Permanent ID that stays with your pet
A pet microchip is about the size of a grain of rice, and a vet places it under the skin in a matter of seconds. United Pet Club stocks three microchip families, Standard ISO, TapSense, and ThermaSense, and free lifetime registration in our pet registry comes standard with each one.
What the chip does, and how it gets a pet home
There is no battery in a microchip and no GPS chip riding along with it. What it carries is a unique code, sealed inside a small glass capsule and placed between the shoulder blades, and it stays readable for your pet's whole life. A vet, an SPCA branch, or a security estate's control room scans a stray, and that code brings up your contact details, pulled from the registry sitting behind it.
Every United Pet Club chip is built to ISO 11784/11785, the international microchip standard, so scanners at vets and shelters from Cape Town to Polokwane will read it. We register each chip with ICAR, the International Committee for Animal Recording, and every order includes a free QR pet ID tag for the collar, a backup that still works if load shedding leaves an automatic gate stuck open and your dog slips through.
Not sure which family suits your pet? Our microchip comparison guide lays out Standard ISO, TapSense, and ThermaSense side by side.
Three chip families, one registry
Standard ISO
The entry point: ISO 11784/11785 permanent identification, readable on any standard scanner, whether your pet is chipped in Durban or checked at a border post.
TapSense
Same ISO compliance, plus mobile tap access, so a smartphone reads pet details as easily as a scanner does. Sold as TapSense or TapSense Core, in a range of sizes.
ThermaSense
Temperature sensing built into the identification chip itself, useful for keeping an eye on health between vet visits. Sold as ThermaSense or ThermaSense X.
Why pet owners here go with United Pet Club
ISO standard
Built to ISO 11784/11785 and FDX-B certified, so any vet, SPCA branch, or animal control unit reads it on equipment they already have.
ICAR registered
Registered with ICAR, the body vets around the world rely on for microchip standards.
Free lifetime plan
Registration is free for the life of your pet, and so is every update to your details after that. Nothing to renew, nothing to pay later.
Small size
Chip and needle are both compact, keeping the implant quick and low stress, whether the patient is a Chihuahua or a Boerboel.
Environmentally friendly
A reusable injector is available separately from the needle itself, cutting down on single use plastic with every chip implanted.
Upgraded registry
Want more than the free plan gives you? Extras such as scan notifications or last-search details can be added on.
A registry built for a fast reunion
Every chip we sell arrives already linked to the United Pet Club pet registry, searchable at any hour by vets, SPCA branches, and animal control, and it is part of the AAHA universal microchip lookup too. Anyone who finds a lost pet can run a free microchip lookup, no account needed. Registration stays free for life, your details can be updated whenever you move, and some plans notify you the moment your pet's chip or tag gets scanned.
Already chipped through another supplier? You can still register the microchip number with us, or read what free registration includes first.
Questions South African pet owners ask
Am I legally required to microchip my dog in South Africa?
There is no single national law making it compulsory for every dog, but rabies vaccination is a legal requirement under South Africa's animal disease regulations, and the SPCA strongly recommends microchipping as standard practice alongside that. Some municipalities and security estates add their own rules on top, so it is worth checking what applies locally. United Pet Club registers any ISO chip free for life, so the registration part costs you nothing whichever route your pet was chipped through.
Can a microchip tell me where my pet is right now?
No. There is no battery and no GPS inside a microchip. It stores an ID number that a scanner reads once your pet turns up at a vet or an SPCA branch. If live tracking is what you need, a separate GPS collar does that job, a microchip does not.
What makes a microchip an ISO microchip?
One built to ISO 11784/11785, the international standard that lets any compliant scanner read the chip regardless of which country or company sold it. That is why a pet chipped in Johannesburg can still be identified if it ends up lost across a provincial or national border.
Which United Pet Club chip should I go for?
Standard ISO if straightforward, permanent ID is all you need. TapSense if you want pet details readable by a smartphone tap alongside a standard scanner. ThermaSense if temperature sensing alongside identification would be useful, for an older pet or a breeder tracking a litter, say.
Will vets and SPCA branches here recognise a United Pet Club chip?
Yes. Our chips meet ISO 11784/11785 and carry ICAR registration, the same standards the industry works to, so any vet or SPCA scanner built for standard microchips reads ours without trouble.
Give your pet lasting protection
Talk to us about ordering microchips for the household or your practice, or register a chip you already have in the free United Pet Club pet registry.