Sharing your contact details with vCard QR codes

vCard QR codes offer one of the quickest and most convenient ways to share your contact details.

Instead of typing your number into someone’s phone or giving them a business card that may never be seen again, use a QR code to make it super easy for them to save your contact details right away.

vCard (also known as VCF) is a file format for electronic business cards. Most modern smartphones (iPhones, Androids etc) support the vCard format. When opened, they pre-fill a new contact ready to be saved.

They can be shared via sms, as links, or pretty much any way a file can be shared.

They're essentially a text file formatted in a certain way. Here's what a vCard looks like behind the scenes:

BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
N:Sarah;;
FN:Sarah Jonas
TEL;TYPE=cell:+44 73728293
URL:https://drjonas.com
END:VCARD

However they are shared, vCards are way more convenient than the alternative of typing out someone's contact details.

QR codes are an ideal way to share vCards, especially in real life situations where sending an email or typing a link into a browser isn't as convenient.

Business cards

A vCard QR code is the perfect addition to your business card. If you give someone your business card, you likely want them to contact you at some point. A vCard QR code makes it super easy for them to save your details and contact you in the future.

Email signature

Adding a vCard QR code to your email signature makes it easy for people reading your emails on desktop to save your contact details to their phone. All they need to do it scan and save!

Leaflets and posters

If you run a service business that's mostly managed by phone and email, asking potential customers to save your details in their phone makes perfect sense. When they need the service you provide, you'll be the first person they think to contact. Some examples of service businesses that this approach could work for: Mechanic, plumbing, hair dresser, window cleaner, etc.

Creating vCard QR codes with Hovercode is super easy and free:

1. Select the vCard QR code type
2. Add your contact details
3. Design your QR code
4. Generate

That's all there is to it. At this point you can download your QR code and add it to whatever designs you want. When people scan it, they will be prompted to save your contact details.

Make sure you enable the "dynamic" option if you want to be able to edit your contact details without having to reprint the QR code. The dynamic option also means you can track how often people are scanning your vCard QR codes, which is super helpful if you're trying to measure the performance of various campaigns.