How to make a vCard QR code for your business card

A vCard QR code puts your contact details on a business card, a name badge, a flyer or your email signature, so people can save you in their phone with one scan instead of typing your number. QR Crab offers two versions, and the right one depends on whether your details might change.

Make your vCard QR code

1. Choose vCard. In the dashboard, click New QR code and choose vCard under Basics.
2. Choose Trackable or Static. vCard starts on Trackable: scans open your contact page with a Save contact button, and you can update it later. Pick Static if you want the phone to add the contact straight away, even offline. This can't be changed after you create the code.
3. Fill in your details. Enter a First name and Last name, or at least a Company. Add whatever else you want people to save: Job title, Phone, Mobile, Email, Website, your address and a Note.
4. Add a photo (trackable only). On a trackable card, upload a Photo or logo. It's shown at the top of your contact page.
5. Style it and add a frame. The Save contact frame (marked Suggested) adds “Save my contact” to the code. Add your colors and logo if you like.
6. Create and download. Click Create QR code, then Download. For printed business cards, an SVG (Premium and Pro) or the largest PNG your plan allows keeps the code sharp.

In the guided editor (Try the new editor (beta)), the fields are in the Content step, styling and frames in Look, and the name in Finish.

What people see when they scan

Trackable vCard: a contact page

The code opens a clean contact page hosted on QR Crab, in the language of the visitor's phone (English or Spanish). It shows:

• Your photo (or your initials), your name, job title and company.
• A big Save contact button that adds you to their contacts.
• Quick Call, Email and Website buttons.
• Your details in a list; tapping the address opens it in Google Maps.

Because it's trackable, every scan shows up in the code's Stats, and you can change your details any time without reprinting. It counts toward your plan's trackable codes (Free: 3) and needs a confirmed email address. On the Free plan the page shows a small “Made with QR Crab” badge; Premium and Pro remove it.

Static vCard: straight into contacts

The contact card itself is stored in the code. The phone offers to add the contact right away, even without an internet connection. Static codes are unlimited on every plan, but they aren't tracked, can't include a photo, and can't be changed after you print them.

Which should you choose?

• Trackable if you might change jobs, phone numbers or email, if you want a photo, or if you'd like to know how many people scan your card.
• Static if your details are stable, you want it to work with no signal, and you don't need stats.

Still unsure? Static vs trackable QR codes: what's the difference? compares the two in detail.

Tips for business cards

• Size: on a standard business card, give the code at least about 2 cm (0.8 in) across, plus a clear margin around it.
• Contrast: dark dots on a light background scan best. The preview tells you if a color choice makes the code hard to read.
• Test: print one card and scan it with a couple of different phones before ordering a full batch. More in How to download and print your QR code and How to design a QR code: colors, logo and frames.

Common questions

What's the difference between vCard and MeCard?

Both add a contact to the phone. vCard is the full format, and on QR Crab it can be trackable, with a contact page and a photo. MeCard is a shorter format that's always static: fewer fields (one address line, no company or job title), so the code stays simpler.

Can I update my details after the cards are printed?

Yes, if the code is trackable. Open it, go to Edit & design, change the details and click Save changes. People who scan from then on see and save the new details. A static vCard holds the details inside the code, so it can't be changed: you'd need a new code and new cards.

Why is my static vCard code so dense, or why won't it save?

A static code stores every character you type. The more fields you fill in, the more dots the code needs, and above about 1,000 bytes it can't be saved at all. Leave out what people don't need (like a long note), or use a trackable vCard, which always stays small because the details live on the contact page.

Does a vCard QR code work on iPhone and Android?

Yes. Phone cameras recognize static contact codes and offer to add the contact. A trackable code opens your contact page in the browser; Save contact downloads the card as a standard .vcf file that the phone opens in its contacts app.

Who can see my contact details?

Anyone who scans the code, just like a paper business card. Only add details you're happy to share. Scan stats for trackable codes record when and roughly where a scan happened and the device type, not who scanned it. See What does QR Crab record when someone scans a code?.