mark-fortnight

It’s time to move on from paper business cards. Discover 25 alternative business card options that can bring your networking into the modern era.

It’s time to bring your networking out of the 15th century and into the 21st.

And when we say the 15th century, we mean it. The practice of exchanging business cards dates all the way back to the 1400s.

The problem is that business cards as we know them, no longer match the needs of modern, ambitious businesses.

Companies today must be more sustainable, cost-effective, efficient, and bold if they’re going to outcompete others in their industry.

That’s not to say you should abandon business cards completely—they’re a reliable way to exchange contact information and establish brand authority.

What you need to do is find the perfect alternative. The good news is that there are plenty of options.

Whatever the right choice is for your networking needs, this list of 25 business card alternatives has you covered.

Our top 3 business card alternatives

If you’re anything like us, your first priority in finding a business card alternative is to make it more sustainable and efficient—something you won’t run out of and can quickly update as details change.

For that reason, our top 3 business card alternatives are all digital, at least in part.

They are:

1. QR code business cards
2. Digital business cards for your digital wallet
3. NFC business cards

Let’s dive into the specifics.

1. QR code business cards

QR code business cards are business cards that use a QR code to host and share contact information. They can be digital or physical. If digital, they’re probably hosted in an app on your phone. If physical, they can be printed onto hundreds of paper cards or onto a single, sturdier card you keep.

The QR code directs users to a URL that holds the person’s information such as their name, phone number, location, email, website, and social media handles.

You can create your own QR code with an online generator or you can use a business provider that generates the QR code for you.

QR code generators:

• Bitley’s QR Code Generator
• Wix’s QR Code Generator

Business card providers with QR codes:

• Haystack
• HiHello
• Doorway (ours is a little different though—find out more under alternative option #2)

One of the benefits of having a QR code card is that you can update the card’s information online. But not all QR codes are created equal. Most come with security issues that can put a business’s information at risk.

Pros:

• Customizable card design
• Automated creation in bulk, from spreadsheets
• Editable after publishing
• Some can track engagement, using metrics like the number of scans, number of unique users, location, etc.

Cons:

• Confusing, if your target audience is not tech-savvy
• Doesn’t save your information immediately and details can get lost
• Softcoded QR codes come with security issues

Cost per card:

The cost of a QR code business card is dependent on your provider. Generators are usually free but difficult to manage for multiple employees and then you need to account for printing costs.

Digital QR code providers vary. Let’s look at Haystack as an example:

Haystack costs about $4.95 per month for teams with each card charged on top of that at $27.50 per year.

Delivery time:

For the digital cards, you can have your card as soon as you design, customize and download it. For physical cards, delivery can take up to 2 weeks.

2. Digital business cards for your Digital Wallet (Doorway.io)

Think of all the convenience a QR code digital business card gives you—then add great security features and the ability to host it in your phone’s Digital Wallet for easy access.

That’s Doorway in a nutshell. Unlike with other digital cards, when someone scans your Doorway card, their phone instantly creates a ‘new contact’ in their phone and stores your information. It’s the fastest and most efficient transfer of contact details out there.

This card is ideal for B2B companies who want to protect their and their employees’ data while expanding their reach and winning more deals. 

The platform can integrate into your HR systems, making it effortless to add new cardholders or deactivate those that have left your organization. You can also upload CSV files for the bulk creation of cards.

You’ll never need to order or replace 1000s of expensive business cards again.

Pros:

• No internet required
• Connected to your Apple Pay or Google Pay
• Customizable card design
• Environmentally friendly
• Fortified security (with SOC 2 compliance)
• Shareable to unlimited contacts
• Integrates into HR software for automated management

Cons:

• Individual users may find it lacking in interactive functionality since it was primarily built for corporate use
• You must carry your phone

Cost per card:

Doorway offers the first month free with all paid plans.

Plans fall into four tiers:

• Starter Plan: $20 per month (for 20 cards)
• Professional Plan: $150 per month (for 20+ cards)
• Business Plan: $250 per month (for 150+ cards)
• Enterprise Plan: Talk to the company for a quote

Delivery time:

Delivery of your cards takes minutes. Employees receive a link via email that tells them to download their card to their Digital Wallet. From there you can manage and update cards automatically via the HR software integrations available.

Check us out here: https://www.doorway.io/.

3. NFC business cards (V1CE)

Want the capabilities of a digital card in a physical one, without the need to print 1000s for each employee?

Introducing V1CE NFC (near-field communication) business cards.

V1CE business cards look and feel like credit cards. They fit easily into your wallet or your back pocket and rather than hand them out, you place the card near someone’s phone. This triggers the phone to open up a URL that hosts your professional details.

Each employee needs a card and each card requires an internet connection to work. They’re not the most sustainable option but they can be a good option for businesses that want physical cards without wreaking havoc on the environment.

Pros:

• Choice of card material: bamboo, metal, or plastic
• Customizable card design, with available templates
• Environmental friendly
• Bulk creation for businesses
• Tap and share functionality
• One card for your entire organization that’s editable online

Cons:

• Not a cost-effective or sustainable solution
• Physical cards have the potential to get lost

Cost per card:

You can get one V1CE card for $50. While they are expensive, you can secure discounts by ordering in bulk.

Delivery time:

Once you’re done designing your V1CE card, it can take anywhere from 1-10 days to receive it.

Check them out here: https://v1ce.co/.

What’s wrong with traditional business cards anyway?

The paper business card has served us well for centuries. But as we focus more and more on reducing our carbon footprint and look toward sustainable alternatives to paper, the business card is one of the easier swaps we can make.

They’re also not cost-effective. At a networking event or conference, you might hand out 100s of cards in a single day. Those all need to be replaced so that you can continue to network in the future.

The Paper Business Card

Pros:

• Easy to share
• Helps establish a personal connection
• Expands brand awareness

Cons:

• Bad for the environment (paper needs to be produced from trees)
• Easy to lose and difficult to store
• Have to replace all of them if a mistake is made or details change
• Not reusable and difficult to recycle
• Need professionals for a stand-out design
• Expensive to order

Cost per card:

On average, a single business card costs $0.27. Imagine you’re a business of 400 people ordering 500 cards per person to start. That order costs up to $54,000.

Delivery times:

Depending on order size, it can take you 2 days to 4 weeks of time from order to in-hand delivery.

Top Creative Alternatives to Business Cards (Options 4-25)

While our first three business card alternatives focused on digital options, the other 22 will explore business card alternatives that help you stand out from the crowd.

These are great for brand awareness but are often less effective at sharing employee contact details.

4. Edible business cards

This business card alternative helps you make a bold statement, especially if you’re in the food industry or can use food to play on your company name.

With edible ink, you can print business information onto cookies, pasta, bacon, and more. We just hope that your new contact remembers to make note of your contact details before eating them.

Here are two examples:

Pasta Boy Peter made business cards out of their lasagna noodles, by laser-etching their brand name and contact information, to promote their Italian cooking classes, while the Manly Man Company did the same on card-sized pieces of beef jerky,

Pros:

• A delicious way to make a lasting impression
• Environmentally friendly

Cons:

• Expensive (meat cards are priced at $23.99 per card)
• The material falls apart quickly
• Not great for individual use
• Needs to be replaced regularly

5. Bottle opener business cards

Business cards that double as bottle openers are both memorable and useful. Unlike edible cards, they can be used time and time again. This prolongs your brand campaign and allows recipients to revisit your contact information at any point.

Companies like My Metal Business Card sell customized metal bottle opener cards with a sleek finish.

Pros:

• Ships worldwide and promises delivery in less than 5 days in the US
• Eco-friendly and multi-purpose
• Makes a memorable statement for your brand

Cons:

• Expensive (they are sold in packs, and the lowest package starts at $480+ for 125 cards)

6. Balloon business cards

This alternative definitely isn’t for everyone and it loses points for its negative impact on the environment but party and decor brands could get creative with them.

