RFID · Professional and Enterprise
RFID portals at the dock
An RFID portal is a fixed reader with antennas at a warehouse doorway. Chainlink WMS compares the goods that pass through it with what the shipment, receipt or transfer expects, and separates expected, read, missing and unexpected tags.
- Available in
- Professional and Enterprise
- Validates
- Shipments, receipts and transfers
- Verified readers
- Zebra FX9600 and STid SPECTRE
Reviewed October 29, 2026 by the Business in a Wave team
What an RFID portal does in a warehouse
A portal reads the goods that cross the dock without stopping the loading. A missing package, or a package from another order, is detected at the dock instead of at the customer.
- Each validation is a session, such as RF-000123, visible live in Operations › RFID sessions
How a validation starts
A validation starts in one of four ways. If the portal cannot determine which document the reads belong to, the pass waits until a supervisor assigns it.
With the document label
EMB-, TR-, PK- or LP- labels open the session, which closes 10 seconds after the last read.
Without a document label
Each crossing is a pass (PAS-000123) that looks for the shipment being loaded at its dock.
From the document
From the RFID validation panel of the shipment, receipt or transfer.
With the handheld
Validate with RFID, when receiving a transfer.
How each read is classified
A tag read many times counts as one item. Document and pallet tags only provide context.
- Expected
- Items of the document.
- Other document
- Items reserved by another open document.
- Unexpected
- Registered items without a document.
- Unknown
- Unregistered tags; they do not fail the validation.
When a validation passes
A validation passes when every expected item was read and no tags from other documents or unexpected tags were read. Otherwise, it fails and lists its discrepancies.
- A user with permission can approve it as an exception with a reason
- The rule «RFID validation to dispatch» blocks, warns or requests approval
Verified readers
Two fixed readers tested by BW on physical equipment.
Reader status
A portal shows «Online» only when the reader has responded and «Offline» when it has stopped reporting. RFID portals › Monitoring shows the status live.
- An STid reader depends on Chainlink Wizard running as a system service
- A Zebra FX reader stores the reads it could not deliver
The cost of a portal in Chainlink
Each fixed reader registered as a portal uses one RFID portal license: US$45 per month in Professional and US$75 in Enterprise, plus VAT.
- Without a license, the portal reads but does not reconcile
- The reader, antennas and installation are purchased from a distributor
| Feature | Essentials | Professional | Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| RFID portals and validation of receipts, shipments and transfers | No | Yes | Yes |
| RFID portal (per month) | Not available | US$45 | US$75 |
How it is configured
Help center articles with the steps inside Chainlink.
Keep reading
Frequently asked questions
For any other question, contact sales.
Does portal validation move stock? +
No. The validation compares what was read with what the document expects and records the result. Stock movements are made by the receipt, the shipment or the transfer.
What happens if a portal loses its connection? +
The portal shows «Offline» when the reader stops reporting: an STid reader as soon as Chainlink Wizard detects that it does not respond, and a Zebra FX reader when its periodic reports stop arriving. A Zebra FX reader stores the reads it could not deliver and sends them when it reconnects.
Can an existing fixed reader be used? +
The Zebra FX7500, ATR7000 and FXR90, the Impinj R700, Speedway R420 and R220, and other LLRP readers are compatible. If your model is not on the hardware list, send the brand and model to sales before purchasing.
Subscribe to Chainlink online
Your instance is created when sign-up is complete, ready to set up your warehouse.
Essentials and Professional are purchased online by card: the first month and the implementation are charged at subscription. 30-day trial by invitation: request it from sales.