A retail security system (an EAS or "anti-shoplifting" system) has four parts: towers at the door, tags or labels on the merchandise, a detacher or deactivation pad at the register, and usually a base plate so the towers bolt down without drilling the floor. When a tagged item passes the towers without being paid for, the towers alarm. This guide covers how to choose each part for an independent store. Prices are as of September 2026 and can change, so check the product page before you order.
1. Pick the frequency first: RF 8.2 MHz or AM 58 kHz
Every tower, tag and label in your store has to use the same technology. There are two:
| RF, 8.2 MHz | AM, 58 kHz | |
|---|---|---|
| Compatible with | Checkpoint systems | Sensormatic systems |
| Typical stores | Clothing, pharmacies, grocery, boutiques, optical | Wide entrances; stores with a lot of metal near the door (gas stations, convenience stores) |
| Labels | Thin flat stickers, 1 1/2" or 2" square, a few cents each | Small raised plastic strips, about 1 3/4" long |
| Our towers | Ebony Mono, Ebony II, Duo Guard, Tri-Guard, Clear Fazor, Nedap (refurbished) | Sensormatic Ultra Post, Sky-Guard, Carpet System |
An 8.2 MHz tag will not set off 58 kHz towers, and the other way round. If your suppliers already ship merchandise tagged, buy the frequency they use so you never re-tag. Not sure what you have? Look at a label (flat sticker = RF, raised strip = AM), or read AM vs RF: which system does your store need?
2. Measure the entrance: how many towers
- Single door, 3 to 4 ft wide. One tower on the handle side of the door, or a pair for the widest coverage. Our RF towers detect tags about 3 ft to either side. The Ebony II package is built for exactly this doorway.
- Double door, about 6 ft. One tower in the middle of the opening, or two towers with one on each side, or a three-pillar system that leaves two clear 3 ft lanes.
- Wider openings. A Ketec panel covers 5 ft to each side (up to a 20 ft opening with two panels). AM systems and the door-frame-mounted Sky-Guard (openings up to 8 x 12 ft) suit mall entrances and wide storefronts.
- Lots of metal near the door (metal frames, racks, a checkout counter right beside it)? Tell us when you ask for a quote. Metal interferes with RF, and AM often works better there.
3. Match the tags and labels to what you sell
- Clothing and soft goods: reusable hard tags with pins. Black mini tags are the everyday choice; maxi tags give stronger detection on wide doors; pencil tags for delicate fabrics. Hard tags come back to the register and are used again, so they are mostly a one-time cost.
- Boxed goods, bottles, books, cosmetics: disposable security labels, blank or with a simulated barcode, deactivated at checkout.
- Leather, purses, shoes, sunglasses, cords: anything a pin would damage takes a hard tag on a lanyard or P clamp.
- Eyeglasses and sunglasses: eyeglass tags that clip to the arm of the frame.
- Extra deterrent: ink tags stain the garment if forced off, with or without an alarm system.
4. At the register: detachers and deactivators
Hard tags need a magnetic detacher: the standard detacher for most Checkpoint-style tags, the Superlock detacher for Superlock tags, and Sensormatic SuperTag and Gator removers for AM tags. Keep at least two per store. Paper labels are switched off with a deactivation pad, and the DV 1000 tester confirms the pad is working.
5. What it costs
| Part | Example | Price (Sept 2026) |
|---|---|---|
| Refurbished tower | Nedap tower, RF | $999 |
| New single tower | Ebony Mono, RF | $1,499 |
| Complete package | Ebony II: two towers, 1,000 tags, 1,000 labels, 2 detachers, deactivation pad | $1,999 |
| Two-pillar system | Duo Guard, RF | $2,250 |
| AM pillar | Sensormatic Ultra Post, refurbished | $1,699 |
| 1,000 hard tags with pins | Black mini tags | $250 |
| Detacher | Standard magnetic / Superlock | $50 / $75 |
| Label deactivation pad | Checkpoint, refurbished | $299 |
A boutique with one 3 to 4 ft entrance is fully set up with the Ebony II package, plus shipping. More detail is in What does a retail security system cost?
6. Installation
Most of our RF towers are installed by the store itself. A 3 ft base plate (or a 6 ft plate for a double door) lets the towers bolt to the plate instead of the floor, which matters in leased spaces and on tile. The manuals and installation videos walk through the setup, and Ebony towers carry a 2-year parts warranty with 5 years of phone support. Some AM systems need a technician; the product page says so.
7. Or start from a kit
If you would rather not pick parts, the kits bundle the right towers, tags, labels and register tools for one type of store and one single-door entrance: the shoe store kit, the liquor and wine store kit, the pharmacy and convenience store kit, and the Ebony II for clothing and general retail.
Get a quote for your door
Tell us your door width, what you sell and whether your merchandise arrives tagged, and we will recommend a system. Call 812-201-5900 (Mon to Fri, 9am to 5pm Eastern), email mary@sensortags.com, or ask for a free quote.