This doesn’t work for companies that need multiple employees to share contact information because you would need to create balloons for everyone, but it can be a branding exercise that directs people to your store or website.

Pros:

• Easy way to grab the attention of multiple people at once
• Multi-purpose

Cons:

• The information printed is not visible when the balloon is deflated
• Not eco-friendly

7. Keychain business cards

You could give each employee a branded keychain with a QR code printed on it or NFC technology inside. The other option is to turn it into a mass branding exercise and hand out keychains with general company information rather than employee details.

Companies like Popl make customized keychain digital business cards.

Pros:

• QR code inclusion can enable you to include a large amount of information than what would originally fit on a traditional business card
• Environment-friendly and multi-purpose

Cons:

• Expensive (1 keychain business card from Popl costs $20.71
• Could be lost or broken

8. Stamp business cards

With a stamp business card, you can literally leave your mark. It might be limited in how much contact information you include but it can share your brand in a unique way.

The idea was developed by Mikey Burton in collaboration with Cranky Pressman.

You can create the design of your custom stamp and include your company name, logo, or even a scannable QR code.

Pros:

• Easy to carry anywhere
• Reusable

Cons:

• Takes time to deliver (8-10 days)
• Expensive
• Has the potential to get lost or run out of ink

9. Silicon wristband business cards

Think of the Livestrong bands everyone used to wear. These silicon bands make a great alternative and freebie at events and conferences. You could put them in a bag full of marketing materials and print company information on them.

You could customize the color to your company logo and send people directly to your website or a landing page.

Here’s a provider we found called Impressions ID.

Pros:

• Can be produced in bulk
• Reusable

Cons:

• Bad for the environment
• Can get lost or thrown away
• The ink could smudge and become illegible

10. Conductive ink business cards

Believe it or not, there’s an ink that can transmit electronic energy. When printed onto a card, it can share the contact information with a phone.

You can see an example below from Touchbase Technologies.

Pros:

• Tap and share functionality
• One card for each employee
• Can be inexpensive (donating $25 to their crowdfunding platform gets you a set of 36 cards)

Cons:

• Bad for the environment

11. Lego business cards

That’s right, you can get your contact information printed onto a Lego figurine and distribute them to potential customers.

You’re limited on space so if you want to share a lot of information it would be best to print a QR code on them.

Pros:

• Cool way to wow your target audience
• You can make the lego figurine look like you

Cons:

• Bad for the environment (since they are made out of plastic)
• Not reusable
• Expensive to get multiple figurines for multiple employees
• Delivery is more than 2 weeks

12. Plantable business cards

Trees make paper, everyone knows this. But did you know paper could make trees?

Plantable business cards are a great business card alternative that helps you make Earth a greener place.

We have Botanical Paperworks to thank for this invention.

Pros:

• Eco-friendly
• Good brand building
  
  

Cons:

• Takes time to deliver (3-7 business days)
• Not reusable

13. USB business cards

A USB business card is a great way to share your contact information.

You could print a QR code on a custom, blank USB and hand them out to people as you network. We recommend using Vistaprint because their service is widely available.

Pros:

• Has a double use
• Can be branded

Cons:

• Expensive (considering mass production)
• USBs are becoming less popular

14. Coaster business cards

This is a great option for restaurants and drinks companies. You can place your business’s details on them with a custom and creative design that makes your brand memorable.

 Thirsty’s is a UK company that makes custom ‘beer mats’ for companies.

Pros:

• Customizable card design
• Multi-purpose
  
  

Cons:

• Takes time to deliver (10 days)
• You need to replace them regularly
• Expensive at £80 for 50 coasters

15. Tools as business cards

Emphasize your company’s product or service by printing your contact details on a tool that is relevant to your industry.

If you make cheese you could hand out mini cheese graters to your customers with your business information on them. Or if you sell bikes you could have your business card double as a bike toolkit. We’ll leave the creative thinking to you.

Pros:

• Durability creates a lasting brand impression
• Can cleverly relate to your product and/or service

Cons:

• Need to make many of them and replace them regularly
• Expensive (since these are actual tools)
• Takes time to deliver (anywhere between 10 days-3 weeks)

16. Cotton business cards

For those who prefer the tactile experience of physically handing out a business card, cotton business cards are a sustainable choice.

MOO creates premium quality business cards from cotton fabric.

Pros:

• Quality business cards reflect a quality brand
• Cost-effective for the material (a pack of 50 cards will cost you $30)

Cons:

• Not reusable
• Still causes waste

17. Spice sachet business cards

If you’re in the food industry, you could print your logo and business details on spice packets. Just keep in mind, they’ll be thrown away once used.

Pros:

• Innovative marketing tactic
• Can be related to your product

Cons:

• One time use
• Bad for the environment
• Expensive (when you think about the volume you have to order)

18. Coin business cards

Coins are impractical business card alternatives but they’re certainly memorable.

You can even have them inscribed with a QR code that links back to a webpage with all your contact information on it.

Here’s where you can go if this is the business card alternative for you.

Pros:

• Unique way to represent your brand
• Can be customized

Cons:

• Not reusable
• Expensive, since they need to be produced in bulk

19. Sticker business cards

Using stickers for business cards is a fun and eye-catching way to promote your business or brand.

They can be easily customized with your branding and contact information and placed on items that you hand out at conferences and events.

Check out Stickers and That to find out more.

Pros:

• More likely to be kept and used by the recipient compared to traditional business cards
• Can be used for guerrilla marketing tactics such as sticking them in public places to increase brand visibility

Cons:

• Not cost-effective
• Bad for the environment
• Could be considered vandalism if placed on walls, lamp posts, etc.

20. Fortune cookie business cards

Fun and functional, the fortune cookie holds a small slip of paper that you can print business information on.

Pros:

• Makes for a fun brand experience
  
  

Cons:

• The paper with your business card information could get lost
• Limited shelf life

21. Bookmark business cards

Using bookmarks as business cards is a creative and unique way to promote your brand every time your prospect or customer uses it.

You can make them on Zazzle and because they’re larger you can include all of your contact information and a QR code that takes people to custom landing pages. Use them at your next networking event as a way to stand out.

Pros:

• Can be easily customized with your branding, messaging, and contact information
• Provides value to potential customers by serving a functional purpose

Cons:

• Not suitable for all types of businesses or industries
• May not be cost-effective compared to traditional business cards

22. 3D business cards

With the use of 3D printing technology, businesses can create highly customized and intricate designs that potential customers will remember. Depending on the design you go for, it can give a sense of luxury to your potential customers.

Pros:

• Interesting visuals help you capture and keep attention
• Effectively shares relevant contact information

Cons:

• Takes time to create and deliver
• Expensive (when you factor in bulk production)
• Not reusable

23. Matchbox business cards

Branded matchboxes can be used as business cards if you print the right information on them. Whenever someone goes to light a match they’ll be reminded of you and your brand.

Check them out here.

Pros:

• Interesting way to market your brand to potential customers
• Multiple usage opportunities help familiarize prospects with your brand
  
  

Cons:

• Bad for the environment
• Disposable

24. Pocket square business cards

This one is for the luxury brands among us. If you’re a high-end menswear brand you could use pocket squares as a way to further your company’s name.

Here’s a UK brand making this a reality: Contrado 

Pros:

• Reusable
• Unique
• Relevant for certain industries

Cons:

• Expensive
• Can’t be used by all industries

25. Post-it notes business cards

You can make your business card functional by printing your information on post-it notes.

Here’s an example:

Pros:

• Can create in bulk
• Suitable for every industry
• Multi-purpose

Cons:

• Bad for the environment
• Not reusable

What business card alternative is right for you?

With 25 business card alternatives to choose from you may be struggling to decide. Eliminate analysis paralysis by considering why you want a business card alternative in the first place.

Are you looking for a creative way to establish your brand? Then consider one of the alternatives that focus on getting your name out there such as coasters, edible business cards, or stickers.

Are you a large enterprise looking for a way to effectively and sustainably share employee details so that they can close more deals? Then you’ll want a digital business card like Doorway.

