step 1Get your materials

step 1Get your materials

Items needed:
- Spare credit/debit card with embedded RFID chip (if go to your bank and request a new card they will typically send you a new card w/ the same number and info).
- Scissors
- Cellphone
- Magic marker/ Sharpie

step 4How to kill your RFID chip

step 4How to kill your RFID chip

In this step I will describe a few ways to permanently disable or kill an RFID chip. Most products that you own that contain RFID tags belong to you, so you have the right to destroy them; however, tampering with a US passport is a federal offense. Luckily there are ways to kill an RFID tag without leaving any evidence, so as long as you are careful, it would be pretty hard to prove that you did anything illegal.


-The easiest way to kill an RFID, and be sure that it is dead, is to throw it in the microwave for 5 seconds. Doing this will literally melt the chip and antenna making it impossible for the chip to ever be read again. Unfortunately this method has a certain fire risk associated with it. Killing an RFID chip this way will also leave visible evidence that it has been tampered with, making it an unsuitable method for killing the RFID tag in passports. Doing this to a credit card will probably also screw with the magnetic strip on the back making it un-swipeable.

-The second, slightly more convert and less damaging, way to kill an RFID tag is by piercing the chip with a knife or other sharp object. This can only be done if you know exactly where the chip is located within the tag. This method also leaves visible evidence of intentional damage done to the chip, so it is unsuitable for passports.

-The third method is cutting the antenna very close to the chip. By doing this the chip will have no way of receiving electricity, or transmitting its signal back to the reader. This technique also leaves minimal signs of damage, so it would probably not be a good idea to use this on a passport.

-The last (and most covert) method for destroying a RFID tag is to hit it with a hammer. Just pick up any ordinary hammer and give the chip a few swift hard whacks. This will destroy the chip, and leave no evidence that the tag has been tampered with. This method is suitable for destroying the tags in passports, because there will be no proof that you intentionally destroyed the chip.

ActiveWave Solution

How an ActiveWave Solution is Different from Other RFID Solutions:

There are many companies that claim to provide RFID solutions. Some are systems integrators who bring together RFID technologies from several different manufactures. Others design RFID components, such as RFID tags or readers, but rely on systems integrators to provide a complete RFID solution. ActiveWave provides you with what we believe is a better approach. Our staff of dedicated RFID hardware and software engineers designed ActiveWave RFID technology from the ground up. Our systems engineers look at the needs of industry and tailor this technology for specific applications. Therefore, we provide you with both the technology and the entire integrated solution.


An ActiveWave RFID solution offers you the following advantages:

Advanced ActiveWave RFID tags with read ranges up to 85 meters.
Long life and highly durable.
Compact RFID readers designed with the latest technology and wireless links to the host computer make installation a snap.
User-friendly host software using familiar Windows ME, 2000 or XP.

ActiveWave has created a complete RFID solution tailored to the needs of various industries.

Some of the applications include:

Inventory Tracking
Container/Pallet Tracking
Parking Lot Control
Manufacturing Lines
Rental Cars
Fleet Maintenance
ID Badges
Hospital Equipment Tracking

ActiveWave Solutions Are Flexible:

The flexibility of the ActiveWave system lies in our exclusive ActiveWave software, which ties together the information programmed into the RFID tags with easy-to-use portable data collection tools.
From package shipping, to commercial trucking yards, product distribution, postal service, and just-in-time manufacturing, ActiveWave has the solution to automated logistics management. Our standard software platform ties together the RFID tag's information, barcode, and portable data collection tools. It is easy to accommodate any new technology as well. The wireless communications network between the readers and the host make the system installation very easy. Through wireless communications networks, data sources are linked to decision support, planning and scheduling tools.