Prada Authenticity Card and NFC Tag Explained

Prada's authenticity FAQ says it guarantees product authenticity through the Aura Blockchain Consortium. Prada Group announced in April 2021 that it had created the consortium with LVMH and Cartier, part of Richemont, to give consumers direct access to product history and proof of authenticity, with a unique certificate for the owner.

On the product, the link is an NFC tag. Prada says the tag can exchange information with a compatible smartphone held nearby, and that no personal data is stored in its tags.

Prada says that in most cases the tag is not visible, because it is integrated inside the product. Its FAQ lists where to look by category:

Prada says that after purchase you can request the Digital Certificate of Ownership by tapping the NFC tag integrated in the product, and that the certificate gives access to exclusive services and benefits for a selection of Prada products. Ownership is transferred by following the instructions that appear when you tap the tag.

Prada also says that if a product is returned, it reacquires ownership of the returned item. In a private sale, agree before payment how and when the certificate will be transferred.

Prada says its NFC tag can be irreversibly deactivated at any time. A tag that does not respond may have been switched off, may sit where your phone does not reach it, or may not exist on a piece made before Prada added tags.

None of these is proof of a fake on its own. Treat a silent tag the way you would treat a missing card: as a reason to look harder at the item, not as a verdict.

1stDibs, the luxury marketplace, wrote in 2022 that every Prada bag comes with a certificate of authenticity in a black envelope embossed with the Prada name. In the resale market this is usually called the Prada authenticity card.

A card is a separate document. It can be printed by counterfeiters or moved from a genuine bag to another one, and it only helps when its details clearly match the item it came with. A missing card on a used bag is common and does not prove a fake, while a card offered as the main proof of a bag deserves questions.

A certificate reached through the tag inside the product is the clearest signal Prada offers, because Prada says it guarantees authenticity through this system. Compare the product it describes with the model, color and size in front of you.

Neither a tag nor a card replaces the item itself. Compare the nylon or leather, construction, triangle logo and lettering, hardware, interior labels and the seller's history. Vereev is independent of Prada, and its review is not a Prada certification.