You’ll also want to consider how much budget you have to spend and how quickly you need them.

Landed on Doorway as your go-to business card alternative? You can get in touch here.

Business cards, physical or digital, exist to make networking easier.

That’s why what you put on them is so important.

The information you include can help you secure your sale, win the deal, or get hired when you’re not around to do it yourself—because cards these days can do more than give a name and phone number.

So, what details make your business cards efficient and effective when doing business?

In this article, we cover the 5 key details you need to include and explain the importance of including them.

As a bonus, we talk through the benefit of hosting this information on a digital business card vs. a traditional business card.

The 5 key pieces of information you need on a business card

There’s very little space on a business card leaving no room for error in the information you include.

To make sure you have everything you need for effective networking and nothing you don’t, we’ve put together the below list of 5 key pieces of info for business cards.

• Who you are
• How they can get in touch
• What you do and who you work for
• What you look like
• Where they can go for more information

Let’s look at each one in more detail to help you make the most of your networking.

1. Who you are (or who you want to be known as)

It almost goes without saying that you should include your name on your business card. Without it, people won’t know who they’re reaching out to.

If you go by a nickname, you can choose to put it on your card. It just depends on how you want to be known in a professional setting. Someone who goes by Kate with their friends might prefer to have Katherine at work. Or they might not. It’s totally up to them.

It’s important to include both your first name and last name to avoid confusion.

And if you find your name is difficult for others to pronounce, you can opt to include a phonetic spelling alongside your name. That will give your new contact confidence when they call you on the phone or greet you again either in person or on video.

2. How they can get in touch (contact details)

The entire premise of handing over your card is to give someone a way to get in touch later.

So it would be a mistake to leave off your basic contact information.

Consider adding:

• Phone number
• Email address
• Business address

If you have multiple phone numbers, use the one that you want business contacts calling you on. Some people prefer sharing a personal number for ease of use while others use their business number to keep business and life separate.

Your professional email address is great to include because it allows people to get in touch without interrupting your day. They can send documents and meeting invites that sync to your work calendar.

Including your business address is optional and in this day and age almost always unnecessary. If you have a brick-and-mortar location where you sell your product or service then you should add it.

Stores, real estate companies with multiple branches, doctors, and lawyers are examples of businesses that should include their addresses because they rely on foot traffic as well as web traffic to do business.

But tech-based businesses, e-commerce stores, and many B2Bs can do without listing their location. If your physical address isn’t important you may want to swap it for your web address (Website URL).

3. Who you work for and what you do

A large part of your business identity lies in what you do and who you do it for. In fact, the ‘who’ can hold a lot of weight when doing deals. If you work for a well-known and well-respected business, that respect transfers to you.

That’s why it should feature prominently on your business card. It’s a trust signal.

Add your company logo and company name to any business cards you make.

If you’re a small business owner, including your company name and logo can help increase brand awareness.

You also need to include your job title. When someone looks at your business card they should know your role within the company you work for.

It can help to be specific. If you’re a freelancer you should put what type of freelancing you do.

Here’s an example: ‘Anna Russell, Freelance Graphic Designer’ instead of ‘Anna Russell, Freelancer’.

4. What you look like (a photo)

When handing out your business card, you want this person to have the best chance at remembering who you are.

And your name alone might not do the job.

Especially if this person received several business cards that day at a networking event or conference.

By including your face, you’re more likely to trigger your new contacts’ memory and make a lasting impression. Hours or even days later, they’ll pull out your card and know who you are.

Most people won’t include a photo so it’s a great way of standing out from others. We recommend having your business logo and name on one side, and your face on the other with your contact details.

5. Where they can go for more information

As you know, space is precious on your business card. To give your new network contact more information without adding too much more to your card you can add a QR code that directs them elsewhere.

 They can gather further information from places like:

• Company social media channels
• Personal social media channels
• Company website
• Landing page with special offer or other niche information

Where you decide to direct your new contact will depend on what you want to achieve when networking. Let’s look into each one so you can determine what’s right for your business’s networking needs.

Company social media handles

Your company likely has a social media presence across several platforms.

If you want to direct people to those accounts to boost followers, increase engagement, and share your brand identity you can include your social media on your business card.

Either link your account via a QR code printed on your card or by spelling out your social media handle.

If using QR codes you can include some or all of your company profiles across platforms such as LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, and Facebook. If you’re printing your social media handle, we suggest only sharing one social media profile to save on space.

If you’re a B2B company, it’s probably best to share your LinkedIn while a D2C will benefit more from sharing an Instagram or TikTok profile. You can choose whichever one represents your brand best. 

Personal social media handles

Not everyone should put their personal social media accounts on their business card but it can be useful.

Freelancers often use their personal Instagram as a portfolio of their work and many professionals want to encourage connection requests to their personal LinkedIn profile where they regularly share industry insights.

Networking is a business focused activity but there is something to gain by forming a personal connection with those you want to do business with.

If your personal social media is irrelevant to your business or role, then it’s best to leave it off entirely.

Company website and landing pages

Your company website is a great place to send prospects, partners, and even potential hires.

It is the best place for people to understand the product or service you provide and why they should be interested in purchasing it or working with you.

You could go a step further and have a custom landing page built for anyone who receives a company business card.

Imagine your entire sales fleet sending potential customers to a high-converting landing page through a QR code. Those potential customers are more likely to become paying customers.

You could also send network connections to product pages, how it works pages, or other pages that are of interest to buyers.

A customer testimonial or case study landing page could go a long way in convincing people to buy. Keep testimonials short and sweet and make sure it mentions key details that link to your unique selling points (USPs).

As we said earlier, the best way to display this information without crowding the business card is to have a QR code that takes your connection to the relative URLs. You can even include multiple URL destinations with tools like Linktree.

What’s important is that you entice your new contact to go to these pages. And you can do so with a call to action.

Call to Actions

A call to action is exactly what it sounds like, it prompts someone to take action.

This is an easy way to add personality alongside your company’s name and your contact details and is a perfect opportunity to build trust and increase potential revenue through your professional business card.

It can be as simple as saying ‘find out more here’, ‘to learn more, scan the QR code’, or ‘check us out on our socials’. But you can be more creative to encourage conversion and engagement.

Here are some ideas to create a memorable business card:

Share current offers

Your business card can be a great way of sharing any current offers your business has as well as helping to attract new customers. Think about it, if you had two business cards in front of you but only one of them included an offer, who are you more likely to call?

Give a promo code

Similar to including offers, why not print promo codes on your own business cards? You can use a unique code that’s exclusive to your business card too so that you know exactly where the lead has come from.

Put a few words that will help people remember you

Adding a catchphrase or tagline can make your business card stand out from the rest. Remember, your business card represents you and your company so don’t be afraid to add your own personal touch.

What makes for a strong business card design?

A great business card is one that’s well designes. Too simple and your card is more likely to land in the recycling bin, too overcrowded and your new connection won’t know where to look.

It’s a good idea to create a mock-up first so you can decide not only what you will include on your business card but where you’ll place it.

Using a business card template can help you decide what information to include and how to lay this out.

If you’re finding online business card templates overwhelming, try Doorway which allows you to create a digital business card in a few simple steps.

Alternatively, here are a few concepts to keep in mind to inform your business card design ideas:

Utilizing white space

Empty space, also called white space, can help the information on your business card stand out and be more impactful. Avoid an overcrowded card by balancing information and design with white space.

Use high-quality paper

If you choose paper business cards, make sure they’re printed on high-quality paper for a professional look and feel that can endure being stuffed in a wallet.

Placement of your company logo

Think about where you want your company logo to appear to make your business card stand out. It should have a prominent placement to emphasize the type of business you do in the first place.

Eye-catching design

No one wants to see the same old business card template that’s being used by every other company. Creating an eye-catching design is easier if your business’s brand is eye-catching as well.

Colors and assets that link to your brand

Keep all design elements on your business card in line with your company branding when you design a business card to keep things consistent. This helps you become instantly recognizable in a sea of many.

