NFC Pens

What is an NFC pen?

The NFC pen from Smart Giveaway is a classic writing instrument with an integrated NFC chip in the clip or the barrel. When a current smartphone briefly taps the pen, it opens a stored URL without an app, for example a landing page, a product catalogue, a contact form or a vCard. The pen remains a fully functional ballpoint pen, the electronics are passive and require no battery.

For B2B customers, the NFC pen is interesting because it solves two tasks at once. It is a well-established, frequently used promotional item with a long dwell time on the desk, while at the same time being a measurable digital touchpoint. Every tap can be tracked in the Smart Giveaway platform as a view, including timestamp and campaign attribution. This turns a giveaway into a direct channel to the website, quote or appointment booking. Price from CHF 4.50 per unit at 250 units.

How it works

Inside the pen sits an NTAG213 or NTAG215 chip based on the ISO 14443A standard at 13.56 MHz. When the smartphone is placed on the pen, the phone builds a weak field via its integrated NFC module, which powers the chip. The chip sends back the stored URL, the operating system shows a notification, a tap opens the page in the default browser. The read distance is 1 to 4 centimetres, a deliberate placement is part of the usage and protects against accidental activations.

All iPhones from iPhone 7 with iOS 11 onwards, as well as virtually all current Android devices, read NFC tags without additional software. The URL on the chip can be rewritten at any time via the Smart Giveaway dashboard, even after delivery. This is relevant for rotating campaigns, seasonal activities or changing a landing page. The chip is specified for more than 100,000 write cycles and is compliant with FADP and GDPR, as it exclusively transmits and does not read any data from the device.

Personalisation and variants

The pens are available in three designs: aluminium body in seven standard colours, plastic body in nine colours and a premium variant with metal clip and soft-touch surface. The refill is a standard ballpoint refill in blue or black, available from specialist retailers. Weight between 12 and 18 grams depending on material, total length 140 millimetres.

Available finishing options include laser engraving on aluminium and metal, as well as pad printing on plastic. The engraving area is approximately 45 by 6 millimetres. Typically, a logo and a short claim or a short URL are applied. The URL itself does not need to be printed, since it is accessible via NFC, but it can be added as a signal of trust. Each pen receives a unique UID, which is optionally assigned to a specific recipient or branch. This produces per-unit reports, useful for example for field-sales kits or roadshow evaluations.

Ordering and delivery

The minimum order quantity is 250 units. Up to 2,500 units, the pens are finished at our Lucerne warehouse, with a delivery time of 7 to 10 working days after print approval. From 2,500 units onwards, production takes place via direct import, with a delivery time of 4 to 6 weeks. In any case, the chip is programmed and tested in Switzerland.

Included in the price from CHF 4.50 are the chip, programming, single-colour finishing, one target URL per campaign and access to the Smart Giveaway dashboard for tracking and URL changes over twelve months. Shipping is by post or freight within Switzerland, deliveries to EU countries are available on request. A sample set with three pens including a pre-programmed demo URL is available for a nominal fee and is credited when ordering 500 units or more.