GS1 EPC Tag Data Standard and Auburn ARC inlay specifications

Retailer RFID programmes such as Walmart's tell suppliers to encode tags to the GS1 EPC Tag Data Standard and to use inlays approved under Auburn University's ARC specifications for their product category. A new or revised ARC spec changes which inlays qualify, so check the retailer's playbook and the ARC approved list before buying.

These two documents together decide what an acceptable supplier tag looks like in retailer programmes. The GS1 EPC Tag Data Standard fixes how suppliers encode the tag, and Release 2.3 was ratified in October 2025. The ARC specifications from Auburn University's RFID Lab fix how well the inlay must perform for each product category.

RFID News reported in April 2026 that each ARC specification sets the read performance expected in free air, against different substrates, close to other tags and at varying angles. Specification H version 1.1, dated 2024, is current, and SML said its GB25U8 UHF inlay, launched in April 2026, was the first to meet it.

For inlay makers, a new or revised ARC specification decides whether their products stay on retailers' approved lists. For suppliers, the practical step is to check the retailer's playbook and the ARC approved list before buying inlays.