What the code does on a phone
The code holds a vCard, the standard format phones use to exchange contacts. When someone scans it, the phone shows the contact details and offers to add them to the address book. Everything is inside the code itself, so it works without an internet connection and keeps working for as long as the card exists.
Include less than you think
Every field you fill in makes the code denser, and a dense code needs more space on a small card. Open the vCard QR code generator and fill in only what someone would actually use to reach you:
- Name, and job title or company if it matters.
- One phone number, in international format with the country code, such as +44 20 7946 0000. A number without the country code can dial the wrong country when a visitor from abroad scans it.
- One email address.
- Your website, if you have one.
Leave out the postal address unless people need to visit you. It is the longest field and the least used. Notes and second phone numbers can go too.
What phones support
The generator writes vCard version 3.0, which is the version iPhones and Android phones both read from a QR code. Accented characters and non-Latin names are supported, so type your name the way you write it.
Size on a card
A business card is scanned from about 20 to 30 cm away, so the code can be small, but a vCard holds more data than a link. Aim for at least 2.5 cm wide, and go larger if you included many fields. Download an SVG or a PNG at 1024 px or more so the printer gets a sharp file.
The back of the card is usually the best place. Give the code a clear white margin on all sides and do not print it over a photo or a coloured panel.
Keep the design plain
Because the code is dense and small, this is not the place for gradients, rounded dots or a large logo. Black dots on white, square corners, and at most a small logo at error-correction level H. A short frame text such as "Save my contact" tells people what the code does.
When your details change
A vCard code is static, so a new phone number means a new code and a reprint. If your details change often, put a short link to a contact page on your website in a website QR code instead. You can update the page any time without touching the cards. The trade-off is that the link needs an internet connection and depends on your website staying up.
Whichever you choose, scan a printed proof with two phones and check that the contact saves with the right fields before ordering the full box.