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How to Make a vCard QR Code for Your Business Card

Published 30 October 2026 · 6 min read

Handing over a business card is easy; getting the details into a phone is not. Someone has to type your name, number and email, and one wrong digit means you never hear from them. A vCard QR code fixes that: the person points their camera at the card, taps Add contact, and your details are saved, spelled correctly.

This guide shows how to make one with the free vCard QR Code Generator, what to put in it, and how to make sure it scans on every phone.

What a vCard QR code contains

vCard is the standard format phones and email programs use for contacts. The QR code simply holds a short vCard text. For a full card it looks like this:

BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
N:Lovelace;Ada;;;
FN:Ada Lovelace
ORG:Analytical Engines Ltd
TITLE:Head of Research
TEL;TYPE=CELL:+44 7700 900123
TEL;TYPE=WORK,VOICE:+44 20 7946 0000
EMAIL:ada@example.com
URL:https://example.com
ADR;TYPE=WORK:;;12 Byron Street;London;;W1 2AB;United Kingdom
END:VCARD

The camera app on iPhones and on most Android phones recognises it and offers to add the contact; no extra app is needed. Because the details are inside the code itself, it works without internet and keeps working for as long as the details are right.

How to make a vCard QR code, step by step

  1. Open the vCard QR Code Generator. Business card is already selected.
  2. Fill in the fields you want to share: First name, Last name, Company, Job title, Mobile, Work phone, Email, Website and the address. Empty fields are left out of the card.
  3. Choose your colours and, if you like, add your logo. The preview updates as you type.
  4. Click Download SVG for print, or Download PNG for screens, email signatures and slides.
  5. Scan the downloaded code with your own phone and check every detail before you print.

Less is more: which details to include

Every field you add makes the code denser, with more and smaller squares. The generator’s real numbers:

  • A website link: a grid of 25 × 25 squares.
  • Name, mobile and email (125 bytes): 49 × 49.
  • The full card above, with company, title, two phones, website and address (303 bytes): 69 × 69.
  • The same full card with a logo, which needs High error correction: 89 × 89.

Denser codes need to be printed bigger and are harder to scan in poor light. On a small business card, name, mobile, email and website are usually enough; the address is already printed on the card anyway.

Tips for details that work

  • Write phone numbers in international format, such as +44 7700 900123, so they work when the card travels abroad.
  • Use an email address that will last. A personal address in a company code goes out of date when you change jobs.
  • Put the company in Company, not in the name fields, so phones file the contact correctly.
  • Check the spelling of names with accents; they’re stored exactly as you type them.

How big to print it

Business cards are scanned from about 15 to 25 cm away. A small card code (name, mobile, email) works at about 2 cm wide. A full card, or one with a logo, should be at least 2.5 to 3 cm, with a white border around it. Print a test card and scan it with two different phones before ordering a whole batch. More tips in how to make a QR code that works.

vCard or link: which should you use?

A vCard code is static: the details are printed into it, so it can’t be changed later. That’s ideal for business cards, which you reprint when your details change anyway. If your details change often, or you want people to see more, such as a portfolio or a booking page, point a website QR code at a contact page you control instead. For a short message or a code to type, use Text to QR Code.

Is what I type uploaded?

No. The QR code is made in your browser, so your details never leave your device while you create it. Remember, though, that anyone who scans the printed code can read everything in it, just like the card itself, so only include what you’re happy to share.

Frequently asked questions

Do people need an app to scan it?

No. The camera app on iPhones and most Android phones reads vCard codes; on older Android phones, Google Lens does.

Does the code expire?

No. The details are inside the code, so it works for as long as they’re correct, without any service in between.

Can I add a photo to the contact?

No. A photo is far too large for a QR code. Name, numbers, email, website and address fit comfortably.

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