Systemic Studios
Can I use an NFC tag as a business card?
Yes. Write a contact card or a link to your contact page onto an NFC sticker or card. Anyone with an NFC-capable phone can tap it to see your details.
Make an NFC business card people save in one tap
How an NFC business card works
An NFC business card is a normal card, sticker or phone-case tag with a small chip inside. You write your details onto the chip once. When someone taps it, their phone shows your details or opens your page.
There are two ways to set one up:
Option 1: a contact card (vCard) on the tag
The tag holds your contact details directly, in the standard vCard format that phones use for contacts. The other person can save you without visiting a website.
Option 2: a link to your contact page
The tag holds a web link, for example to a contact page with a "save contact" button, or to your LinkedIn profile.
Which should you choose?
- Contact card: best when you want your details saved straight into their phone with nothing in between. Keep it short, because tags have limited space.
- Link: best when you want the widest reach on iPhone. iPhone XS and later can open a link from a tag without an app, but an iPhone may not pop up a contact card from a tag on its own. A link also lets you update your details on the page without rewriting the tag.
Many people do both: a contact card tag on the card in their wallet, and a link tag on a stand or lanyard.
What to include
Keep it to what someone needs to contact you:
- Full name
- Role and business name
- Mobile number
- Work email
- Website
Optional, if space allows: a second phone number or your business address. Leave out long notes and photos. NTAG213, the tag NFC Ninja has been tested with on iPhone, holds 144 bytes, which suits a web link or a short contact card. If your details don't fit, use a link to your contact page instead.
Set up your NFC business card with NFC Ninja
NFC Ninja is coming soon to iPhone and Android. These steps follow the current app design.
- Choose Digital business card. On Home, tap Write a Tag. Under "What should your tag do?", choose Digital business card.
- Add your details. Fill in the fields from the list above, then tap Preview tag and check it.
- Write the tag. Tap Write to tag and hold the card or sticker near the top of your phone. On iPhone, keep NFC Ninja open while you write. Full iPhone steps.
- Let it check itself. NFC Ninja reads the tag back (Checking the tag) and only shows Tag written when the contents match.
- Keep it handy. Saved setups live in the My Tags tab, so you can rename one, duplicate it for a colleague, or rewrite it when your number changes.
Prefer a link? Choose a website link with your contact page address, or open the Library tab and tap Use this idea on a LinkedIn or portfolio idea.
Test it on the phones your contacts use
Before you print a box of cards, test your tag:
- Tap it with an iPhone and check what appears and what gets saved.
- Tap it with an Android phone with NFC switched on and do the same.
- Check the name, number and email came through correctly.
- If one phone doesn't show the card the way you want, switch that tag to a link to your contact page.
Phones handle tags differently, so a quick test on both is the only way to know how your card behaves for the people you meet.
Add your LinkedIn or portfolio
A business card tag can only hold one main instruction. If you want people to see your work as well as save your number, use two tags: your contact card on your business card, and a LinkedIn Profile or Portfolio Link tag on your phone case, lanyard or display stand. More ideas are in NFC tags for business.
COMING SOON TO IPHONE AND ANDROID
Set up your first tag with NFC Ninja
Pick an idea, build the tag in a few taps, write it, and see it verified. No account needed.
Frequently asked
questions
Do people need an app to read my NFC business card?
Not for a link. iPhone XS and later and most Android phones with NFC on can open a link from a tag without an app. A contact card stored on the tag may behave differently on iPhone, so test it, and use a link if you want the most dependable result.
What should I put on an NFC business card?
Name, role, business name, mobile, email and website. Keep it short, because tags have limited space. Put longer information on a web page and link to it.
Can I update my NFC business card if my details change?
Yes, if the tag isn't locked. NFC Ninja never locks a tag and asks Overwrite this tag? before replacing what's on it, so you can edit your saved setup in the My Tags tab and write it again.
Can I put an NFC tag on my existing business cards?
Yes. Thin NFC stickers can go on the back of a printed card. Avoid metal cards or metal phone cases unless the tag is made for metal, because metal can stop a standard tag from being read.