NTAG213 vs NTAG215 vs NTAG216: which chip do you need?
The three chips we embed most often differ in exactly one thing that matters to a buyer: how much data the tag can hold. Here is what each one actually fits.
What actually differs
All three are NXP NTAG chips: 13.56 MHz, ISO 14443-A, NFC Forum Type 2, readable by any phone with NFC. They behave identically in the field. The difference is user memory.
| Chip | User memory | What it comfortably holds |
|---|---|---|
| NTAG213 | 144 bytes | One short URL |
| NTAG215 | 504 bytes | A vCard, or several links, or a longer URL with UTM parameters |
| NTAG216 | 888 bytes | The above with headroom — multi-language content, larger records, future edits |
Why "one short URL" is the real limit on NTAG213
A tag stores its payload as an NDEF record. The record carries a small header plus the URI itself, and the URI is usually written with a prefix code so that "https://www." costs one byte instead of twelve. In practice a plain NTAG213 takes a URL of roughly 130 characters — enough for a review link, not enough for a long tracking URL with campaign parameters.
If your link is generated by a review platform, a booking system or a marketing tool, check its length before you commit to NTAG213. A URL that overflows is not "slightly worse": the write simply fails, or the phone opens a truncated address.
Choosing by use case
In our order book, the split is roughly:
- Review cards for restaurants, clinics and salons — NTAG213. One link, lowest unit cost, and the link rarely changes.
- Social and contact sharing — NTAG215. A vCard or a multi-link page needs the extra room.
- Hotel keys, membership and warranty cards — NTAG215 or NTAG216, depending on whether the customer writes their own records on top of ours.
- Anything where the customer will re-write the tag later, or wants several languages on one card — NTAG216.
Cost and lead time
The chip is a small part of the unit price next to printing, laminating and encoding, but it is not free: moving from NTAG213 to NTAG216 adds cost per card. On a 1,000-piece run the difference is usually worth absorbing for the headroom; on a 10,000-piece giveaway it is worth measuring against the actual payload.
Lead time does not change by chip — all three are stocked, and samples are 48 hours regardless.
FAQ
Can I change the chip after the cards are printed?
No. The chip is embedded in the inlay before lamination. Changing it means a new production run.
What happens if my link is longer than the chip can hold?
The write fails, or the phone opens a cut-off address. Shorten the link with your own domain, or move up to NTAG215.
Are the cards locked when they arrive?
They ship blank and unlocked, so you can write your own link. Locking is optional and permanent — only lock once you are certain.
Next step
Send the spec. Get a price in one working day.
Give us the product, the quantity, the chip or stock and the destination country. We reply with unit price, tooling cost if any, and a production date.
Or email directly — a person reads it, not a queue. ethan@henghaomai.com