QR codes or NFC tags for guard patrols: how to choose
Most guard patrol systems use QR codes, NFC tags or both to confirm that someone reached each checkpoint. The right choice depends on how much proof each point needs, where it is and which phones your team carries.
Published 9 November 2026
The short version
- NFC gives stronger proof of presence, because the phone has to be at the tag.
- QR costs almost nothing to start and works on any phone with a working camera.
- Many sites use both: NFC where proof matters most, QR everywhere else.
- Test every point in place, with the phones your team will really use.
How each one works
A QR code is a printed square that the phone reads through its camera. The guard opens the app, points the camera at the code, and the scan is recorded against that checkpoint.
An NFC tag is a small chip in a sticker or disc. The guard holds the phone against it and the phone reads the chip at very short range. The tag needs no battery or wiring.
Side by side
| QR code | NFC tag | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to start | Printing only | You buy a tag for each point |
| How it is scanned | Phone camera, needs to see the code | Hold the phone against the tag |
| Poor light | Can struggle without a torch | Not affected |
| Proof someone was there | Weaker: a photo of the code can be scanned | Stronger: the phone must be at the tag |
| Weather and damage | Paper fades and tears, so laminate or protect it | Depends on the tag, so choose one rated for the location |
| Phones | Any phone with a working camera | Needs NFC: all iPhones on iOS 16+, most Android phones |
| Metal surfaces | No problem | Needs tags made for metal |
| Changing a damaged point | Print another | Write and fit a new tag |
Which to use where
Choose NFC for the points a client or insurer is most likely to ask about:
- Perimeter gates, plant rooms and other high-risk locations
- Dark areas such as basements, stairwells and car parks
- Places where a guard might be tempted to skip the walk
Choose QR when speed and cost matter more:
- Trying out a route before committing to tags
- Lower-risk indoor points in good light
- Teams whose phones have no NFC
Where to put checkpoints
- Put them at the far end of the area, so reaching the point means walking past what you want checked.
- Fix them at a height that is easy to reach, away from where they will be knocked or cleaned off.
- Avoid placing a QR code where it can be seen and photographed from a public area.
- Before you fix an NFC tag, try it on the actual surface. Metal and thick covers can stop it reading.
- Walk the whole route once before go-live, and time it, so the patrol window you set is realistic.
What a scan does not prove
A scan shows that a phone was at a point at a certain time. It cannot show that the guard looked around properly on the way there. To get more from each visit, ask a question at the checkpoint, or ask for a photo where it adds something, and look at how long patrols are really taking.
GPS is a useful second check on a scan, but it can be unreliable indoors and underground, so allow for that when you set how close a scan must be.
How this works in CheckTasks
Every checkpoint has its own QR code, which you print free from the dashboard. NFC tags are optional and written with the CheckTasks mobile app on Android or iPhone. Scans work without signal and sync later, and where a checkpoint has coordinates, each scan is checked against its location.
Frequently asked questions
Is NFC better than QR for guard patrols?
For proving someone stood at a point, usually yes, because a printed code can be photographed and scanned later from the picture. QR is cheaper and quicker to roll out, and it is often good enough on low-risk points, especially with a GPS check on the scan.
Can a guard fake a QR code scan?
It is possible if they have a photo of the code and nothing else checks the scan. A GPS check against the checkpoint makes this harder where the location signal is reliable. NFC tags can also be copied, but that takes deliberate effort and the right equipment.
Do all phones read NFC tags?
Every iPhone that runs iOS 16 or later can read them. Most Android phones can too, but some budget models have no NFC chip, so check the phones your team uses before buying tags. QR codes work on any phone with a working camera.
Can NFC tags go on metal?
Ordinary NFC tags often read poorly or not at all when stuck directly to metal. Use tags made for metal surfaces, and test each one in place with the phones your team will carry.
Can we use QR codes and NFC tags on the same patrol route?
Yes. Many sites use NFC at the points that matter most and printed QR codes elsewhere. In CheckTasks every checkpoint already has its own QR code, and you can add NFC tags where you want them.