You want to get your design right the first time because printing new cards is costly. Of course, this is a problem (among others) that can be prevented by using a digital business card over a traditional one.

Digital business card vs traditional business card: Which one is best for hosting your information

Now that you know what to put on a business card, you can consider the best business card type for your networking needs.

A traditional business card might feel familiar but when you consider all that networking should accomplish and the information you need to communicate, a digital business card performs better every time.

Your job title can change, your contact details can shift, and your go-to CTA can evolve. Traditional cards don’t change with you.

Well, they can, but you would need to print 100s if not 1000s of new ones to accommodate these changes. That wastes time, money, and every unused card you and your employees have.

Digital business cards, on the other hand, can change just as quickly as your circumstances do. And those changes can be applied automatically to every business card holder in your organization without harming the environment.

A digital business card also allows you to transfer your contact details directly into someone’s phone. Your business card will never be smudged, lost, or accidentally thrown away when you go digital.

If you want a business card that is well designed, contains all of the information needed to effectively network, and can be distributed and updated amongst your employees quickly, you’ll want to choose the digital business card.

Bring your networking into the digital age by equipping your entire business with digital business cards from Doorway.

Get started here

So, you want to use AirDrop to share your contact details. And why not?

It’s fast, it doesn’t require you to print and carry expensive business cards, and your phone is almost always on you.

The question is, how do you airdrop a business card from your phone to another’s?

That’s where this article comes in. We walk you through the process step by step so that you can get to the important part of networking: nurturing your new business relationship and generating leads.

How to Share Your Business Card with Airdrop

AirDrop is a feature on Apple devices. It allows you to quickly and easily share files, photos, and other content between Apple devices that are in close proximity to each other.

Some digital business card providers have apps that you can AirDrop your digital business card from directly but you can also AirDrop files from your contacts app.

Our how-to guide is for those using their contact app as their digital business card.

So without further ado, here’s your 7-step process for sharing your digital business card information via AirDrop:

Step 1 – Turn on Bluetooth

Make sure you and the person you’re sharing your details with have Bluetooth turned on. You can’t transfer files without it.

To check that they’re turned on, head to your phone settings and click ‘Bluetooth’. There will be a toggle that says ‘on’ or ‘off’. If it says on, you’re good! If it says ‘off’, simply toggle it to on.

Step 2 – Set Bluetooth to receive from ‘Everyone’

Bluetooth’s default setting makes it so that you can only receive files from people you already have in your contacts list.

Since you’re using AirDrop to add your contact information to their phone, this obviously won’t work.

You and the person you’re sharing details with must set Bluetooth to receive from ‘Everyone’.

In your settings, find your way to ‘AirDrop’. If you have trouble finding it, you can search for it at the top of your settings app. From there you can choose to have AirDrop off, set to ‘Contacts Only’, or to ‘Everyone’.

Step 3 – Go to your contacts app

Go to the app that holds all your contacts and select ‘My Card’. This card holds your contact information. Select it. Before you do anything else, make sure it holds everything that you want to be shared and nothing that you don’t.

Step 4 – ‘Share Contact’

In your contact card, scroll down until you see ‘Share Contact’. Press this. It will trigger a popup on the bottom of your screen.

Step 5 – Press ‘AirDrop’

Press the AirDrop button.

It will look like this:

Step 6 – Choose your recipient

People nearby who have Bluetooth turned on will start to show up on your screen. Find your new contact’s name and click it.

Step 7 – Accept AirDrop

Your new contact will need to accept your request to share your information.

Once they do your details will be shared with their phone and they can add you as a new contact.

Et voila! You’ve officially AirDropped your makeshift business card.

The limitations and risks of sharing with AirDrop

While convenient, AirDropping your business card does have its limitations.

For example, it can’t be used with Android users. It also poses a security risk.

That’s because AirDrop uses Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to transfer files from your virtual card. This process compromises user privacy and security.

In fact, researchers from a 2021 report stated ‘It’s possible [for attackers] to learn the phone numbers and email addresses of AirDrop users—even as a complete stranger.’

3 other paper-free ways to share your contact information

There are multiple ways to share your professional information beyond AirDrop. Some are safer than others.

They include:

• Digital Business Cards with QR codes (soft coded and hard coded)
• Physical cards with NFC technology
• LinkedIn connection requests

Let’s break down each option in greater detail and evaluate how effective and secure they are as a networking tool for your business—because keeping your and your company’s information safe should always be a top priority.

1. Digital business cards using a QR Code

Digital business cards with QR codes are the fastest, most eco-friendly way to exchange contact information.

They save you the hassle of going through Bluetooth or Wifi, can be branded to your company identity and can be shared across the entire business.

How do the QR code business cards work?

It’s simple. You scan business cards using mobile devices. Most phones have a QR code scanner built into their camera app. The scanner reads the QR code and transfers information. You’ll either be taken to a URL that hosts information or prompted to download the contact information directly to your phone app.

The best digital cards live in your digital wallet (Apple Wallet or Google Pay) for easy, internet-free access.

It’s important to pay attention to the type of QR code your digital business card uses. There are soft-coded and hard-coded options. They dictate whether the information is shared via URL or directly to your phone app.

For businesses that want to equip their employees with safe and reliable company business cards, this difference matters. 

Soft-coded vs hard-coded: What’s safest?

Soft-coded QR codes on a digital business card, such as those you’d find on app-based cards take recipients to a URL. The issue with this is that the URL can be accessed by anyone, anywhere.

That puts your information at risk of falling into the wrong hands.

Hard-coded QR codes, however, transfer your details instantly to the recipient’s address book. It’s the safest way to share your and your company’s information.

Take it from Doorway Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Chase Tecimer:

“Though Hardcoded may sound “locked”, this is certainly not the case. Using recent updates from Apple Wallet and Google Pay functionality, we are able to connect these hard-coded QR Codes to our cloud and to central user accounts – whenever the device has reception, these QR codes will be receiving information from our servers. This ensures contact info is always up to date. With a product mission focused on reliability, security, and remote management for large enterprises, hard-coded QR Codes are a perfect solution.”

If security is a high priority for your business, you should choose a hard-coded QR code provider like Doorway.

Not only will you network securely, but you’ll have a branded card with your company logo that can be updated and distributed across the business in seconds from your HR software.

You can read more about how Doorway keeps your data secure here.

2. Business cards using NFC technology

Why print hundreds and thousands of paper cards when you can use one sturdy, electronic business card again and again?

If you don’t want to go completely digital, NCF business cards are a great way to reduce paper waste.

Rather than using a QR code or Bluetooth, NFC cards rely on near-field communication technology. Hence the acronym, NFC.

However, NFC does pose a security risk. It works similarly to a soft-coded QR code. The NFC technology sends people to a URL link. That link, once again, can be accessed by anyone.

3. Connect on Linkedin (and other social media platforms)

Giving out your contact details via a business card (digital or otherwise) requires you to be face-to-face.

But sometimes you’re trying to network with someone you haven’t met yet. This is where LinkedIn and other social media platforms can come into play.

Linkedin is great for B2B networking.

You can send a connection request and add a message that explains why you’re connecting. Don’t try to sell to them in your request. It can put people off, especially since they don’t know you yet.

Namedrop mutual connections and suggest it’s a good idea to connect with like-minded people.

The key is to make it genuine and to try and add value where you can. Once you’ve connected you can work on developing that relationship over time.

While this isn’t a true business card, your profile does hold almost all the details you would have on one. It’s relatively secure as long as you’re mindful of what you post online.

Why avoid paper business cards?

In 2023, there’s really no need to use paper business cards. Especially with the number of alternatives[1]  out there that cause less harm to the environment.

Consider this: Paper products make up an estimated 70% of the total waste in offices.

And it’s a product the world continues to pump out—about 880 billion pounds of paper and cardboard are produced every year.

