> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.flexwash.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# RFID Tags

> Identify members at the lane, even when the camera can't.

An RFID tag is a small wireless sticker that mounts on a vehicle's windshield.
When that vehicle pulls into your tunnel, the lane's RFID reader picks up the
tag and identifies the vehicle, and its membership, before the license plate
camera has a chance.

FlexWash supports RFID tags as a per-vehicle identifier. Assign one tag to one
vehicle, and that vehicle gets recognized the moment it enters the lane.

## Why use RFID Tags?

License Plate Recognition (LPR) is fast, but it has limits. Plates get dirty,
weather obscures them, and some vehicle designs reflect or block the camera's
view. RFID picks up where the camera leaves off.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Faster recognition" icon="bolt">
    RFID reads complete before the camera finishes processing the plate, so
    members move through your lane sooner.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Higher confidence" icon="shield-check">
    An RFID read is treated as a perfect match and overrides camera reads when
    the two conflict.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Works when LPR doesn't" icon="cloud-rain">
    Dirty, snow-covered, or obscured plates that fail the camera still resolve
    cleanly via RFID.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Opens the gate automatically" icon="door-open">
    At unattended lanes, an RFID-identified active member triggers the gate to
    open without waiting on the camera.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Note>
  RFID is layered on top of LPR, not a replacement for it. If a vehicle has no
  tag, the camera still handles recognition normally.
</Note>

## Assigning a Tag

You can assign or update a vehicle's RFID tag from two places: the CRM
customer detail page, or the Pay Tablet.

### From the CRM

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the customer's profile">
    Search for the customer in the CRM and open their profile.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Locate the Vehicles section">
    Scroll to the **Vehicles** card. The **RFID Tag** column shows each
    vehicle's current tag, or blank if none is set. Click the pencil icon on
    the row you want to edit.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/flexwash/DoI-y-EkfS9VAGEX/operations/customers/rfid-tags/rfid-tag-vehicles-card.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=DoI-y-EkfS9VAGEX&q=85&s=b6c85ebff10e342584f1a2876014395f" alt="RFID Tag column on the Vehicles card" width="2576" height="1557" data-path="operations/customers/rfid-tags/rfid-tag-vehicles-card.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter the tag">
    In the **Update Vehicle** modal, type or paste the tag value into the
    **RFID Tag** field, then click **Continue**.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/flexwash/DoI-y-EkfS9VAGEX/operations/customers/rfid-tags/rfid-tag-edit-modal.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=DoI-y-EkfS9VAGEX&q=85&s=0cd7c14089791483659cba41c353b5b6" alt="RFID Tag field in the Update Vehicle modal" width="2314" height="1800" data-path="operations/customers/rfid-tags/rfid-tag-edit-modal.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm and submit">
    Add an optional reason for the change on the confirmation step, then
    submit. The new tag takes effect immediately.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### From the Pay Tablet

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the customer's profile">
    From the Pay Tablet, search for the customer and open their profile. The
    **Vehicles** tab lists each vehicle on the account.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/flexwash/DoI-y-EkfS9VAGEX/operations/customers/rfid-tags/rfid-tag-pay-tablet-vehicles.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=DoI-y-EkfS9VAGEX&q=85&s=545735de12c4c9ec1b3666d1f04d77ba" alt="Vehicles tab on the Pay Tablet customer details page" width="2576" height="1331" data-path="operations/customers/rfid-tags/rfid-tag-pay-tablet-vehicles.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Edit the vehicle">
    Tap the pencil icon on the vehicle you want to update.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enter the tag and update">
    Enter the tag value in the **RFID Tag** field of the **Edit Vehicle**
    modal, then tap **Update**.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/flexwash/DoI-y-EkfS9VAGEX/operations/customers/rfid-tags/rfid-tag-pay-tablet-edit-modal.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=DoI-y-EkfS9VAGEX&q=85&s=5f7733cc28439d29076a4c7040d562e3" alt="RFID Tag field in the Edit Vehicle modal on the Pay Tablet" width="1104" height="1170" data-path="operations/customers/rfid-tags/rfid-tag-pay-tablet-edit-modal.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Format and Uniqueness

* **Free-form text.** Enter the tag exactly as it is printed on the sticker.
  There is no required length, prefix, or character set.
* **Uppercased automatically.** Stored tags are always uppercase. You can
  enter mixed case and the system normalizes it on save.
* **Unique within your organization.** A tag can only be assigned to one
  vehicle in your organization. Attempting to reuse a tag that is already in
  use returns a `Duplicate RFID Tag` error.

## Audit Trail

Every RFID tag change is captured automatically on the customer's **Comments**
timeline. Entries record what changed, who changed it, and the reason if one
was provided. Use the Comments tab to verify what was changed and by whom.

## Finding a Customer by RFID

You can find a customer by RFID tag from the customer search page. Enter the
tag value, or any portion of it, in the search bar. Tag matches are
case-insensitive and partial, so you do not need to format the input.

## Read Limitations

RFID is reliable, but a small number of vehicles have windshields or hardware
that can interfere with the radio signal.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Vehicle limitations" icon="car" href="/technical/hardware/lpr-rfid">
    See the list of vehicle types whose windshield coatings or hardware can
    block RFID and LPR reads.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Reader troubleshooting" icon="scanner-gun" href="/technical/hardware/rfid-reader">
    For RFID reader hardware checks, including power, cabling, and network
    connectivity.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>
