Free vCard QR Code Generator

A contact card someone saves in one tap

A business card gets typed in by hand or lost in a drawer. A vCard QR code skips both. Someone points a phone camera at it, taps once, and your name, phone, email, company, job title and website are sitting in their contacts. No typing, no app, nothing to lose.

This vCard QR code generator makes that code. Fill in the fields, pick a style, and download the code as a PNG or SVG. Everything runs in your browser, so your details never leave your computer. There is no signup and no watermark.

What is actually inside a vCard QR code

A vCard QR code is not a link and it does not point at a server. It is a small block of text in a standard format called vCard, encoded as a QR code. For a contact named Jane Smith at Acme Inc., the text looks like this:

BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
N:Smith;Jane;;;
FN:Jane Smith
TITLE:Head of Sales
ORG:Acme Inc.
TEL;TYPE=CELL:+1234567890
EMAIL:[email protected]
URL:https://acme.com
END:VCARD

Each line is one field:

• FN is the full name as it should display.
• N is the structured name, split into family and given names.
• TITLE is the job title, ORG the organization.
• TEL, EMAIL and URL are the phone, email and website.

When a phone camera reads text that begins with BEGIN:VCARD, it recognises a contact and offers to save it instead of opening a browser. Everything the phone needs is inside the code, which is why it keeps working with no internet connection and never expires on its own.

Only the fields you fill in are included. A code with just a name and a phone number carries only those two lines, so it stays small and scans quickly.

Names and companies with commas or semicolons

The vCard format gives four characters a structural meaning inside a field: the backslash \, the semicolon ;, the comma , and the line break. The semicolon in particular separates the parts of a name, so a value that contains one has to be handled carefully.

Consider a contact whose name is written Ravi, Kumar, or a company called Nimbus; Retail. If the generator drops those characters straight into the payload, the comma and semicolon are read as field separators. The phone imports a contact with the name cut in half, or the company name split into pieces, and nothing on screen explains why the saved contact looks wrong.

The format solves this by escaping. Each of those four characters is written with a backslash in front of it when it appears inside a value:

So Nimbus; Retail is stored as ORG:Nimbus\; Retail, and the phone reads the company name back in one piece. This tool applies that escaping for you. You type the name and company exactly as they are, and the encoding is handled underneath. It is still worth scanning your finished code with your own phone before you print a batch of business cards, which is true of any generator.

What to put on the code

A vCard can hold far more than a name, but a contact card that is quick to scan and quick to read beats an exhaustive one. A few guidelines:

• Name and one phone number is the minimum that is genuinely useful. Everything else is optional.
• Use a mobile number if you want people to be able to call or text you from the saved contact straight away.
• Add the company and job title when the code is for work. It is the difference between "Jane" in someone's phone and "Jane Smith, Head of Sales, Acme".
• A website turns the contact into a doorway. Point it at your homepage, your portfolio, or a booking page.
• Leave out what does not apply. A code with fewer fields is a smaller, denser QR that scans faster from further away.

Which phones can scan it

Both major platforms read vCard QR codes from the built-in camera, with no separate app to install.

• iPhone: the Camera app has recognised QR codes since iOS 11, released in 2017. Point it at the code and a notification offers to create the contact.
• Android: recent versions scan QR codes from the camera app or from Google Lens, and offer to add the contact directly.

Older devices may need a QR scanner app, but on anything sold in the last several years the camera is enough.

Where a vCard QR code earns its place

• Business cards: printed in a corner, so a card that would be typed in or binned becomes a saved contact instead.
• Email signatures: as a small image people can scan off their screen.
• Conference badges and lanyards: the fastest way to swap details at an event without fumbling with a networking app.
• Trade show stands and posters: a passer-by saves your details in the second they are interested, not later when they have forgotten.
• Storefronts and receipts: so a customer can save the shop's number and website to call or reorder.
• Real estate and vehicle signage: the contact goes straight into the phone of someone standing in front of the property.

Making cards for a whole team at once

One person needs one code. But a whole team, a sales floor or a franchise roster needs one code each, all in the same style. The CSV Upload tab builds them in one pass and hands back a zip with one PNG per row.