Paper is easily recycled, but business cards often have finishes that aren’t. Plus, the inks they use, including petroleum-based ink, can damage soil and pollute waterways.

Beyond their environmental impact, traditional business cards are costly and impractical. Think of how often you need to order new ones.

With a digital business card, you only need one card per employee. And you’ll never have to replace them because you can update the card from a centralized dashboard that connects to your HR system.

Network your way to new business with a Doorway Digital Business Card

With a Doorway Digital Business Card that lives in your digital wallet, you can complete deals and generate leads without putting yourself or your business at risk.

Get in touch with us here to enter a new era of networking.

You’re here to get your hands on the best realtor business cards on the market.

It makes sense—success as a real estate business comes down to moving fast and making connections with renters, buyers, landlords, brokers, and property investors.

That’s why it’s important you equip your real estate agents with business cards that wow potential clients, represent your brand, and most importantly, place them as a go-to contact people can easily reach when it’s time to rent, buy, sell, or let.

Here are 15 realtor business cards that can do just that.

The 3 Best Business Card Providers for Real Estate Businesses

In today’s business card market, realtors have more options than ever before—and not all of those options are paper. 

The three types of business cards you can choose from are:

• traditional paper cards
• NFC cards
• digital business cards (app based or digital wallet based)

We’ve chosen one business card provider from each category so that you can quickly make your choice and get on your way doing what you do best: renting, selling, and managing properties.

1. Moo

Moo makes traditional business cards feel and look luxurious.

As a real estate professional, you’re competing with several other agents for properties and for clients.

To stand out, you can leverage well-designed, high-quality real estate business cards from Moo.

They go beyond what normal business card providers offer. You can choose from a range of paper types and design embellishments including gold foil, silver foil, an embossed logo, and more.

Pros

• Wide variety of styles and embellishments
• Quality paper options
• Cost goes down per card ordered (great if you’re buying in bulk)

Cons

• Expensive compared to other realtor business card options
• Paper can easily be damaged despite quality
• A hassle to update and replace if details change
• Bad for the environment

Cost

The cost of Moo business cards starts at £14 for 50 cards or $21 for 50 cards. While the price goes down per card when ordering in bulk, keep in mind that paper cards need to be replaced and updated regularly.

This is a realtor business card option for those with money to spend.

Delivery time

Moo’s delivery is flexible. You can fast-track your order with next-day delivery but it will cost £28.50 (UK) or $41.75 (US-depending on State).

Alternatively, you can wait longer and pay less for shipping.

Doorway score: 8/10

While expensive, they are one of the best luxury business cards on the market and will stand out from other paper cards with ease. For their ability to impress potential clients, they score an 8 out of 10.

Check them out here: https://www.moo.com/uk/business-cards

2. Doorway

Doorway creates digital business cards that are downloaded directly to your digital wallet. That way, networking is possible as long as you have your phone.

When someone scans the QR code on your real estate digital business card, your details immediately transfer to their phone as a new contact, including your name, phone number, email, website, and more.

This type of card gives you an advantage because your potential client won’t have to add anything manually or type out your phone number to call or text you. 

When the time comes to rent, buy, or invest, prospective clients can reach you faster and easier than any other real estate agent or professional.

Doorway cards can also be distributed across your business, to all branches and employees in seconds. The platform that builds the cards can integrate into your HR systems for hassle-free management and card creation.

So if you need to add new cardholders or update information, you can do so without paying to print new business cards or replace them once they’ve been used.

Pros

• Great for large real estate businesses
• No internet required, App-free access to your contact details
• Lives in your digital wallet—Apple Wallet & Google Pay
• Integrates into HR software for easy distribution and updating
• Customization of card design, updated for all employees from an admin account
• Environmentally friendly

Cons

• Less suited to a small business or individual realtors
• If your phone dies, you’re without a card.

Cost

Doorway offers tier-based subscription model pricing.

The most popular option is Doorway’s Professional Tier, which is priced at $150 per month, per 300 digital business cards. The first month is free for businesses who sign up.

Delivery time

Once you’ve set up your Doorway account and integrated it with your systems, delivery of your cards takes mere minutes, if not seconds, and is almost entirely automated.

Doorway score: 9.5/10

Doorway’s ease of use, customization capabilities, minimal environmental impact, and focus on serving large real estate businesses earn them a solid 9.5 out of 10.

Check them out here: https://www.doorway.io/

3. V1CE

V1CE sells NFC (near-field communication) cards that can be read by smartphones. They’re essentially a hybrid of traditional cards and digital ones.

Their product feels just like a credit card and the sleek design makes them an attractive option.

Cardholders simply place their card near someone’s phone and the phone receives a notification to open a URL that hosts your agent’s contact details.

You’ll only need to order one card for yourself and every employee in your real estate business. If your contact info changes you can update them online without needing to order new ones.

Pros

• Sturdy, unlikely to be damaged
• Only need one per realtor
• Environmentally friendly

Cons

• Expensive
• Is a physical card that could get lost/left behind

Cost

You can get a card for $50 with discounts available for bulk orders.

Delivery time

The V1CE website claims it can take anywhere from 1-10 days to arrive after the design process. The exact timeframe will depend on your location and courier.

Doorway score: 8.5/10

This option scores an 8.5 out of 10 because it is better for the environment than traditional cards and makes adding contact details easy for real estate professionals. It’s not rated as highly as Doorway because transferring contact details is not as simple. With NFC cards you need to open a URL and download the information whereas digital wallet cards like Doorway transfer the details directly to an individual’s contacts list.

Check them out here: https://v1ce.co/

What are your other options?

Our list doesn’t stop at three. If you haven’t found what you’re looking for you can read through the other 12 options.

The rest of the list is broken down first by digital business card options and then by traditional paper card providers.

Why digital business cards? They’re becoming a favorite in the world of real estate and for good reason.

The future of real estate business cards is digital

With the US reportedly using 68 million trees each year to produce paper products, it’s every business’s responsibility to limit how much paper they use and waste.

The real estate industry is no different.

By going digital, real estate companies can equip new employees with a card instantly, update them as and when contact details change without purchasing new ones, and decommission cards without causing paper waste.

Overton Moore Properties, one of the largest industrial real estate developers in the western US made the conscientious switch from paper to digital cards and haven’t looked back.

They’re not the only ones, either.

CBRE, the global leader in commercial real estate services and investments, also uses Doorway’s Digital Business Cards for ease of networking and a low environmental impact.

Let’s look at digital business cards and traditional business cards side-by-side to understand why real estate companies are going digital:

Digital business cards: options 4-9

Beyond Doorway and V1CE, there are other providers on the digital business card  (and NFC) market you can consider.

Here are options 4-9 of the top realtor business cards.

4. Haystack

Haystack is an app-based digital business card. To access and use their real estate business cards, employees will need to download the Haystack app and have an internet connection.

Pros

• Integrates with your HR systems to automate who gets cards
• Analytics track who views your card

Cons

• Reliant on internet service for both cardholder and card receiver
• App-based cards can have poor employee engagement and utilization

Cost

Haystack is free for individuals and costs about $4.95 per month for teams with each card charged additionally at $27.50 per year.

Delivery time

As with all of the other digital business cards that are app or digital wallet-based, delivery takes only minutes.

Doorway score: 6/10

Haystack is a great option for small real estate teams but loses points for being app-based and relying on internet service.

Check them out here: https://thehaystackapp.com/

5. Blinq

Blinq is a provider of both app-based digital business cards and NFC cards. They’re a great option for any real estate companies wanting employees to carry both (just in case!).

Pros

• You can choose between an NFC card or digital business card or get both
• Fast load times for the app

Cons

• Internet access required
• App use required
• Pay to upgrade for customization features

Cost

Blinq’s app-based real estate business cards are priced at a very reasonable $2.99 per card, per month. Their NFC cards start at $14. Custom branding options start at £60 with discounts for bulk orders.

Companies will need to sign on to the package starting at $4.99 per card, per month.

