vCard vs a QR on a business card
This page encodes the person. The number and email are stuck in the printed pattern. If you want a card whose link can change — a booking page this month, a portfolio next — use a dynamic QR code for a business card instead, and keep the vCard for one-off intros.
What scanners do with it
A compatible scanner reads the vCard and offers a contact preview or an import action. Behavior varies by phone, camera app and scanner: some show the raw BEGIN:VCARD text instead. Scanning does not automatically save a contact. Confirm the save or import action, then check the entry in your contacts app.
How big the code gets
Every field you add makes the code denser. Measured with the encoder this generator uses; sizes are modules across, without the 4-module clear border that downloads add. The page starts with the phone logo, which switches to the highest error correction (H); No logo uses M.
| Fields filled | vCard bytes | No logo | Phone logo (default) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name | 64 | 37×37 | 45×45 |
| Name, phone | 85 | 41×41 | 53×53 |
| Name, phone, email | 107 | 45×45 | 57×57 |
| Name, phone, email, company | 134 | 49×49 | 61×61 |
| All four, long name, email and company | 208 | 57×57 | 77×77 |
Business-card link (HTTPS://QEX.ME/AB3XK) | 20 | 21×21 | 25×25 |
Each grid size is a QR code version: 37×37 is version 5, 41×41 is version 6, 45×45 is version 7, 49×49 is version 8, 57×57 is version 10. See how much fits in each of the QR code versions 1 to 40.
Size follows the byte count, not which fields you fill: accented letters such as é or ü take 2 bytes each. A bigger grid needs a bigger print for the same scanning distance; the print-size calculator turns a grid into millimetres and a PDF proof (it measures without a logo, so compare it with the No logo column). A business-card link stays 21×21 however much your contact page says, and you can change where it points after printing.
Check a real contact before printing the batch
Use only the fields you want recipients to keep. Anyone with the QR artwork can read those contact details. More text makes a denser code; keep the content focused and retain the white border.
Follow the print-size and quiet-zone guidance, then test the actual exported artwork. If the camera cannot read the image, use the scan troubleshooting checklist. If it reads the text but cannot import a contact, check scanner compatibility instead of repeatedly changing the colours.
Need a destination you can change after printing? Make a business-card link QR to a contact page you maintain. That changes where future scans go; it does not update contacts already saved on someone’s phone.
How to make a vCard QR code
- Add a nameThis is the display name on the contact sheet. Company-only cards still need a name — use the person or the desk.
- Add phone, email, organisationAll optional. Skip what you do not want saved on a stranger’s phone.
- DownloadChoose A4 or US Letter for a free PDF sheet of four 90 × 120 mm contact cards, or download SVG for your own print layout and PNG for screens. Print the sheet at 100% actual size rather than fit-to-page; measure a 90 mm edge before cutting. No account is needed. Keep the file: this browser-generated static contact code has no editable Qex workspace.
- Check the saved contactScan a proof at its intended printed size with the phones your visitors use. Confirm the import, then open Contacts and check the name, full phone number, email and organisation. If the scanner only shows text, try a scanner that supports vCard import or offer a readable contact alternative.
Check your QR before printing
Keep the full clear margin around your downloaded QR. Print one proof at the final size, measure it, and scan it with the phones your visitors use before ordering a batch.
Compare QR print dimensions and make an A4 or US Letter proof for a plain, no-logo static link or text code. For your existing dynamic code, paste its Qex short link, rather than the destination, to keep the same redirect in the proof. For a code with a logo, frame, Wi-Fi details or a contact card, test the actual downloaded artwork; the plain calculator does not reproduce that design.
Diagnose a QR code that will not scan or open if a proof fails.
Questions
Does scanning open a website?
The QR contains vCard contact data rather than a website link. A compatible scanner offers a contact preview or import. You still need to confirm saving it. For a website or booking destination, use a link QR instead.
Why does my scanner show BEGIN:VCARD instead of saving a contact?
That scanner may recognise the QR image without supporting contact import. Try a scanner with vCard support and test the saved details. Put a readable phone number or email beside the print so visitors still have a way to contact you.
Will editing the form update a card I already printed?
No. The contact data is inside the static pattern. A changed name, phone or email needs a new download and reprint. Contacts someone already saved also keep their old details; a new QR does not update their address book.
Can I update the number later?
Not on this static code. Print a new one, or put a changeable link on the card instead.
Is my contact uploaded?
No. The vCard is built in the browser, same as a Wi-Fi code.
What’s the difference between this and a business-card QR?
vCard = the contact itself. Business-card QR = a short link on the card that you can retarget after the cards are printed.