QR collar tag and ID card: why your pet needs both

One question PetID hears a lot from pet owners: "My pet already wears a QR collar tag. Do I really need a card as well?" The short answer is no, it is not required. But for most dogs and cats that go outdoors, visit the vet or sometimes stay at a pet hotel, having both makes life noticeably easier. This article explains why, which households the combo suits, and what to set up so both items work from day one.

The QR collar tag and the PetID ID card open the same profile of your pet, but each one is made for a different situation.

The QR collar tag is the layer of protection on the street. It is a waterproof, UV-printed acrylic tag that sits on the collar your pet wears every day. If your pet gets lost, the finder simply points their phone camera at the code to open the public profile page, with no app to install. The page shows only the details you allow, and when you turn on the lost alert, it shows that your pet is lost so the finder knows to contact you right away.

The PetID ID card is the item you keep with you. It is a hard card made for your pet, printed with their photo, name and PetID number, with a QR code and an NFC chip. Scan the QR or tap a phone on the card and the latest profile opens. The card fits in a wallet or a document pouch, ready for vet visits or for handing over when your pet stays somewhere else.

With only the collar tag, you still have the digital profile in the app, but at every vet visit or boarding drop-off you have to unlock your phone, find the right profile and show it to someone. With the card, you just hand it over to be scanned or tapped.

With only the card, your pet goes outside with nothing on them that a finder can use. A card sitting in your wallet cannot help the person standing next to a lost dog at the end of the street.

There is also a practical reason: collars can slip off, especially on cats that squeeze into tight spaces. When that happens, the card in your wallet still opens a profile with your pet's photo and markings, which is handy when you need to post a lost-pet notice. To see what a finder actually gets when they scan the code, read how a QR code helps reunite a lost pet.

The best part of this pair is that you are not managing two separate things. The collar tag and the card both point to the same profile in the PetID app. When you change your phone number, add a note or upload a new photo, the next scan of either item shows the new details. No re-engraving the tag or reprinting the card just because you changed your number.

The profile in the app is free forever and includes vaccine records, vet history and vaccine reminders. If you want to keep your pet's health papers in one place, the article on the electronic vaccine record for dogs and cats is a good place to start.

The QR collar tag + PetID card combo is a particularly good fit if your household matches any of these:

• Your pet goes out often: daily walks, trips to the park, or a home with a yard or a gate that is easy to leave open.
• Your pet has regular vet checkups and vaccinations, or sometimes stays at a groomer or a pet hotel.
• You are about to move house, travel home for the holidays or take a trip with your pet, which is when pets are most likely to panic and get lost. See the moving or traveling with pets checklist.
• You have just welcomed a new pet and want everything ready from the start, without ordering twice.

If your pet is a fully indoor cat that rarely leaves home, you can start with one item first. The app also includes a free digital card you can use in the meantime.

Here are the current prices on the QR collar tag & card page:

• QR collar tag: 119.000đ, one-time.
• Physical PetID card: 199.000đ, one-time.
• QR collar tag + PetID card combo: 299.000đ, one-time.

Buying both separately costs 318.000đ, so the combo saves you 19.000đ, and you get both items in one order.

1. Create your pet's profile in the app: a clear photo, name, breed, distinctive markings and an emergency contact.
2. Choose what is shown publicly. The minimum is enough: your pet's name, photo and a way to reach you.
3. Order the combo. Your pet's own QR comes printed on both the collar tag and the card.
4. When the order arrives, attach the tag firmly to the collar your pet already wears. If you are not sure the collar fits well, check how to choose a collar for dogs and cats.
5. Ask someone else to scan the tag with their own phone, ideally both an iPhone and an Android, to make sure the profile opens correctly without installing an app.
6. Tap your phone on the card to test the NFC, then put the card in your wallet or your pet's document pouch.

Do all of this before the first walk with the new tag. Do not wait until your pet is lost to find out whether it works.

The QR collar tag is not a GPS tracker and does not follow your pet's location by itself. If your pet goes missing, turn on the lost alert in the app with one tap and the scan page switches to a lost-pet warning. A finder who scans the code sees how to contact you, and can choose to send you the location where they found your pet if they agree. You can also post on the lost pets community page so more people keep an eye out.

Meanwhile, the card in your wallet gives you your pet's photo and details on hand to show neighbours, security guards or nearby clinics.

According to the product page, you pick the combo in the app, enter your phone number and address, and pay by bank transfer. PetID confirms the order, prints and delivers it to your door. The PetID app is in its final stages right now, so you can pre-order through PetID on Zalo, or leave your email on the QR collar tag & card page to hear as soon as the app launches.

A tag on the collar for strangers, a card in your wallet for you, and one profile that is always up to date. For many pet owners, that is a simple setup that covers the basics.