Delivery time

If you choose an app-based digital business card from Blinq, delivery takes minutes from the time your employees download the app. If you choose NFC cards as your real estate business cards, it can take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks.

Doorway score: 7/10

Blinq is easy to use and they claim to have the fastest load time for app-based digital business cards. They fall short a few points because the card only works if you have a connection.

Check them out here: https://blinq.me/

6. Mobilo

Mobilo has a wide range of NFC technology cards and fobs for those who want digital capabilities in a physical card.

Pros

• App free for NFC cards
• Tap to share – with a single tap your new contact has your details
• Engagement tracking in their dashboard
• CRM integrations
• Can choose between different card materials

Cons

• Limited customization capabilities
• Can be wasteful and expensive to replace and add cards as your team changes
• Requires App for digital business card use

Cost

Pricing starts at $4.99 for single users. Teams pay an annual fee plus the cost of each NFC digital business card.

Delivery time

The checkout process and website did not make delivery times clear. Since they’re physical objects that need to be dispatched, it could take anywhere from days to weeks.

Doorway score: 6/10

As a real estate business card, Mobilo is a decent choice. You have a range of products to choose from.

Check them out here: https://www.mobilocard.com/

7.  Linq

Just like Blinq, Linq is an NFC card and app-based digital card that any solo real estate agent can use for free when networking.

Pros

• Integrates with CMS
• Custom landing page
• You can link to videos and embed music

Cons

• Takes contacts to a URL rather than transferring details to their contacts list

Cost

Linq’s custom products start at $30. However, the app can be downloaded for free or for their premium package of $5 a month.

Delivery time

The delivery time of this real estate business card depends on which option you go for.

If you choose the app-based card you can expect to download it within a day while the physical NFC cards will take a few days to receive.

Doorway score: 5.5/10

While Linq is a decent option for solo real estate agents because of their free plan, large organizations and teams will want to choose a real estate business card that scales to their org size at an affordable price.

Check them out here: https://buy.linqapp.com/

8. Beaconstac

Beaconstac is a QR generator that also creates real estate business cards. Their card, like Doorway’s, can be downloaded to your Apple or Google Wallet for easy access.

Pros

• Bulk creation
• 4000+ integrations
• API Access
• You can add a photo of each real estate agent

Cons

• They’re not focused on business cards for real estate businesses or even business cards at all (they focus on QR code generation)

Cost

Pricing starts at $8 for 1 user. They do offer plans and their most popular option is $49 monthly for 250 cards.

Delivery time

Delivery is fast because their product is completely digital. You can expect your card the same day you create it.

Doorway score: 5.5/10

Beaconstac receives a 5.5 out of 10 as a real estate business card. They are first and foremost a ‘QR code management platform’ and most real estate businesses will want a business card provider that caters specifically to the industry—that way they can focus on making your real estate business cards the best they can be.

Check them out here: https://www.beaconstac.com/

9. HiHello

HiHello is a digital business card app for real estate agents and other professionals. It’s a great app to use as an individual or freelancer because of its interactive app features.

Pros

• Business card scanner functionality (to collect other people’s information!)
• Card customization
• Card details can include a photo, social media links, and a map of your location

Cons

• requires an internet connection
• App-based
• Limited customization capabilities
• Designed for individual use/personal brand use

Cost

Their Professional plan is $6 per month for one user while their Business plan is $5 per user for 5+ users. They also offer a custom-priced Enterprise plan for companies with 100+ users.

Delivery time

Delivery times are dependent on how long it takes for employees to download the app and create their digital card within it. Keep in mind adoption rates for app-based business cards can be low.

Doorway score: 5/10

HiHello scores low for real estate business cards because it’s better suited to individuals than large real estate companies.

Check them out here: https://www.hihello.me/

Traditional business cards: options 10-15

If you’ve made it this far into the list it’s probably because you want to stay traditional, carrying and handing out paper cards.

Here are the best options for paper real estate business cards.

10. Vistaprint

When it comes time to order new business cards, Vistaprint is a tried and true provider you can turn to for a memorable and modern design.

You can take your design and apply it to either a horizontal or a vertical layout, have rounded edges or straight, or change the shape entirely.

Pros

• Multiple shape options
• Variety of paper materials
• Great business card design
• Complete customization with logo and company branding available
• Templated options available

Cons

• Very manual process to create a custom business card for each employee
• Paper production is bad for the environment in high volumes

Cost

Their paper cards start at around $18 for 100 cards or £12.99 for 100 cards in the UK store.

Delivery time

Delivery takes only a few days from the time your order is placed but exact timelines depend on your location and selected shipping option.

Doorway score: 7/10

For a variety of business card design options and high-quality printing, Vistaprint is one of the best business card providers in the real estate industry.

Check them out here: https://www.vistaprint.com/

11. Zazzle

Zazzle is a trendy option for traditional business cards known for its bright and beautiful template design. You can also design your own business card and order them for print.

Pros

• Multiple shape options
• Great business card design options
• Can do more than business cards

Cons

• Expensive compared to other options
• Difficult to order for multiple people

Cost

High-quality and beautiful design comes at a price. One of Zazzle’s templated designs comes in at £31.45 per pack of 100 (and similar price points in the US store). If you time your purchase well you can get them at discounted rates.

Delivery time

Delivery of your real estate business cards will depend on your location but because shipping is required you can expect it to take a few days or more.

Doorway score: 6/10

This is a great option for real estate businesses who don’t want to spend time designing their own business card. If you’re looking for a provider with a lot of variety from professional styles to modern ones, Zazzle is your go-to.

However, they’re not as cost-effective as other options and the capabilities of ordering for multiple people is clunky and manual.

Check them out here: https://www.zazzle.co.uk/

12. Canva

Canva is a great design tool for pseudo designers and marketing teams who need to mock up assets quickly.

As a real estate business or real estate agent, you could turn to them and design your own business card or rely on one of their pre-made templates.

Pros

• Your marketing or design team can design the cards within Canva and send them to print.
• You can design your own card
• There are templates available that you can customize to your brand
• Hundreds of real estate business card templates

Cons

• Not a great option if you don’t have internal designers or design capabilities
• Canva is first and foremost a design tool not a business card provider

Cost

You’ll need to have a subscription to Canva which starts at 10.99 a month. Then, to order your card design, you’ll need to pay for printing and delivery. A printed business card starts at 30 cents per card.

Delivery time

Standard delivery times are 5-8 days or you can get express delivery in 3-5.

Doorway score: 5/10

While Canva is a great all-rounder for quick business designs such as Instagram posts and pdfs, its capabilities as a business card provider fall short. Most companies want a no-fuss provider that’s easy to manage.

Check them out here: https://www.canva.com/

13. PsPrint

PsPrint is known for its quality business cards at an affordable price. They’re a good option if you’re a real estate agent who needs 100s and 1000s of cards at the ready.

Pros

• Custom shape options
• Folded business card design options
• Affordable

Cons

• If you order too many to get the best deal you may end up with a lot of paper waste

Cost

The minimum purchase requires 50 cards starting at around $16.

Delivery time

You can get them printed and delivered in 1-2 days.

Doorway score: 6/10

PsPrint is great for bulk orders of traditional realtor business cards and they offer a speedy service.

Check them out here: www.psprint.com/

14. Jukebox Print

Jukebox business cards help realtors make a great impression. They offer different textures, sizes, and shapes as well as print on recycled paper. If you’re going to use paper, it might as well be recycled.

Pros

• Offers recycled business card paper
• Different textures to help you stand out
• Anything from simple to luxe materials, embellishments, and design

Cons

• Expensive
• Creates waste despite eco-friendly options

Cost

Pricing starts at $69 for 50 cards.

Delivery time

Delivery takes about 3 business days for their simplest and cheapest business card product.

Doorway score: 6/10

We like Jukebox’s approach to sustainability and eco-friendly paper in addition to being aesthetically pleasing. This earns them a 6 out of 10.

