10 examples of how RFID technology is used in everyday life
The Barcode Warehouse Limited
The UK's leading technology solutions integrator
In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to overlook the technology that we once couldn’t have dreamed of, but now quietly helps our daily lives run that much smoother. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is one of those invisible forces. From making faster transactions to enhancing security and even keeping an eye on your pets, RFID is actually all around us, even if we don’t always realise it. In this article we explore 10 ways that RFID is integrated into everyday experiences from shopping to healthcare to show just how flexible this technology is and how businesses can use it to streamline more than their operations.?
What is RFID??
RFID is a technology that uses radio waves to identify and track objects, assets or individuals. At the heart of an RFID system are three key components:?
RFID tags are embedded into or attached to items which, when scanned by a reader, then transmit their information via radio waves. Unlike traditional barcodes, RFID doesn’t need direct line-of-sight for reading, making it a more efficient solution for a variety of applications.?
Learn more about the intricacies of RFID and how it works?here.
Where is RFID used?
From your passport to your recycling and your pet’s microchip to your library books and even your cheese… there aren’t many places where you won’t find a role for RFID.
1.?Retail shopping made smarter
One of the most visible uses of RFID is in retail. You walk into a shop, grab what you need and head straight to the self-checkout. No waiting in long queues as RFID allows the reader to scan all of the items in your basket simultaneously. It might sound like a scene from the future, but it’s the here and now. Uniqlo, a global fashion brand, has implemented this system in their shops from London to Japan. Customers simply place their entire basket of items in the RFID-enabled self-checkout kiosk 1. The kiosk then reads all of the tagged products and rings up the total; no checkout staff required!?
RFID technology also helps retailers solve the common challenge of inventory inefficiencies. By providing real-time visibility into stock levels, it helps businesses avoid overstocking or understocking, optimising inventory management and reducing the costs associated with manual stock tracking and lost sales due to out-of-stock items.
2. Enhancing healthcare operations
In healthcare environments, RFID technology is used to improve patient outcomes, safety and satisfaction and operational efficiency. One of the most popular pieces of technology being used in hospitals today are RFID wristbands for patients. The wristbands can be used for everything from tracking real-time patient locations to ensure that the right care is delivered to the right person at the right time, through to tracking medical records and patient history. RFID can also be used to track medical equipment and medications across the hospital.?
RFID also addresses the high operational costs associated with lost equipment and inefficient stock management in healthcare settings. By automating the tracking of medical supplies and equipment, RFID reduces the time spent searching for items, ensuring resources are used efficiently and minimising wastage, ultimately driving down operational expenses.
Learn more about RFID and its use in improving patient flow.
3.?Smart waste sorting and recycling
RFID technology is making significant strides in the world of waste management and recycling, offering smarter, more efficient solutions for sorting and tracking recyclable materials.?
RFID tags can be attached to recyclable items to identify the type of material and ensure it’s sorted correctly. This system helps improve recycling rates and reduce contamination in recycling streams by automating the sorting process.
According to Packaging Europe 2, studies have shown that packaging made from paper, board or plastic, when equipped with RFID labels, can be recycled without impacting our standard domestic recycling programmes supporting efforts to reduce waste and promote sustainability.?
RFID in waste management directly tackles the challenges of contamination and inefficiency in manual sorting processes. By automating waste sorting and providing accurate data on material types, RFID helps reduce human error and operational costs leading to more effective recycling and better resource allocation.
4. Library book tracking and borrowing
RFID technology has revolutionised the way that libraries manage their book collections. While the nostalgia of stamping the book cards with the date of return will never leave us, the tagging on each book with an RFID chip means that libraries can speed up the checkout process and reduce the manual effort traditionally required to track inventory. Instead of scanning individual books one by one, RFID allows for entire shelves of books to be scanned at once, vastly improving efficiency and giving access to literature for more people!?
One of the best examples of RFID technology being used in libraries comes from St Anne’s College Oxford University library. They implemented RFID tags on the 84,220 loanable items3 in their inventory. Thanks to this, they have been able to streamline the inventory process and reduce the time spent managing checkouts and returns.
5. Biometric passports?
If your passport was issued in 2006 or later, you’ll have a biometric, RFID-enabled, one. Biometric passports, or e-passports, use RFID technology to store and transmit personal data for security identity verification. The chip embedded in your passport holds essential information like your name, date of birth, nationality and a digital photograph along with details of the passport itself like the number, issue date and expiration date.?
These passports also feature biometric data such as facial recognition, fingerprints, or iris scans, providing enhanced security and preventing fraud. This technology allows for quicker and more accurate identification at borders, reducing wait times for travellers and improving border control efficiency.
RFID-enabled biometric passports offer a streamlined, secure travel experience, making identity verification faster and more reliable.
6. Luggage tracking?
RFID is making travel more seamless, especially when it comes to luggage tracking. Over 60,000 items of baggage were misplaced at UK airports between August 2023 and August 20244, but RFID is changing the game. Since 2016, Delta Airlines has led the way 5, and now major carriers like British Airways, American Airlines, and United Airlines have also adopted RFID for luggage tracking.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) introduced Resolution 7536, which requires airlines to track luggage at four key points—from check-in to return to the passenger. Unlike traditional paper receipts, RFID provides passengers with an e-receipt, complete with a unique luggage identifier. This makes it easier to track and recover lost bags, reducing the risk of misplaced luggage.
