Business card QR code
One scan and your full details land in the other person's contacts. No more card lost at the bottom of a pocket.
What a vCard is
The vCard is the standard contact-card format — the one natively understood by the iPhone address book, Android, Outlook and the rest. Encoded into a QR code, it turns swapping cards into a single gesture: the other person scans, their phone offers "Create contact", and every field is already filled.
Unlike a link, a vCard is self-contained. The code genuinely holds your name and number, so it works with no signal — in a lift, in a trade-show hall — and depends on no website that might one day close.
vCard or link?
Both are defensible; it comes down to how stable your details are.
- A vCard works offline, never expires and sends nobody to a website. In exchange it freezes your details: change your number and the cards already handed out are wrong. And because it holds more text, the pattern is noticeably denser.
- A link to a contact page gives a much simpler code — easier to scan at small sizes — and lets you fix your details at any time. But it needs a signal at the moment of scanning, and a page that stays online.
In practice: vCard for a freelancer whose details rarely move, link for a company that reprints often or whose roles change. If you cannot decide, the vCard is the safe pick — it depends on nothing.
Filling the fields well
- Use the international phone formatWrite +44 7700 900123 rather than 07700 900123. That is what lets an overseas contact call you without editing the number by hand.
- Only fill what mattersEvery extra field thickens the pattern. Name, phone, email and company cover most cases; add the website only if it is short.
- Double-check the email spellingA typo in a printed code is paid for in reprinted cards. Test it by scanning yourself.
- Export SVGYour printer works in vector. SVG stays sharp at 1.5 cm and at 10 cm.
Printing it on a card
- 2 cm across minimum, and rather 2.5 cm for a full vCard. This is the most demanding format there is: a lot of data on a small surface.
- Keep the quiet zone. The temptation to trim it for space on a business card is strong — and it is the number one cause of unreadable codes.
- Matt finish over gloss. A gloss-laminated card bounces light straight back and makes scanning harder.
- Put the code in a corner, never across a fold or a die-cut.
- A centre logo is a bad idea here. The pattern is already dense and a logo eats what little margin is left. If you insist, stay under 20 % and test thoroughly.
Frequently asked questions
Are my details stored anywhere?
No. Everything is computed in your browser; the fields are sent to no server and vanish when you close the tab.
Why is my code so dense?
A vCard holds far more text than a link. Drop the optional fields and print larger.
Is the contact added automatically?
No, and deliberately so: the phone shows the card and asks for confirmation before saving.
Can I encode two phone numbers?
The generator offers one number and one email, which covers the essentials and keeps the code readable. For a richer card, a link to a contact page is the better route.
Does the code expire?
Never. It depends on no server and stays valid as long as your details do.