By Card Smart, Vanderbijlpark. Updated 24 October 2026.
This page is the technical side of NFC cards South Africa. Every figure below comes from NXP's NTAG213/215/216 product page.
The three chips compared
| NTAG213 | NTAG215 | NTAG216 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| User memory | 144 bytes | 504 bytes | 888 bytes |
| NFC Forum tag type | Type 2 | Type 2 | Type 2 |
| Radio standard | ISO/IEC 14443 Type A, 13.56 MHz | Same | Same |
| Write endurance | 100,000 cycles | 100,000 cycles | 100,000 cycles |
| Data retention | 10 years | 10 years | 10 years |
| Password protection | 32-bit password | 32-bit password | 32-bit password |
| Read-only lock | Yes, field-programmable | Yes, field-programmable | Yes, field-programmable |
Which chip Card Smart uses
- Standard cards: fitted with NTAG215.
- Executive cards: fitted with NTAG216.
- Custom-made products: can be ordered with either NTAG215 or NTAG216.
We do not use NTAG213 in our products.
Does the extra memory matter?
A single web address, which is all most cards store, needs only a small part of the memory on any of these chips. More memory gives room for a longer address or for extra records. If your card only opens one link, you will not see a difference when you tap it.
To see the cards that use these chips, go to our NFC business cards.
Sources
NXP's NTAG213/215/216 product page.
Common questions
Which NFC chip is best for a business card?
For one web address, any of the three works. Card Smart fits NTAG215 to standard cards and NTAG216 to executive cards, which have the most memory of the three.
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