Does RiderSOS replace emergency services?
No - always call 999 first. RiderSOS doesn't replace emergency services; it gives paramedics, police, or anyone who finds you at the roadside a fast way to see the information that actually matters in the first few minutes: known allergies, medications, existing conditions, and who to contact. A helmet tag, key tag, or emergency card each open the same profile via NFC tap or QR scan, so whichever item is found first gets the same result, and none of them require the finder to have a RiderSOS account or app of their own. Think of RiderSOS as extra context that speeds up the right care once help is already on the way, not a substitute for calling for it. The scanned page itself repeats this: it leads with a clear "call 999 first" reminder before any medical detail, precisely so it can never be mistaken for a replacement for emergency services, only a faster route to the information they need once they arrive.
What does the responder see when they scan my tag?
Only what you choose to share. Your RiderSOS profile lets you control exactly which fields are visible on a public scan, field by field rather than all-or-nothing: your name, date of birth, allergies, medications, medical conditions, blood type, any specific instructions, and your emergency contacts. Anything you leave switched off simply doesn't appear on the page at all, for anyone who scans it. Medical details you do choose to share are stored encrypted rather than as plain text, and the page only ever reflects the fields you've explicitly turned on. You can update any of this at any time from your account, and changes apply immediately the next time the tag or card is scanned - there's nothing to reprint, reorder, or reactivate when your circumstances or contact details change. The same visibility rules apply no matter which of your products someone happens to scan, so a helmet tag and a key tag linked to the same profile will always show identical information.
Does RiderSOS work without a mobile signal?
The tag or card itself needs no signal or battery - NFC and QR are both passive, so tapping or scanning always works regardless of connectivity. However, the phone doing the scanning needs a data connection to load your live profile page, since your information is stored securely online rather than printed on the tag itself. This is a deliberate trade-off: storing details online, rather than baked into the physical product, is what lets you update your emergency contacts or medical notes at any time without needing to replace or reprint anything. In an area with no signal at all, a finder may need to move a short distance to where they can get connectivity before the page loads. We recommend still calling 999 immediately regardless of whether the profile loads straight away, since reaching emergency services never depends on RiderSOS.
How do I activate a RiderSOS tag or card?
Create or sign in to your RiderSOS account, then enter the RDR activation code printed on the product packaging or tag - it follows a fixed three-letter, four-character pattern, for example RDR-4F7Q. You'll also confirm what the product is for: a Rider Emergency Profile for a helmet tag, key tag, or emergency card, or a Bike ID Profile for a motorcycle-fitted Recovery Tag Pro. Because a rider profile can hold sensitive information, activating one requires an explicit consent step before it goes live, recorded against your account and reversible later from your dashboard. From there you fill in your rider emergency profile - medical information, emergency contacts, and any other details you want available - and attach the product wherever it'll actually be used: helmet, keys, or wallet. Activation only takes a couple of minutes, and the profile goes live as soon as you save it.
What is an RDR number, and do I need a separate one for every product?
Your RDR number is the unique activation code tied to your RiderSOS profile, printed on the back of each physical product. If you buy an Individual Protection Kit or Family Pack, every product inside that box shares the same RDR number, so you only need to activate once and every item points to the same profile immediately. If you buy products separately, or add more later, such as a second key tag for a spare set of keys, activate each one on your existing account rather than creating a new one, so your emergency contacts and medical notes stay linked across every product you own instead of being duplicated or split across separate profiles. Updating your profile once then updates what every linked tag shows the next time it's scanned, with nothing further to configure per product.
What if I lose my activation code or need to set up a replacement tag?
If you still have access to your RiderSOS account, you can view your existing RDR number and full profile details from your dashboard at any time - you don't need the physical code again once a product has been activated, since the code's only job is linking the physical tag to your account the first time. If you're replacing a lost, damaged, or stolen tag, contact RiderSOS support with your order details rather than trying to reactivate the old code yourself; we can deactivate the original tag so it no longer resolves to your profile, and link a new product to your existing account instead of starting your emergency profile from scratch. This also matters for privacy: deactivating a lost tag means anyone who finds it can no longer scan their way through to your real details.
What is Bike ID / Recovery Tag Pro, and how is it different from my rider emergency profile?
Bike ID is a completely separate profile from your personal emergency ID - it's built for the motorcycle, not the rider. Recovery Tag Pro fixes to the bike itself using a 3M adhesive mount, sitting discreetly rather than as an obvious deterrent, and opens a secure Bike ID page showing identification details, owner contact options, and stolen or missing status, without exposing your private information to whoever scans it. A finder taps the tag to check the bike's status, report it found, or contact the owner securely, entirely separate from any rider medical profile on the same account. You can run a rider emergency profile and one or more Bike ID profiles side by side on the same RiderSOS account, and activating one never overwrites or affects the other - each has its own RDR number and its own activation step, chosen when you first set the product up.
Does Bike ID track my bike's location in real time?
Not via live GPS. Recovery Tag Pro doubles as a crowd-sourced Bluetooth tracker, working with Apple's Find My network and Google's Find My Device network on Android - meaning any nearby compatible phone can anonymously help locate your bike, even one out of range of your own phone, without that person needing a RiderSOS account or knowing anything about you. This is different from a dedicated GPS tracker, which requires separate hardware, its own power source, and typically its own ongoing subscription; RiderSOS is deliberately upfront that Bike ID doesn't claim continuous live GPS tracking on its own, since coverage depends on nearby compatible devices passing by rather than a constant satellite link. For most riders this crowd-sourced layer, combined with the recovery-contact page anyone can scan, is the more practical everyday safeguard - it works out of the box with no extra app to install and no battery to charge on the tag itself.
What happens if my bike goes missing or is stolen?
Update your Bike ID profile's status to missing or stolen as soon as you notice - this changes what the public scan page shows and prompts safer next steps for anyone who finds it, rather than displaying your normal owner details. Add a recovery contact number if you want text alerts when the bike is scanned or a sighting is reported, so you hear about it the moment someone taps the tag rather than only if they choose to reach out separately. Keeping your bike's distinguishing features, colour, and any obvious marks current makes it easier for a finder to confirm they've got the right motorcycle before making contact, and it gives anyone checking a genuine sighting against your listed details something concrete to match, rather than guessing from memory. Once the bike is safely back, remember to set the status back to normal so the page stops showing recovery guidance to anyone who scans it afterwards.
Do I need to pay a subscription to use RiderSOS?
No. Every RiderSOS product, including the Helmet Tag, Key Tag, Emergency Card, and Recovery Tag Pro, includes a free-for-life emergency profile - there's no monthly fee required to activate, manage, or update your rider or Bike ID details, and no ongoing cost tied to the physical product itself. RiderSOS Pro is a separate, entirely optional upgrade for riders who also want scan alerts sent to emergency contacts, live ride tracking, and priority support layered on top of the same profile, but the core emergency ID and Bike ID functionality, including field-level privacy controls and encrypted medical data, never requires a subscription. You can activate every product you own and use RiderSOS fully without ever upgrading to Pro; current pricing for the optional Pro tier is listed on the pricing page, and you can cancel or downgrade it at any time without affecting your underlying emergency profile or any of your activated tags.
