Every Digital Product Passport must be linked to the physical product via a data carrier — a physical element the product bears that lets anyone access the DPP. The choice of data carrier depends on your product type, price point, and the environment in which the product will be used.
QR Code (Most Common)
The QR code is the standard choice for most product categories. It encodes a URL pointing to the DPP public viewer. Requirements under ESPR/Battery Regulation:
- Minimum size: 20mm × 20mm for most applications
- Error correction level: minimum Level M (15% damage tolerance)
- Must be scannable by a generic smartphone — no proprietary app required
- Must remain legible throughout the product's expected lifespan (use permanent inks/engraving)
- The URL must resolve to the DPP for a minimum of 10 years after placing on market (battery regulation requirement)
NFC Tag
NFC (Near Field Communication) is preferred for high-value products (luxury goods, EV batteries, industrial equipment) where a larger data payload and tamper-evidence are important. NFC tags can store up to ~8KB of data and can be read by any NFC-enabled smartphone. Key considerations:
- NFC chips add €0.10–€2.00 per unit — justified for products with high per-unit value
- Tamper-evident NFC labels break the chip circuit when removed — useful for anti-counterfeiting
- Works behind paint or thin plastic — useful for embedded installation
- ISO 15693 or ISO 14443 standard compliance required
RFID Tag
RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) is used primarily in industrial and logistics contexts where automated batch scanning is needed. A reader can scan hundreds of items per second without line-of-sight. Less suitable for consumer product DPPs where the end consumer needs to scan the code with a phone.
Using Multiple Data Carriers
The regulation permits (and in some cases requires) multiple data carriers. For example, an EV battery might have both an NFC chip embedded in the casing and a QR code label on the outer surface — the NFC for detailed technical data access by service technicians, the QR for consumer access.
URL Format Requirements
The QR code URL should follow the GS1 Digital Link standard when the product has a GTIN: https://id.gs1.org/01/{GTIN}/21/{SerialNumber}. For batteries using the EU Battery Passport system, the format will follow the CIRPASS/SCIP standardized namespace.