In addition to luggage tracking, RFID is improving travel convenience with RFID-enabled wristbands for resorts and cruises. These wristbands allow guests to access rooms, make payments, and use other services without the need for physical cards, making the entire travel experience more efficient and hassle-free.
7. Event personalisation
If you’ve ever been coloured green with envy over the waves of glowing wristbands at a Coldplay concert 7 or were lucky enough to bag a ticket to the Eras Tour then you’ll have witnessed first hand how RFID can be used to personalise and enhance the attendee experience at events.?
RFID technology is being used to enhance the experience at live events, such as concerts and sporting matches. At these kinds of events RFID-enabled wristbands are given to attendees, allowing for a personalised and immersive experience. These wristbands contain a small signal receptor and a chip that processes the signal sent out from a control board. The technology allows operators to change the lighting colours in different sections of the audience, creating a dynamic visual experience that is synced with what’s happening on stage.
This interactive lighting system works especially well when attendees remain in their designated seats, as it enables precise control over the audience's visual engagement. It’s a simple yet effective way to make each person feel connected to the performance, enhancing the overall atmosphere and adding a new layer of excitement to the event.
For event organisers, RFID solves the challenge of manual check-ins and tracking large attendee numbers efficiently. The automation provided by RFID wristbands helps reduce queues, improve attendee engagement, and optimise event flow, ultimately improving overall event success and reducing staffing costs.
8. Contactless payments
At the heart of your favourite contactless payment systems, from credit cards to smartphones, you’ll find RFID. Though you won’t necessarily hear it called RFID explicitly. Credit cards and contactless enabled devices in the UK use Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, which is a type of RFID. NFC Is short-range and is the tech that enables contactless payments to happen.?
When you tap your card or device at a payment terminal, the RFID tag embedded in it communicates with the reader, processing the transaction quickly and securely. It’s becoming more and more popular worldwide and as of October 2024, the total number of transactions made using contactless cards in the UK in that month amounted to over 1.6 billion8.
This technology is especially useful for speeding up payments in high-volume environments like public transport and retail, contributing to a more efficient and convenient shopping experience.
9. Tracking pets and livestock
RFID is widely used in pet tracking. In fact, it’s the law in the UK 9 that all dogs must be microchipped by the time they are 8 weeks old and as of June 2024 all cats must be microchipped before they reach 20 weeks.?
When a pet or animal is microchipped a small RFID tag is inserted under their skin. This tag contains unique identification information ranging from their owners contact details through to health information. If a pet is lost then a vet or an animal shelter can scan the passive RFID chip and retrieve the contact information to reunite the pet and family.?
RFID doesn’t stop at pet identification, though. Some models of pet flap also use RFID. They work by reading your pet’s unique microchip ID rather than needing to be wearing an RFID collar. When your pet approaches the doors, the flap will read the tag and allow your pet to enter; denying access to cats that are not programmed in along with wild animals, pests and strays that you may not wish to allow into your home.?
In agriculture, RFID solves the challenge of manual tracking of livestock. By automating the monitoring of animals' health, movements, and feeding patterns, RFID helps farmers reduce operational costs, improve animal welfare, and make data-driven decisions that support better farm management and increased productivity.
10. And finally… RFID in cheese making??
While RFID is typically associated with industries like healthcare, retail and logistics, its applications extend far beyond these sectors. One surprising example is its use in cheese-making. At first glance, cheese-making and RFID technology may seem worlds apart, but this case study highlights how even traditional manufacturing processes can benefit from innovation.
This cheese producer faced a critical challenge when it came to ensuring that cheese stacks were consistently turned at the right times during the ripening process - a key factor in quality and delivering award-winning products.?
The Barcode Warehouse provided a tailored RFID solution?using Zebra Technologies hardware. The system was designed to monitor the turning of the cheese stacks automatically. RFID readers and antennas were strategically placed to register each turn as the cheese stacks rotated. The results were impressive with the manufacturer achieving a 30% increase in productivity, reducing the risk of waste and financial loss and they realised their return on investment (ROI) in just a few weeks.
We can’t think of a better example to have ended on that highlights just how flexible RFID can be. If it can solve the problem of unevenly ripened cheeses, just imagine what challenges it could help you overcome.?
Unlock the potential of RFID with The Barcode Warehouse
RFID technology has the power to transform your business operations, whether you’re looking to streamline inventory management, enhance customer experience, or integrate real-time data into your decision-making process.
At The Barcode Warehouse, we are the UK’s leading specialists in RFID solutions. We partner with the best brands to offer an unmatched selection of RFID readers, tags, printers, wristbands, and labels to help you optimise your processes. We can also handle the install process and management of the solution once it’s up and running.
Explore how RFID solutions?can help you improve inventory management, reduce operational costs, and enhance customer experience. Speak to our experts today to unlock the full potential of RFID for your business.