The columns are the same fields you would type by hand:

Name,Phone,Email,Organization,Job Title,Website
Jane Smith,+1 555 0101,[email protected],Acme Inc.,Head of Sales,https://acme.com
"Ravi, Kumar",+1 555 0102,[email protected],"Nimbus; Retail",Store Manager,https://nimbus.io
Dana Lee,+1 555 0103,[email protected],Freelance,Designer,https://danalee.design

• Name is the only column a row cannot do without.
• Phone, Email, Organization, Job Title and Website are each optional, and a blank cell is simply left out of that person's card.

Note row 2: the name contains a comma and the company a semicolon, both wrapped in quotes so the CSV itself parses correctly. You never escape anything for the QR code. Type each value exactly as it is, and the vCard escaping is applied when the code is built. That is the whole reason to use columns rather than pasting a BEGIN:VCARD block, because a hand-written payload carrying an unescaped ; produces a card that scans and then saves a broken contact.

This is the part that matters for offices, sales teams, franchises and anyone who has to hand out fifty cards that all look the same.

Print it so it gets scanned

• Say what it is. "Scan to save my contact" above the code tells people what will happen when they point their camera at it.
• Do not print it too small. Around 2 to 3 cm square is the practical floor on a business card. Bigger is better on a poster or a badge.
• Keep the contrast high. A dark code on a light background scans best. A pale code on a photo is the most common reason a scan fails.
• Download the SVG for print. SVG is vector, so it stays sharp at any size. Use the PNG for a screen, an email signature or a social post.

Frequently asked questions

How does a vCard QR code work?

A vCard QR code encodes a small block of text in the standard vCard format, beginning with BEGIN:VCARD and listing fields such as FN for the full name, TEL for the phone and EMAIL for the email address. When a phone camera reads text that starts with BEGIN:VCARD, it recognises a contact and offers to save it instead of opening a browser. The code is not a link and it does not contact any server; everything the phone needs to create the contact is contained in the code itself.

What information can I put in a vCard QR code?

This generator covers the fields people actually use on a contact card: full name, phone number, email address, organization, job title and website. Only the fields you fill in are written into the code, so a card with just a name and a phone number stays small and scans quickly, while a full card carries everything. There is no need to fill in every field; leave out whatever does not apply.

Will a vCard QR code work on both iPhone and Android?

Yes. iPhones have recognised QR codes in the Camera app since iOS 11 in 2017, and current Android versions scan them from the camera or from Google Lens. On both, a code that begins with BEGIN:VCARD prompts the phone to create a contact with the fields already filled in. Very old devices may need a separate scanner app, but no app is required on a reasonably recent phone.

My name or company has a comma or semicolon. Will the contact still save correctly?

Yes, as long as the generator escapes them. The vCard format uses the semicolon, comma and backslash as separators inside a field, so a value containing one has to be written with a backslash in front of it, or the phone reads only part of the name or splits the company into pieces. This tool applies that escaping automatically, so you type your name and company exactly as they are. It is still worth scanning your finished code with your own phone before printing a batch.

Do I need an app to scan it, and does it need an internet connection?

No app and no internet. On a reasonably recent iPhone or Android phone the built-in camera reads the code and offers to save the contact. Because the code contains the contact details directly rather than a link to a server, it works completely offline, both when you create it here in your browser and when someone scans it later.

Can I make vCard QR codes for a whole team at once?

Yes. The CSV Upload tab takes a file with the columns Name, Phone, Email, Organization, Job Title and Website, and returns a zip containing one PNG per row, named after the person. Name is the only column a row cannot do without; every other field is optional and a blank cell is simply left out of that card. You type each value exactly as it is, including any comma or semicolon, because the vCard escaping is applied when each code is built. This is aimed at offices, sales teams and franchises handing out matching cards.

Does the vCard QR code expire or can I edit it later?

The code never expires on its own, because it is a fixed image of a fixed piece of text. It keeps working for as long as the details on it are current. It cannot be edited after it is made, though: the contact details are baked into the image, so if your phone number or job title changes you make a new code. If you expect your details to change often, point the website field at a page you control and update that instead.

What size should I print a vCard QR code?

Around 2 to 3 cm square is the practical minimum on a business card held at reading distance, and bigger is better on a badge, a poster or a shop window seen from further away. Download the SVG for anything you are printing, because it is vector artwork and stays sharp at any size, and use the PNG for screens, email signatures and social posts. Keep the contrast high, with a dark code on a light background.