PetTag vs WagTag: £10 once or £2.99 a month? (2026)
Updated 5 November 2026 · 4 min read
We make PetTag (pet-tag.app), so read this knowing that. WagTag (wagtag.co.uk) is a UK QR pet tag that works on a plan: the tag is free, you pay the postage, then a monthly or yearly fee. Everything about WagTag below comes from its own website, checked on 5 November 2026, and where it doesn't say something, neither do we.
The short answer
WagTag costs less to start: the tag is free and you pay its postage, then £2.99 a month or £14.99 a year. Its plan texts you a location when the tag is scanned and includes unlimited replacement tags. PetTag is £10 once, with free UK delivery and no subscription needed: you're emailed with the rough area every time the tag is scanned, finders message you without seeing your number, and a finder can send you their location with one tap.
- Choose WagTag if you'd like a text rather than an email when the tag is scanned, or you lose tags often and want free replacements.
- Choose PetTag if you'd rather pay once and have nothing to cancel later, or want your surname, house number and postcode on the back for the UK dog tag law.
Side by side
| PetTag | WagTag | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £10 one, £18 two, £26 three, £32 four, with free UK delivery | Free tag, you pay the postage (its site doesn't give the amount) |
| Plan | None needed | £2.99 a month or £14.99 a year |
| When it's scanned | An email with the rough area, free, at most once every 15 minutes; finders can send their location with one tap | Location sent when the tag is scanned, on the plan |
| Replacements | A new tag is £10 | Unlimited, on the plan |
| Material | Printed plastic, 40 mm, about 4 g (Small 34 mm and Mini 29 mm too) | Anodised aluminium with an epoxy resin layer |
| If you stop paying | Nothing to stop: the tag keeps working | Its site doesn't say |
| Delivery | Posted the next working day | Royal Mail 1st Class, at least 1 working day to send |
What it costs over time
At £14.99 a year, WagTag's yearly plan comes to about £45 over three years and £150 over ten. Paying monthly, £2.99 comes to about £108 over three years. PetTag is £10 once. A plan can be worth it for what it adds, so compare the features you'd actually use.
Ask this before any tag with a plan
What still works if you stop paying? Does the pet's page still open, can a finder still reach you, and do you still hear when it's scanned? WagTag's pricing, support and cancellation pages didn't answer that on 5 November 2026, so ask them before you buy. ReturnTag's own page, for comparison, says its codes stop opening your contact details once you cancel. Our guide to cancelling a pet tag subscription goes through each one.
Where PetTag does more
- One payment, so nothing to cancel and no tag that stops working when a card expires.
- Your surname and house number or postcode can go on the back for £3 more, which is what UK law asks a dog to wear in public. See personalised dog tags.
- Three sizes, down to a 29 mm Mini for cats and small dogs (small dog tags).
- Nobody needs an app: finders use their phone camera, and you manage your pet's page in a web browser.
Which to buy
If you want to pay once, a QR code dog tag or QR code cat tag from PetTag is £10. If texts on every scan and free replacements matter more to you, WagTag's plan may suit you. Our UK QR pet tags compared guide covers seven more.
Quick answers
Is WagTag free?+
The tag is: you pay its postage. Then the plan is £2.99 a month or £14.99 a year, and it includes a location sent when the tag is scanned and unlimited replacement tags (wagtag.co.uk, checked 5 November 2026).
How do I cancel WagTag?+
WagTag's support page says to go to your account, then subscriptions, then manage your plan, or to email its support team. Its cancellation policy gives a full refund within 14 days and a part refund after that; the postage for the free tag isn't refunded.
Does PetTag have a monthly fee?+
No. PetTag is £10 once, and every lost-pet feature, including hiding your number, lost mode and an email when the tag is scanned, is in that price.
What's a good alternative to WagTag with no subscription?+
One-off UK QR tags include PetTag (£10, free UK delivery), CollarCode (£4.99 plus delivery), Pet-Tags and Tagged Pets (£19.99 each) and Paw ID (£29.99). Our UK QR pet tags compared guide sets them side by side.
Sources (5)
This guide is general information, not legal or veterinary advice. How we write our guides
