I have some cool uses in mind for NFC tags but they don’t work reliably for me. (iPhone 13 Pro, iOS 16.2. I can code one with, say, a URL, but when I tap it, it works maybe half the time. I experimented with how I approach the tag, and bought two sets of dissimilar tags. A buddy says he has had the same experience. My girlfriend’s iPhone 14 Pro is more reliable but still just 75%.
Is this just how it is with iPhones and tags, or am I doing something wrong?
Same experience here…. 
Seems to be the case with NFC I think - my iPhone 13 Mini is hit and miss but it’s the same with the two Android phones I’ve tried with the same tags.
It could be the tags I guess - but it always seems hit and miss.
My XS had similar trouble reading tags. The 12 and its successors did much better. I assumed a bad sensor; you might as well, or it could be the tags or the material to which they’re attached.
Most people are buying consumer-level tags and trying not to spend a fortune on them. Look at all the factors that go into successfully and consistently reading an NFC tag.