Contact card QR codes for business cards and badges

4 minute read · updated 2026-11-10

A contact card QR code lets someone save your name, phone number, email and website straight into their phone in one scan. No typing, no misspelt email address, no business card lost in a coat pocket. It is one of the most useful codes for anyone who meets people in person.

What is inside it

A contact card code holds a short block of text in a format called vCard, the same format phones use when you share a contact. It starts with BEGIN:VCARD, lists each detail on its own line, and ends with END:VCARD. When a phone camera recognises it, it offers to add a new contact with the fields already filled in.

Because the details live inside the code itself, no website is involved. It works offline, nothing tracks who scanned it, and it never expires. The flip side is that the details can't be changed after printing: if you move job or change number, you need a new code.

Which details to include

Every field you add makes the code denser, with smaller squares, so it needs to be printed larger to scan reliably. Include what people need to contact you, and leave out the rest.

Name, split into first and last name so phones sort it correctly.
Phone number in international format, starting with + and the country code, so it works for contacts abroad.
Email address.
Company and job title, if you are using it for work. People often search their contacts by company months later.
Website, if it is short.

A postal address, several phone numbers and a long note can easily double the size of the code. If you need to share a lot, put the extra details on a web page and include its address instead.

Photos generally can't be included. A picture is far too much data for a QR code that has to scan from a printed card.

On a business card

Business cards are small, so the code has to be efficient.

Aim for at least 2 cm across, and more if you include many fields. Test it at the printed size before ordering a box of 500.
Put it on the back, where it has room and a plain background.
Keep your name and phone number printed in text too. Not everyone will scan, and a card should work without a phone.
Add a few words such as "Scan to save my details", so people know it is a contact rather than a link.

Uncoated, textured card can blur fine detail. If you love a textured stock, use fewer fields or a slightly bigger code.

Other good uses

Name badges at conferences and trade shows.
Email signatures and slides, shown on screen at the end of a talk.
Shop counters and vans, for the main contact number.
Office reception, for a general enquiries contact.
Emergency or medical contacts on a luggage tag or a child's bag, with only the details you are comfortable sharing.

Contact card or a link to a profile page?

Some services offer "digital business cards": the code opens a web page with your details and a button to save them. That lets you update details later and add photos and social links, but it depends on the service staying online and often costs a monthly fee. It also means a website is involved every time someone scans.

A vCard code is simpler and more private. For most people with fairly stable details, it is the better default. If you change roles often, a link to a page on your own website, with a downloadable contact file, gives you flexibility without depending on a third party. Our guide to static and dynamic codes discusses that trade-off in general.

Check how it looks on different phones

Phones show contact cards slightly differently. Most iPhones and Android phones offer to add the contact directly from the camera. Some older Android phones, or third-party scanner apps, show the text first with an option to save. Test with at least two phones and check:

The name appears the right way round.
Accented letters, like é or ł, display correctly.
The phone number can be tapped to call.
The email and website open properly.

Keep your details private where they need to be

Everything in a contact code can be read by anyone who scans it, and it can't be withdrawn once it is printed. Use a work phone and work email on public material, and keep home addresses off anything that will be left on tables or posted in public places.