NFC or QR digital business card: a QR code works with any phone camera and needs no chip. NFC is one tap faster, but it needs a chip in the card and a phone with NFC turned on. For most businesses, a solid option is to use both pointing to the same digital card.
Here is how each works on iPhone and Android, a comparison and how to choose.
How does an NFC digital business card work?
An NFC card holds a small chip that stores a link in NDEF format, defined by the NFC Forum. When you bring a phone close, the chip hands over the link and the phone opens it. It needs no battery and no app.
- Android: the system reads the tag and looks for something to open; it works with the screen unlocked and NFC turned on in Settings (Android documentation).
- iPhone: from the iPhone XS on, the phone reads NFC tags in the background and shows a notification; tapping it opens the link, in Safari if no app claims it. Apple does not support custom link schemes, only regular web links, and it uses only the first record on the tag (Apple Developer).
The range is very short: the phone has to almost touch the card, according to Android's documentation.
How does a QR digital business card work?
A QR code is an image that contains the link.
The phone camera recognizes it and offers to open it. It needs no chip or NFC, and it works on paper, on a screen, in a presentation or on another phone's screen. Its limit is physical: it must be printed at a good size and contrast, and the camera needs to see it.
NFC or QR digital business card: what are the differences?
| NFC | QR | |
|---|---|---|
| Needs a chip in the card | Yes | No |
| Works on any phone with a camera | No: depends on NFC | Yes |
| Experience | One tap | Open the camera and point |
| Works on a screen (video, presentation) | No | Yes |
| Change what it shows without reprinting | Yes, if it points to a link you own | Yes, if it points to a link you own |
What happens when you change jobs or phones?
The chip or the QR store a fixed link; what changes is the page it leads to. In our digital cards the link is mokev.net/cards/your-name: you edit the profile and the physical card, with NFC or QR, shows the new information without reprinting. Our NFC cards carry an NTAG213 chip.
That is why the link on the chip or the QR should be yours and stable, not that of a tool that may disappear.
Which one should you choose for your business?
- Salespeople and sales teams: NFC and QR together. The tap is fast in a meeting, and the QR works when someone has no NFC. The Team plan lets you give a card to each salesperson.
- Restaurants and shops: a QR on the table or counter, for the digital menu, catalog or bookings.
- Events and fairs: both, plus a screen with a large QR for people passing by at a distance.
- Independent professionals: a card with NFC and the QR in your email signature.
If you only need a code, generate one for free with our QR generator. If you want a full profile with catalog, WhatsApp and statistics, see the digital cards.
Which mistakes are worth avoiding?
- Using a link with a custom scheme on the NFC tag: iPhone will not open it. Use a regular
https://link. - Not testing on iPhone and Android before printing or encoding a batch.
- Making the QR too small or low in contrast.
- Not leaving a visible backup: also write the short address under the QR.
- Depending on a link you do not control that might stop working.
If you want a digital business card for your business, see our digital cards service or write to us.
Frequently asked questions
Does NFC work on every iPhone?
Automatic background tag reading arrives with the iPhone XS and later models. Earlier ones do not have it, so a QR is the alternative.
Do I need to install an app to read an NFC card or a QR code?
On Android it is enough to have NFC on, and on an iPhone XS or later, to tap the notification. A QR is read with the camera. In both cases the link opens in the browser.
Does a QR code expire?
A normal QR does not expire: it is an image with a link. What can fail is that the link stops existing. That is why you should point to an address you maintain.
Can NFC and QR be used at the same time?
Yes, and it is the most common setup: the physical card carries the NFC chip and the printed QR, both pointing to the same profile.
Does the card update itself if I change my details?
The physical card does not change; your online profile does. Since the link is the same, whoever uses it sees up-to-date information.
