RFID Buying Checklist: 20 Questions You Must Ask Every Vendor

Why This Checklist Matters

Choosing an RFID system isn't a small decision. It covers hardware, software, tags, installation, and training, and it shapes how your warehouse runs for years. Choose the wrong vendor and you don't just lose time; you're locked into a contract, a mismatched system, and support that disappears after the sale.

This article follows up on 5 Ways to Choose the Right RFID Vendor. That article covered evaluation criteria; here we give you 20 specific questions to ask every vendor before signing a contract.

Use this checklist at every demo or vendor presentation. Record the answers and compare them across vendors. Hesitant or missing answers are your warning signs.

Section 1: Technical Questions (Tags & Hardware)

✅ Question 1: "What frequency and standard does your RFID system use?"

What you want to hear: UHF RFID in Indonesia's 920 to 923 MHz band (compliant with the regulations of Komdigi, formerly Kominfo) and the EPC Gen2 standard (ISO 18000-63).

Red flag: The vendor offers HF (13.56 MHz) as a "warehouse" solution. HF suits libraries and ticketing, not industrial warehouses. Or the vendor can't say which standard they use.

Why it matters: Tags from different vendors are only compatible if they use the same standard. Vendor lock-in starts here.

✅ Question 2: "What is the actual read range in real conditions, not ideal lab conditions?"

What you want to hear: The vendor tests reader range with your tags and items on site. Range varies by device, antenna, material, and environment; do not set a target before a site survey.

Red flag: The vendor promises a "12 meter read range" without any conditions. That's a datasheet number from an empty lab with no metal or liquid interference.

✅ Question 3: "What tags do you recommend for our specific materials (metal, liquid, plastic, fabric)?"

What you want to hear: The vendor asks you to describe the materials of the items you'll tag, then recommends the right tag type: anti-metal tags for steel or iron surfaces, laundry tags for fabric, waterproof hard tags for wet environments, and so on.

Red flag: The vendor recommends one tag type for every application without asking about your materials.

Simple test: Bring samples of 2 to 3 items you plan to tag to the demo, and ask the vendor to demonstrate their recommended tag on those items. If the read range is poor, you have your answer.

✅ Question 4: "Is your reader hardware locked to your software, or can it be used with other systems?"

What you want to hear: A confident vendor will say the hardware uses open standards (EPC Gen2) and is compatible with any system.

Red flag: "Our hardware only works with our platform." This is classic vendor lock-in: if you ever want to switch software, you'll have to buy all the hardware again.

✅ Question 5: "What is the MTBF (Mean Time Between Failures) and warranty for the hardware?"

What you want to hear: Handheld reader: at least a 1-year warranty and an MTBF of 5,000+ operating hours. Fixed reader: at least a 2-year warranty. The vendor provides loaner units during repairs.

Red flag: "The warranty depends on conditions." Or the vendor has no MTBF data at all.

Section 2: Software & Platform Questions

✅ Question 6: "Is the software cloud based or on-premise? Who hosts my data?"

What you want to hear: A clear explanation of the deployment model. Cloud SaaS means no server is needed, but your data sits on the vendor's servers. On-premise means full control, but requires your own IT infrastructure.

Follow-up for SaaS: "Where are your servers: in Indonesia or overseas?" For compliance with Indonesia's Personal Data Protection Law (UU PDP) and data residency, hosting in Indonesia is preferable.

✅ Question 7: "What happens if your company closes or stops operating? Can I export my data?"

What you want to hear: A written commitment that you can export all your data in standard formats (CSV, JSON, Excel) at any time, not only while the vendor is still operating.

Red flag: "Of course, no problem," with nothing in writing. Many Indonesian RFID startups have closed; make sure your data doesn't disappear with them.

✅ Question 8: "Does the platform support multiple warehouses or locations in one account?"

What you want to hear: Yes, with role-based access per location. A central manager sees all warehouses; a branch manager sees only their own.

Why it matters: Your business will grow. A platform limited to a single warehouse will force you to migrate again in 2 to 3 years.

✅ Question 9: "Is there a mobile app for the handheld scanner? Which OS versions are supported? How are updates delivered?"

What you want to hear: An Android app (APK) optimized for UHF RFID handhelds, not a generic Android app. OTA (over the air) updates that install automatically, without shipping units back to the vendor. Support for Android 10 and later.

Red flag: "We're developing the mobile app," which means it doesn't exist yet and you'll be a beta tester.

✅ Question 10: "Can the platform work offline if the warehouse internet goes down?"

What you want to hear: A written explanation of offline features, how data syncs after connectivity returns, and how conflicts are handled. Test this workflow before operational use.

Red flag: A system that only works online: if the internet drops for 10 minutes, all operations stop.

Section 3: Implementation & Integration Questions

✅ Question 11: "What is the implementation timeline for my business? What could slow it down?"

What you want to hear: A written estimate based on an assessment and the scale of your business. Good vendors will identify risk factors: number of SKUs, warehouse condition, staff availability for tagging, and integration complexity.