Check them out here: https://www.jukeboxprint.com/

15. GotPrint

GotPrint advertises high-quality paper at affordable prices. If that sounds appealing, you can go to their site and upload your realtor business card design and send it to print.

Pros

• Good budget-friendly option for those who definitely want a traditional card but don’t want to overpay
• Horizontal or vertical design options
• Templated options or custom design

Cons

• Not eco-friendly

Cost

Their standard cards can run you as little as $9.80 for a pack of 100.

Delivery time

You can expect delivery to take 2-4 business days from the time of order.

Doorway score: 5/10

GotPrint, while a good option isn’t perfect for eco-conscious realtors or real estate businesses. However, they are a worthwhile choice for real estate businesses who want an affordable, easy option.

Check them out here: www.gotprint.com

Looking for a QR code business card that’s effective, simple to use, and easy to create?

You’ve landed in the right place.

In this article, you’ll learn:

• How to create a QR code business card
• What the difference is between using QR codes on digital cards vs physical cards
• Why a QR code business card is great for networking
• Where you can turn to for the best digital business cards with QR codes

Let’s get right into it.

How do I make a QR code business card?

Generating your own QR code business card is as simple as clicking a button.

At least, that’s how it works with digital business cards. You could print your QR code onto a physical business card but that process takes days.

But with Doorway, creating QR code digital business cards—even 100s at a time—is almost instantaneous. And once you spin up your card, you’re able to immediately download it into your phone’s digital wallet. It’ll be on hand whenever you need to exchange contact details.

Let’s go through the steps you’ll take to create your digital QR code business card through Doorway as a free individual user and then the steps you’ll take as a business. Because providing cards to businesses is where we really shine.

Step 1: Set up a free account

To make your individual card you first need to set up a free account. Simply, head here.

You’ll be asked to enter your email, set a password, and select the phone you have—Apple or Google. From there you’re taken to the main dashboard of your account.

Why do you need to select your phone brand?

Your QR code digital business card is going to live right in your digital wallet for fast and easy access. To generate your card correctly, we need to know which digital wallet you have.

Step 2: Fill in your contact details

The purpose of a business card is the same whether it’s digital or physical, whether it has a QR code or not. It’s there to share your contact details.

So the next step is to fill in your contact information.

You have the option to add:

• your name
• job title
• company name
• department
• phone number
• website URL (social media platforms, landing pages, etc)
• and more!

Step 3: Customize your card’s design

Want a different color for your QR code business card? No problem.

As a free user, you can choose from 6 color options to suit your personal style. Paid users get even more customization features and can add their logo and brand colors to the card’s design.

Step 4: Add your card to your digital wallet

Contact details added? Check. Customized design chosen? Check.

Now you can add your QR code business card directly to your phone’s digital wallet.

This is done from your phone’s internet browser, so if you’ve set up the account on your computer or tablet you’ll need to log in to your account from your phone.

If you did this from your phone, or if you’ve now made your way there, then you can tap the button that says ‘Add to Apple Wallet’ or ‘Add to Google Wallet’.

Et voila! Your QR code digital business card is in your possession. And that brings us to our next step.

Step 5: Use your new QR code business card to open doors in your industry

Now that you’ve made your QR code business card and downloaded it to your digital wallet, you can use it.

If you want to network with potential clients, build a relationship with someone you’d like to hire, or connect with new business partners all you have to do is pull out your phone and show them your digital business card.

You can now stay in touch and nurture your professional relationships better than ever.

Bonus step: Get QR code business cards for the rest of your team

There’s no need to keep the ease and efficiency of QR code business cards secret.

Unleash your business’s networking potential by getting a Doorway plan for the company.

It comes in three pricing tiers and the steps to getting started are simple:

Why go digital over physical with your QR Code Business card?

With today’s technology, there’s no need to manually add someone’s contact details to your phone. It’s tiresome and tedious.

And there’s even less reason to have your QR code live outside of your and your employees digital wallet.

A QR code printed on a traditional business card may help you seamlessly transfer your details but it still requires you to carry them with you. And you’ll probably need to carry more than one as you give them out to people. Or if using an NFC card, you’ll need to always have internet.

The digital business card frees you of those burdens and is a more sustainable option.

In fact, paper is responsible for 70% of business waste according to a Xeros report. You can help bring that percentage down by going digital with the cards you provide your employees.

Compared with paper or even NFC cards, a digital wallet card contributes not waste.

Plus, what happens when you hire a whole host of new talent or employees leave the business?

Is it worth ordering new business cards every time something like that happens?

With Doorway’s digital business cards, you can create new cards in seconds and distribute them to part of or all of your workforce.

Want to know more about the need for digital business cards? Check out our article on the topic here.

Is my contact information safe when using a QR code business card?

QR code business cards through Doorway are completely safe to use because they’re kept secure in your digital wallet.

It’s impossible for someone to scan the QR code without your say-so.

So rest assured, only the people you share your QR code with will have access to your personal information.

The same can’t be said of traditional business cards.

Anyone who finds a traditional business card can scan the QR code you’ve printed on it or read the information. And then they have access to your phone number and even address.

To take security one step further, Doorway protects the business’s data too. We’re SOC2 certified. That means you’ll never have to worry about your details getting into the wrong hands.

You can read more about it here.

What are the benefits of using QR code business cards?

You know how easy QR business cards are to make but what about the benefits they have for networking?

Here are a few:

• They’re convenient to use
• You can track views
• They hold more information than traditional business cards
• You can update your details quickly
• They’re better for the environment

Let’s explore each of those benefits in more detail.

You can network with ease and convenience

As you learned at the beginning of this article, a QR business card is easy to set up and even easier to use.

Physical business cards require you to enter details into your phone yourself but a Doorway digital card does the hard work for you.

All it takes is someone scanning the QR code with their phone camera. Once they do, they can access your personal or professional information and get in touch when they’re ready to.

Some QR code business card providers send your new contact to a website where your details are hosted but a Doorway card instantly transfers your details to their phone’s contact list.

You want to make sharing your details as simple and hassle-free as possible so that you can get to the important stuff—nurturing your professional relationships.

You can track engagement with a dynamic QR code

A dynamic QR code, like the ones Doorway creates for you, is able to track card use.

For example, it can track how many QR code scans happen and how many unique users have your information.

This can be helpful when networking at large events such as conferences. You may shake so many hands throughout the day that you forget how many people actually collected your contact information. Doorway will remind you.

Static QR codes will not be able to do this. If you want to track you and your business’s networking then you need to choose a QR code generator or digital business card provider that creates dynamic QR codes.

You can include more details on your card

A physical business card is limited in space and thus limited in what gets put on it. You’re restricted to the bare minimum of contact details. But a digital business card hosts more than just the basics.

Freelancers can link to a portfolio, client testimonials, and pricing pages.

Businesses can link to landing pages that generate leads such as downloadable reports and ebooks.

There’s no limit to the possibilities of where you direct prospects, clients, or potential business partners.

You can update your details instantly

Another benefit of using dynamic QR codes on your digital business card is that you can update your contact details. By changing the information in your QR code generators dashboard the details of your QR code change too.

This saves you time and money in replacing cards every time you or someone on your team changes their number, changes their role, or if the company updates its brand.

You can reduce your carbon footprint

We shared earlier that paper accounts for 70% of business waste. Your business card shouldn’t be part of that number when it doesn’t need to be.

Digital business cards help you reduce your carbon footprint because you don’t need any more physical materials than you’ll already have.

If your team gets QR code digital business cards through Doorway, you’ll be helping us plant trees in collaboration with tree-nation.

So while reducing your carbon footprint, you’re also reducing carbon monoxide and producing more oxygen for the planet.

Are there any disadvantages to using QR code business cards?

The main disadvantage of a QR code business card is that it could alienate potential buyers.

If your business’s core customer base isn’t tech-savvy then they may not want to use a digital business card with QR codes.

For most sales professionals and business owners, this is unlikely to be the case. Most people are used to using QR codes now since the 2020 pandemic made them more popular than ever before.

