What Is a QR Code Business Card?
A QR code business card is a business card whose contact details are reached by scanning a printed QR code. The code can either encode the details directly, which fixes them permanently, or point at a contact page, which keeps them editable after printing.
Two Kinds of Code, and the Difference Matters
A QR code on a business card can work in one of two ways. The first encodes the contact details themselves into the pattern, so scanning it offers to save the contact with no network involved. The second encodes a short link to a contact page, so scanning it opens that page. They look identical on paper and behave very differently a year later: the first is frozen at the moment it was printed, while the second follows whatever the page now says.
Where to Put the Code
Give the code its own quiet space rather than tucking it into a corner behind text. Keep a clear margin around it, print it at a size that survives being scanned across a desk, and test a scan on the actual stock under the actual lighting before ordering a run, because gloss and low light account for most codes that scan fine on screen and fail in the room. A code on the back of an otherwise normal card is usually the easiest version to get right.
When a Link Is the Better Choice
Whenever anything on the card is likely to change. Titles, direct lines, office addresses and company names all move more often than a print run allows for. A linked code means one edit instead of a reprint, and it means the cards already in other people’s wallets keep pointing at details that are still correct.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a QR code business card expire?
A code that encodes the details directly never expires but also never changes. A code that links to a contact page keeps working for as long as that page does, which on this product means for as long as the account is active.
How big should the code be printed?
Big enough for the distance it is scanned from. On a business card, held at arm’s length, a code around two centimetres square with a clear margin around it is a sound starting point, and worth testing on the real stock before a full run.
Create Your Own QR Code Business Card
Put your details on one card page, share it by link or QR code, and change them whenever they change. The printed code keeps working. No credit card required to start.