Red flag: "We can do it in 1 week for any business size," which is unrealistic for a proper implementation.

✅ Question 12: "Can you integrate with the ERP or accounting system we already use?"

What you want to hear: The vendor names specific systems they have already integrated with (not "it can theoretically be integrated"). Odoo, SAP B1, and Accurate are the most common in Indonesia.

Follow-up: "Is this integration two-way or one-way? Is custom integration work included, or quoted separately?" Get the answer in writing before you sign.

✅ Question 13: "Is there a site survey before implementation? Who conducts it?"

What you want to hear: Yes, there is always a site survey (in person, or remotely by video call), carried out by a certified vendor technician rather than a sales rep with no technical background.

Why it matters: Without a site survey, reader placement can be wrong, interference zones go undetected, and you only discover the problem after the hardware is installed.

✅ Question 14: "How many tags do I need to buy initially? Is there a minimum order?"

What you want to hear: The vendor calculates based on your actual SKUs and items, not an oversized round number. No unreasonable minimum order (such as more than 5,000 tags for a small business).

Red flag: "Minimum order of 10,000 tags" for a business with 500 SKUs. You're forced to stock far more tags than you need, enough to last 2 years.

✅ Question 15: "Can tag prices decrease as purchase volume grows? Can I buy tags from other sources?"

What you want to hear: Yes to both. EPC Gen2 tags are a commodity; you should be free to buy them from Alibaba, other distributors, or directly from tag factories in Shenzhen if they are cheaper and compatible.

Red flag: "You must buy tags only from us to guarantee compatibility." This is vendor lock-in on consumables, which does the most damage over the long term.

Section 4: Support & SLA Questions

✅ Question 16: "What is your SLA for technical support? How long is the response time?"

What you want to hear: Written into the contract: a response time of 4 hours or less for critical issues on business days, and 24 hours or less for non-critical issues, with clear support channels (email, phone, ticketing system).

Red flag: "We're very responsive," without written SLA numbers. That means there's no commitment at all.

✅ Question 17: "Is onsite support available if there's a hardware problem? What does it cost?"

What you want to hear: For serious hardware problems, the vendor has technicians who can come to your site, with clear terms (included in the monthly fee or charged per visit).

Critical question for foreign vendors: "Is your technical team based in Indonesia?" Overseas vendors without a local team in Indonesia practically cannot provide onsite support.

✅ Question 18: "What's the minimum contract length? What are the penalties if I want to leave before the contract ends?"

What you want to hear: Good SaaS providers offer monthly terms with no lock-in, or annual terms with an exit option and 30 to 60 days' notice.

Red flag: A 2-year minimum contract with a heavy exit penalty, a sign that the vendor isn't confident in its own product.

✅ Question 19: "Are there client references I can contact directly? Can I visit a live implementation?"

What you want to hear: Many clients keep their names private, which is normal. A confident vendor can still show the system working: a live test on your own items, a walkthrough of a running deployment, or a reference conversation arranged with a client's permission.

Red flag: No way to see the system working at all, only slides, brochures, and lab demos.

Questions to ask references: "Was the implementation completed on time? What problems came up after go-live? How was the vendor's support in the first 6 months?"

✅ Question 20: "What's your product development roadmap for the next 12 months? Who decides on new features?"

What you want to hear: The vendor has a clear roadmap (they don't need to share every detail, but they must have one). For local Indonesian platforms, active customers should have a say in feature development.

Red flag: "We're continuously developing," without being able to name a single concrete feature in progress or planned. Or: "New features are only for the Enterprise tier."

How to Use This Checklist

Step 1: Before the meeting. Print or save this checklist. Add columns for "Vendor A Answer", "Vendor B Answer", and "Vendor C Answer".

Step 2: During the demo. Don't get carried away by a smooth demo; demos always look good. Ask these questions during the demo and watch whether the presenter answers directly or needs to "confirm with the technical team later."

Step 3: After the demo. Score each vendor from 1 to 5 on each question. The vendor with the highest total score is the strongest candidate.

Step 4: Negotiation. Use weak answers as negotiation leverage: "Vendor B provided a written 4-hour SLA. Can you match that?"

Step 5: Contract. Make sure all critical answers (SLA, data export, freedom to source tags, minimum orders) are written into the contract, not just promised verbally.

Quick Scorecard: Red Flags vs Green Flags

About Katalyst

We're happy to answer all 20 questions above, and we encourage you to ask them. A few honest answers from us:

• Hardware: All our readers use the open UHF EPC Gen2 standard, so you're free to use another platform if you ever decide to switch
• Tags: You're free to buy compatible EPC Gen2 tags from any source
• Contract: No long term lock-in
• Data: CSV/JSON export at any time, included as standard
• Workflow experience: Timber processing, jewelry retail, and warehouses connected to an ERP
• Technical support: Remote assistance and onsite visits as needed

Schedule a Free Consultation to Go Through These 20 Questions With Our Team → | Read Our Industry Workflows → | Request Your RFID Scope →