Engraved or QR code: which tag suits your pet?
Either kind of tag can get a lost pet home. What decides it is how much information you'd like visible at a glance, and how much you'd rather keep stored online.
Engraved tags versus QR code tags
With an engraved tag, your pet's name and your phone number sit right there in the metal, readable the moment someone finds your dog or cat, no signal or app required. The catch is that engraving can't be changed: a new phone number means a new tag.
A QR or code tag gives up a little of that immediacy and gains flexibility in return. When the code is scanned, up comes your pet's profile in the pet registry, and you can update that profile whenever your contact details change. If scanning isn't an option, the registry also lets a finder look the code up by hand. Plenty of owners favour a tag that does both jobs, a short engraving plus a QR code, backed by a microchip as the permanent ID that can never come off the collar.
Wondering where to begin? Browse pet ID tags by animal type, register a tag you already own, or keep reading for what belongs on the tag itself.
Materials and protection
Standard tags
Engraved metal tags cut for a dog or cat collar and built to shrug off everyday wear.
Premium epoxy tags
A clear epoxy coat covers the code and text, guarding them against scratches and fading.
Livestock tags
Tough, customizable tags made for herd and flock identification, with inventory tracking and recovery built in.
How a QR tag connects to your pet's profile
1
Set up your pet's profile
Put your pet's details and your contact info into the registry.
2
Link the tag's code
Your tag's unique code gets tied to that profile.
3
A finder scans it
Any smartphone camera picks up the code and opens the profile page, no app needed.
4
You're notified
Whenever the tag is scanned or looked up, the registry can send you word.
What to engrave on your pet's tag
Keep it simple. The name is optional; a working phone number is not. Adding a second contact covers the days you can't be reached, and if your pet carries a microchip, the word "microchipped" gives a vet clinic or shelter a reason to scan for it.
Leave off anything a stranger shouldn't have, your home address included. Whatever extra detail you want to share belongs online behind the QR code, not engraved out in the open.
Your pet tag questions, answered
Should I choose an engraved tag or a QR code tag?
Go engraved if you want your number readable at a glance with no phone involved. Go QR if you'd rather update your details without ordering a new tag. Plenty of owners put both on a single tag.
What does the epoxy layer on a premium tag actually do?
It's a clear protective coat over the printed code and text, helping them outlast the fading and scratching a bare tag would show.
What should go on my dog's tag?
The one essential is a phone number. Plenty of owners also add the pet's name, a backup contact number, and a note like "microchipped".
How does a QR tag link up with my pet's online profile?
During setup, the tag's code gets tied to your pet's profile in the registry. Every scan then opens that same profile, so a finder always sees your current contact details.
Ready to pick out your pet's tag?
Have a look at tags for dogs, cats, and livestock, or start with a free registry profile.