QR Codes for Business Cards

Two kinds of contact QR code

A plain contact code holds your details directly in the pattern, in the vCard format phones use for contacts. When someone scans it, the phone offers to save the contact straight away. It works without internet, but it is static: the details are fixed for as long as the card exists, nobody can count the scans, and the pattern gets dense as you add details, which makes it harder to print small.

A vCard page code holds a short link instead. Scanning it opens a mobile page with your photo, name, job title and contact details, and an Add to contacts button that saves you to the phone. Your details are stored in your account, so you can update them after the cards are printed, and every scan is counted.

The vCard QR code on this site is the page kind. For most people the ability to update the details is worth more than working offline: job titles, phone numbers and companies change more often than people order new cards.

Contact page vs plain contact code

What to include on your contact page

The vCard page has room for more than fits on the card itself. Fill in what someone would need to reach you:

• Your first and last name, exactly as you want them saved in other people's phones.
• A photo. People remember a face better than a name, especially after a busy event.
• Company and job title.
• Mobile phone and, if you have one, a work phone. Use the international format, such as +44 20 7946 0000, so the number works from abroad.
• Your email address and website.
• Your work address, if people visit you.
• A short About text: what you do, or how you met people at the event. Keep it to two or three lines.

How to create a business card QR code

1. Open the generator and choose vCard.
2. Fill in your name, photo, company, job title, phone numbers, email, website and address. Only the first name is required, but the more you add, the more useful the contact is.
3. Pick a page color that matches your card or brand.
4. Design the code: choose colors, add your logo if you like, and keep the pattern dark on a light background.
5. Sign in with Google or your email and download the code. Choose SVG for the print file, because it stays sharp at any size.
6. Scan the code with your phone, tap Add to contacts and check that every detail is saved correctly.

Size and placement on an 85 x 55 mm card

A standard European business card is 85 x 55 mm, and the common US size is 3.5 x 2 in (about 89 x 51 mm). On either, the code should be at least 2 cm (0.8 in) wide. 2 to 2.5 cm is a good size for most cards: large enough to scan easily, small enough to leave room for your name and details.

Keep the empty margin around the code, called the quiet zone. Our downloads include it, so do not crop it, and keep text, lines and the card's edge away from the pattern. Leave at least 3 to 4 mm between the code and the trim line, because cutting is never perfectly exact.

Many people put the code on the back of the card, alone or with a short line such as "Scan to save my contact". That leaves the front for your name and logo and gives the code room to breathe. For more on sizes and file formats, see QR code size for printing.

Design tips

• Use a dark pattern on a white or light background. Brand colors are fine if the pattern stays clearly darker than the background. The generator warns you when the contrast is too low.
• A small logo in the middle works well. We read every design back before download and block it if it does not scan.
• Matte card scans more reliably than glossy or metallic finishes, which reflect light.
• Avoid spot gloss, foil or embossing over the code itself. Keep effects for the rest of the card.
• Add a short call to action next to the code. People are more likely to scan when they know what it does.
• Print a proof and scan it with an iPhone and an Android phone before ordering the full run.

Update your details without new cards

Because the code holds a short link, you can change everything behind it at any time. New job title, new phone number, a better photo: edit the vCard in My QR Codes, and everyone who scans one of your existing cards sees the new version. A box of 500 cards no longer goes in the bin when something changes.

People who already saved your contact keep the version they saved. If something important changes, such as your phone number, let your regular contacts know.

See how your cards perform

Every vCard code has its own statistics: scans and unique visitors by day, devices, operating systems and countries. Taps on the Add to contacts button are counted separately as button taps. That number shows how many people went on to download your contact card, not only looked at the page.

When your code is scanned for the first time you get an email, which is a good sign the cards are working. If you hand out cards at a trade show, check the statistics afterwards to see how many people followed up. More on this in how to track QR code scans.

If you use different cards for different purposes, for example one set for a trade fair and one for daily use, create a separate code for each and give them clear names. You will see which set brings more contacts.

Use the same code beyond the card

Once you have a contact page, you can use the same code anywhere people might want to save your details. Because it is one code, everything stays in sync: update your phone number once and it is right everywhere.

• Name badges at conferences and trade shows, where people scan instead of swapping cards.
• Your email signature, as a small PNG image next to your name.
• Your CV or portfolio, so a recruiter can save you in one tap.
• The last slide of a presentation, so the audience can save your contact before you leave the stage.
• Your shop counter or reception desk, for customers who want to call you back.

Mistakes that make card codes fail

• Printing the code smaller than 2 cm to fit more text on the card.
• Putting the code on a dark or patterned background without a light box behind it.
• Letting the printer trim into the quiet zone because the code sits too close to the edge.
• Linking to a page that is hard to use on a phone, such as a full desktop website or a PDF.
• Leaving out a photo or job title, so people who met many others that day cannot tell which contact is yours.
• Ordering 1,000 cards without scanning a single proof first.

Other codes for a business card

A contact page is the most common choice, but not the only one. Depending on what you want people to do, you could also link to:

• LinkedIn, if your network matters more than your phone number.
• List of Links, for a page with your website, portfolio and booking link together.
• Social Media, for creators and brands with several profiles.
• Business Page, for a shop or local service with opening hours and an address.
• Website URL, if your website already has a good contact page.

Questions