vCard QR code generator: save a contact in one scan

A vCard QR code stores a short block of text in the vCard format. When a phone camera reads it, the phone recognizes a contact card and shows a preview with an "Add to contacts" or "Create new contact" button.

What the vCard text looks like

A minimal vCard 3.0 inside a QR code looks like this:

• BEGIN:VCARD
• VERSION:3.0
• N:Raman;Aisha;;;
• FN:Aisha Raman
• ORG:Northwind Labs
• TITLE:Head of Partnerships
• TEL;TYPE=CELL:+44 20 0000 0000
• EMAIL:aisha@northwindlabs.com
• URL:https://northwindlabs.com
• END:VCARD

N holds the structured name (last; first; middle; prefix; suffix) and FN the formatted display name. Commas, semicolons and backslashes inside values must be escaped with a backslash, which CardDeck does automatically.

vCard 3.0 vs 4.0

vCard 3.0 is defined in RFC 2426 and vCard 4.0 in RFC 6350. Version 4.0 adds features such as better support for multiple languages and new property types, but phone cameras and address books handle 3.0 most consistently. CardDeck uses vCard 3.0 for static codes, so the contact saves the same way on iPhone and Android.

Offline by design

A static vCard code needs no internet connection. The phone reads the contact directly from the code, which makes it useful at events or in buildings with poor signal.

Fill in your contact details, choose static or dynamic, style the code and download it. The free CardDeck tool builds a static vCard code in your browser in under a minute.

Step by step

1. Enter your name as first and last name, so phones sort the contact correctly. 2. Add your company and job title. 3. Add one phone number in international format, such as +44 20 0000 0000, so it works for contacts abroad. 4. Add your email and website. 5. Choose static or dynamic. - Static: the vCard is in the code. Free, unlimited, offline. - Dynamic: the code opens your digital business card, which has its own save-to-contacts button. 6. Style it with your colors and logo. Keep a dark code on a light background. 7. Download SVG for print or PNG for slides and email. 8. Test the save on an iPhone and an Android phone and check every field lands where it should.

Keep it lean

Every field you add makes the code denser. Name, company, title, one phone, one email and one website is the sweet spot for a static code. If you want a photo, several numbers, social links and an address, use a dynamic code and a digital card instead.

Use a static vCard QR code for a simple contact that will not change and must work offline. Use a dynamic code linked to a digital card when your details may change, when you want a photo and links, or when you want to know how often it is scanned.

Static vCard QR codes

• The contact data lives in the code.
• Saves offline, with no web page in between.
• Cannot be edited. A new job or number means a reprint.
• Gets dense quickly: a full vCard can easily take hundreds of characters, producing a code with many small modules that needs a larger print size.

Dynamic vCard QR codes

• The code stores only a short link, so it is simpler and can print smaller.
• The link opens your digital card, with a button that downloads a vCard to the phone.
• Change your title, number or company and the same printed code shows the new details.
• Scan counts by date, device type and approximate region.
• Needs an internet connection at the moment of scanning.

The usual answer

For business cards and badges that will be handed out for months, a dynamic code is usually the better choice. That is the idea behind the QR code business card: a printed card whose code always opens your current details. Static vCards still suit one-off events, offline venues and people who want no account at all.

A vCard QR code can include any vCard property, but phones reliably import the core fields: name, organization, title, phone, email, website and address. Keep to these for the most consistent results.

Fields CardDeck includes

• N and FN: structured and display name.
• ORG: company or organization.
• TITLE: job title.
• TEL: phone number, marked as mobile.
• EMAIL: email address.
• URL: website.

Fields to think twice about

• PHOTO: an embedded photo is far too large for a QR code. Use a dynamic code and a digital card, which shows your photo and saves it with the contact.
• ADR (address): useful for shops, but long. Add it to your digital card rather than the code.
• NOTE: long notes make the code dense and are often ignored.
• Several phone numbers and emails: each one adds length. Pick the one you want people to use.

Size limits

A QR code can hold up to 2,953 bytes, but a vCard anywhere near that would need to be printed very large to scan. For a business card, aim for a vCard well under 300 characters, or use a dynamic link.

Use a vCard QR code anywhere someone wants to save your contact without typing: the back of a paper business card, a name badge, an email footer image, a slide or a shop counter. Print it at least 2 × 2 cm.

Good placements

• Paper business cards. The code on the back saves your details in one scan.
• Event badges and lanyards. Swap contacts without exchanging cards.
• Presentations. Put it on the last slide so the audience can save you.
• Reception desks and counters. For a shop, clinic or agency contact.
• Packaging and invoices. For an account manager or support line.

Print size

• Business card (scanned in hand): at least 2 × 2 cm (about 0.8 in). A dense static vCard may need 2.5 cm or more.
• Badge (scanned at arm's length): 3–4 cm.
• Slide or poster: about one-tenth of the distance to the furthest viewer.

Keep a quiet zone of four modules around the code, and test the print before ordering a full run.

Teams

If a whole team needs codes, a static vCard per person quickly becomes hard to maintain. Team plans give each person a card on a locked brand template with its own code, and admins can deactivate a card when someone leaves.

A vCard QR code shares exactly the details you put in it with anyone who scans it, so only include information you are happy to hand out. Static codes from the free tool are generated in your browser and not stored by CardDeck.

What to keep in mind

• Anyone can read it. A QR code is not encrypted. Do not include a home address or personal number you would not print on a card.
• Static codes cannot be withdrawn. Once printed, the details are out there. A dynamic code can be paused or re-pointed.
• Scans of static codes are not tracked. Nobody, including CardDeck, knows who scanned it.

With a dynamic code

Dynamic codes count scans as aggregated data: counts, dates, device type and approximate region. Visitors to your digital card can optionally share their own details back through a contact exchange form, which records their consent. That is how a scan can become a saved lead in contact management rather than a one-way hand-off.

The general QR code generator covers the other code types, such as WiFi and WhatsApp, that you might want next to your contact code.