QR pet tags in the UK compared: prices, fees and apps

• PetTag (UK): £10 for one tag, £18 for two, £32 for four, with free UK delivery. A one-off purchase with no subscription. Finders scan with any phone camera, and owners manage the profile in a web browser, so nobody needs an app. Lost mode emails you when the tag is scanned.
• Crumb: the tag is free and there's a free plan, with paid plans from £5.80 a month (billed yearly) that add more of its recovery features. Owners use its app.
• ByteTag: $24.95 a tag, priced in US dollars. Finders scan with a phone camera and need no app. Its site doesn't say whether there are ongoing fees or how it delivers to the UK, so check before you buy.
• HeyBuddy: $15 to $29.99 a tag, with no subscription for the pet's profile. Finders need no app to scan, but owners register their pet in its mobile app. Its site mentions US shipping.
• Engraved tags: from a few pounds at UK shops. No technology at all, and a dog needs one anyway, because the law asks for your name and address on the collar in public.
• GPS trackers and AirTags: help you find where a pet is, but need charging or a new battery, and GPS trackers usually need a monthly plan. Our tag vs microchip vs GPS guide and AirTag guide go through them.

A tag that's free or cheap to buy can cost more over a dog's life if the useful part sits behind a plan. At £5.80 a month, a paid plan comes to about £70 a year, or around £700 over a ten-year life. That can be worth it if you want what the plan adds, but it's worth knowing up front.

Before buying any smart tag, ask what still works if you stop paying: does the page still open, can finders still reach you, do you still get alerts? Our guide to what smart pet tags cost has more on this.

Every tag here lets a finder scan with an ordinary phone camera, which is what matters most: a stranger holding your dog won't download anything. The difference is on the owner's side. Some tags are managed in an app; PetTag is managed from any browser, on a phone or a computer, which also means there's nothing to reinstall when you change phone.

Tags priced in dollars can carry international postage, a slower delivery and sometimes import charges, and returns are harder. A UK seller prices in pounds, posts domestically and is covered by UK consumer law, including your right to cancel an online order within 14 days.

1. Does anything need paying every month or year, and what stops working if you don't?
2. Can a finder use it with just a phone camera?
3. Are your phone number and address hidden until you choose to share them?
4. Can you update the details yourself, instantly, without buying a new tag?
5. Does it post to the UK, in pounds, with an easy return?
6. For a dog: will it sit alongside an engraved tag with your name and address, as UK law requires? See the UK dog tag law.

PetTag is for owners who want the simple version done properly: a QR code any phone can read, private contact details, instant updates, lost mode alerts, and one payment with nothing monthly. If you want a community recovery network, a paid plan like Crumb's may suit you better; if you want live location, you need a GPS tracker. You can see what a finder sees before you decide, or read about our smart pet tags.