and QR is delivery method, not destination. Both open the same link. NFC works without unlocking your phone or opening a camera app. QR works on any device with a camera, including older phones where NFC is absent or switched off. Every Tapora unit ships with both — so the tap always reaches its destination.
The process
From order to tap in four steps.
Design your keychain or badge
Choose your product - keychain (with key loop) or badge (adhesive backing). Pick your colors from our AMS palette, upload your logo or text, and choose what you want it to link to: your contact card, a URL, a Google Review link, a welcome page. The configurator previews your design in real time.
We print, program, and pack it
Your order goes into our automated pipeline. We 3D print the body in multi-color using FDM AMS printing - the same technology that lets you get precise color swaps mid-print. Then we write the NFC chip using our custom ESP32-based programmer and print the QR code directly onto the surface. Both point to the same link. We pack and dispatch within 48 hours.
You receive it, ready to tap
Your keychain or badge arrives pre-programmed - no setup, no app, no account needed to start using it. Attach the keychain to your keys. Stick the badge wherever it makes sense. When someone taps their phone to it, whatever you programmed opens instantly.
Update the link anytime
Changed jobs? Updated your portfolio? New menu, new WiFi password, new rental instructions? Log in to your Tapora dashboard and update the link. The physical product doesn't change - everyone who taps after your update gets the new destination automatically.
What you can put on a tag
One tag. Unlimited possibilities.
Any link that opens in a browser can be programmed onto a Tapora tag. Here's what people actually use them for.
Digital business card / vCard
One tap saves your contact directly to the phone. No typing.
Website or portfolio URL
Your site, your agency, your Etsy shop - any URL.
Google Review link
Open the review form with one tap. Used by restaurants, salons, and clinics.
WiFi credentials
Tap the badge - phone joins the network automatically. No passwords to read out.
Spotify / Apple Music
Share your playlist at events or as part of a welcome experience.
Product instructions
Tap the badge on a product → latest version of the manual opens instantly.
Short-let welcome page
WiFi, house rules, appliance guides, local recs - all in one tap by the front door.
Google Maps / location
Share your venue, office, or meeting point in one tap.
WhatsApp chat link
One tap opens a direct WhatsApp message to your number.
Payment link
Tap to pay - useful for market stalls, mobile traders, or pop-up events.
Booking / calendar link
Tap to book a call, appointment, or table. Link to Calendly, OpenTable, or any scheduler.
Event schedule
Branded swag that actually gets used - tap for the agenda, speaker bios, or follow-up offer.
Workout guide
Attach to gym equipment - tap for exercise form, reps, or a training video.
Restaurant menu
Tap the badge on any table - your live digital menu opens. No printing, no laminating.
Smart home trigger
On iPhone, NFC tags trigger Shortcut automations - lights, scenes, timers.
CV / résumé
Hand your keychain to a recruiter at a careers fair. One tap, your full CV opens.
NFC vs QR
Why we include both on every product.
They solve different problems. Together they eliminate the failure modes that single-tech products leave open.
NFC
Tap - no camera needed
- →Works in background on iPhone 7+ - no unlock required
- →Fastest interaction: phone already in hand, one tap
- →Invisible to the eye - no visual clutter on the product
- →Can trigger Shortcuts and automations on Apple devices
- →Fails on: very old phones, NFC disabled, thick phone cases
QR Code
Scan - works on every phone
- →Works on any smartphone with a camera - 100% compatibility
- →Visible and scannable from a distance (menu on wall, badge on table)
- →Printed directly on the product - won't peel or degrade
- →Zero infrastructure - works offline-first for simple URLs
- →Slower than NFC - requires pointing camera deliberately
The result:roughly 5–10% of NFC taps fail on older devices. With QR backup on every unit, every failed tap becomes a successful scan. For a restaurant with 20 tables and 2 rotations a day, that’s dozens of interactions that would otherwise be lost - turned into completed Google Reviews.
Compatibility
Works on every modern phone.
iPhone
iPhone 7 and later (2016+). NFC reads automatically in the background - no unlock, no app.
Android
All modern Android phones. NFC is on by default. Works with the camera app on most launchers.
Apple Watch
Series 1 and later can read NFC tags. Useful for networking - tap without taking your phone out.
What about iPhone 6S and below? The QR code covers those users - in 2026, iPhones older than 8 years represent under 3% of active devices, but no one is locked out.
The technology
No battery. No connection. Just physics.
≤ 4 cm
Maximum read range
100k+
Rated read cycles
40 yrs
Data retention
NFC chips are passive- they contain no battery and draw no power. When you hold a phone near the chip, the phone’s NFC radio emits a small electromagnetic field. The chip harvests that energy, wakes up, and transmits its stored data (usually a URL) back to the phone in milliseconds.
The range is intentionally short - around 4 cm maximum under ideal conditions, usually under 2 cm in practice. This is a feature, not a bug. You have to deliberately tap to trigger it, which means no accidental reads and no way for someone to read your tag from across the room.
The chip we use is rated for 100,000+ read cycles with a data retention span of 40+ years. The limiting factor for a real-world Tapora product is the printed body - keychain wear from a key ring, adhesive degradation on a badge - not the chip itself.
At Tapora, we also built our own NFC programmer using an ESP32 microcontroller and PN532 module. This lets us write chips in our own automated pipeline rather than relying on third-party writers. It’s faster, cheaper per unit at scale, and means we can verify every chip before it leaves the workshop. Read the build post →
Common questions
Everything you want to know.
No. On iPhones (7 and later) NFC is built into the camera app and reads automatically in the background when you hold the phone near the tag. On Android, NFC is enabled by default on virtually all modern phones - no app required. The link simply opens in the browser.
iPhone 7 and later - all models from 2016 onwards. Every modern Android running Android 4.4 or later (which covers almost every device sold since 2013). Apple Watch Series 1 and later can read NFC tags too. Older iPhones (6S and below) don't support NFC reading - that's why every Tapora product also has a QR code printed on it.
About 5–10% of NFC interactions fail - older phone models, NFC turned off, awkward tap angle, or a case that's too thick. Every single Tapora product has a QR code printed directly on it that points to the same link. A failed tap becomes a successful scan. This is the most important reason to have both NFC and QR on a physical product - and why single-tech competitors leave real interactions on the table.
Yes. Every Tapora product is programmed to point to a link in your Tapora dashboard, not directly to a destination URL. When you update the link in the dashboard, everyone who taps or scans your product after that update gets the new destination. The physical product doesn't need to be re-programmed. This is what makes it genuinely useful for restaurants updating menus, hosts updating welcome pages, or agents updating listings.
NFC chips are passive - they have no battery and are powered by the electromagnetic field of the reading phone. A well-made NFC chip is rated for 100,000+ read cycles and should last decades under normal use. The limiting factor is usually the printed body (wear from keys, adhesive from the badge), not the chip itself. Our 3D-printed enclosures are more durable than epoxy equivalents and can handle daily key-ring use without cracking.
Ready?
Design yours.
Shipped in 48 hours.
No subscription · NFC + QR on every unit · GDPR compliant · Ships from the EU