Plus in 2019, Deloitte reported that 90% of adults use a smartphone as their mobile device.

So, we think you’ll be okay!

Let’s talk pricing — how much do they cost?

Individuals who only need one digital business card can get a QR code card totally free through Doorway.

But if you want to scale your networking efforts across the business, you should choose one of our four packages.

Each package comes with additional functionality and features that elevate your brand and cater to your business’s networking needs.

Some additional features include the ability to integrate with your HR software. That integration makes it possible to bulk upload employee details and generate unique business cards for each one in seconds. It also sends them an email with their card ready to download to their phone. Check out the image below to see the price of each package and head here to see the full list of what’s included in each one.

Get started with Doorway’s QR Code Business Cards today

Want to elevate your corporate identity while networking as a business?

Then add a Doorway QR code digital business card to your team’s networking arsenal.

Doorway is uniquely built for B2B businesses.

With bulk upload capabilities, integrations with your HR software, centralized management of users, and end-to-end security to keep your details safe, you’ll have all the functionality you need to network efficiently and effortlessly.

Get in touch here to start networking like you’re in 2023, not 1920, and save a few trees at the same time.

QR Codes – FAQs

How do QR codes work?

QR codes work just like the barcodes you scan when buying your groceries. Their pattern is unique and holds information that can be read by special card readers.

When a QR code reader (such as the one built into your smartphone camera) scans the QR code, its information is instantly transferred to your device.

How do I scan a QR code?

QR codes can be read by most smartphones. All you have to do is open your camera app and place the QR code within the photo frame as if you’re taking a picture of it.

Instead of taking a photo, you’ll see a pop-up at the top of your phone screen. If you tap it, you’ll be taken to a website or you’ll be able to transfer the contact details directly to your phone.

Does my QR code need to be black and white?

No, QR codes don’t need to be black and white. But there’s a good reason why they almost always are.

Black and white are the two most contrasting colors. This makes them easy for us to see and easy for our phones to read. If your phone or QR code scanner can’t read the Qr code then it’s useless.

So while some QR code generators will allow you to experiment with the color of your QR code, Doorway keeps it simple and accessible with black and white.

What’s the difference between static and dynamic QR codes?

A static QR code cannot be changed once created. So the information it’s sharing is the information it will always share.

A dynamic QR code, on the other hand, can be updated as and when you need to change them.

The QR codes that Doorway uses are dynamic. That’s why you can update your details seamlessly without having to download a new QR code for your digital wallet.

Can I create my own QR code?

Yes, you can. There are several QR code generators on the internet that can spin up a QR code for you.

Once created, you’ll be able to download the QR code to use as you like. You could print it on something, put it on a website, or even in a social post.

Restaurants and bars have been using QR codes to pull up digital menus since the COVID-19 pandemic. They’re great for sharing information contact free.

Here are some QR code generators you can use:

• Bitley’s QR Code Generator
• Wix’s QR Code Generator
• QR Stuff

Digital business cards are taking the market by storm. How can you choose your vendor? See this list of the 11 best providers.

Digital business cards are more convenient, sustainable, and efficient for sharing our contact information than their paper predecessors.

But with several digital business card solutions available, it’s difficult to know which one suits your business’s networking needs best.

To help you come to the right conclusion, we’ve put together a list of the top 11 digital business cards on the market, including their key features, pricing, best use cases, and where they fall short.

And at the end, we’ll tell you what factors to consider when making your final choice.

First up, the top three.

The 3 best digital business cards on the market

When making this list, three contenders stood out: V1CE, HiHello, and Doorway.

They each offer distinct versions of the digital business card and between the three of them, buyers can find what they’re looking for—whether that’s cards for B2B businesses, D2C businesses, or for individual use.

V1CE: NFC Electronic Business Card

V1CE was a trailblazer in the world of digital business cards. They were the first to bring one to market, and that’s worth a gold star.

Their NFC electronic business cards offer a sleek, credit card-like look and feel that can easily fit in your wallet, pocket, or purse.

To share contact details you place your V1CE card next to someone’s smartphone.

The card triggers a link to pop up on the phone and takes your new connection to a website that lists your basic contact details. It’s worth noting that they’ll need internet service to access your details.

Key Features

• Choice of card material: bamboo, plastic, and metal
• Customization of your card’s design
• Tap and share functionality
• Bulk creation feature for businesses or groups

Pricing

Their prices start at a staggering $50 per card. There are, however, discounts available for bulk orders.

Who are they best for?

V1CE is the best electronic business card on the market for individuals who want a physical business card with digital capabilities and a polished design. They’d be great for freelancers and small teams with very little turnover or new hires. Otherwise, the cost of ordering new cards could pile up.

Where V1CE’s Digital Business Card falls short

V1Ce isn’t the most cost-effective or sustainable solution on the market.

While it’s less wasteful than hundreds of paper business cards per employee, the cards still have a chance of ending up in a landfill.

Plus, you have to go through the process of ordering new cards whenever someone new is hired.

Check V1CE out here: https://v1ce.co/

HiHello: The Business Card App

HiHello is a digital business card app that allows you to create and share contact information via a QR code. People scan the QR code and get taken to a website URL where they can access your details.

You can also transfer your information to them over text, social media messages, email, and other communication platforms from the app.

Key Features

• Their app is required for cardholder use
• Card details can include a photo, social media links, and a map of your location
• Business card scanner functionality (to collect other people’s information!)
• Card customization

Pricing

Their app is free for 1 user but this option comes with limited features. 

Their Professional plan is $6 per month for one user while their Business plan is $5 per user for 5+ users. They also offer a custom-priced Enterprise plan for companies with 100+ users.

Who are they best for?

HiHello is a great option for freelancers and individuals because it’s free for them to use.

As long as you don’t mind limited features and having to download an app, you’ll be able to share your contact information far and wide!

Where HiHello’s Digital Business Card App falls short

HiHello is an app and because of that, it requires an internet connection.

The app and URL that hosts your and your employees’ contact details won’t pass enterprise-grade information security protocols. This can be an issue for corporations looking to equip their teams with digital cards.

It also takes up storage space in your phone.

On top of this, you may be reluctant to have employees download and use an app that doesn’t reflect company branding.

And your employees might not take the time to download it anyway. Adoption rates of digital business cards are much higher when companies give a card rather than tell their teams to download yet another app to their phone.

Check HiHello out here: https://www.hihello.me/

Doorway: Built for your Apple Wallet & Google Pay

Not everyone wants to carry a physical business card with them or to have yet another app on their phone.

Doorway has designed a card that lives in your digital wallet (Apple Wallet & Google Pay) and is accessible as long as you have your phone on you. And let’s be honest, when don’t you have your phone these days?

When someone scans the QR code on your digital business card, your details immediately transfer to their phone as a new contact with name, phone number, email, website, and more included. And you don’t need an internet connection to use it.

From there, you can reconnect to collaborate, chat, or close a deal.

Doorway is designed with businesses in mind. So its functionality and integrations cater to the needs of businesses ranging from startups to multinational enterprises.

Key Features

• B2B client focused
• No internet required
• Lives in your digital wallet—Apple Wallet & Google Pay
• App-free access to your contact details
• Integrates into HR software
• Customization of card design, updated for all employees from an admin account
• Data Encryption (SOC2 certified)
• Analytics for understanding card use
• Share digital business cards with as many contacts as you like

Pricing
As a pure B2B solution, Doorway’s tiered pricing model reflects the features and functionality that different businesses will need.

The most popular option is Doorway’s Professional Tier, which is priced at $150 per 300 digital business cards.

If you want to find out more information, head to the pricing page where each tier is broken down for you.

Who is Doorway best for?

Businesses!

The functionality and design of Doorway’s digital business cards make them ideal for B2B and D2C businesses.

Not only can the cards be customized to your company’s brand but the administrative capabilities of the Doorway system allow you to integrate it with your HR management software and manage your employees’ details from one place.

That means you can automate card creation for the whole business, for specific teams, and whenever a new employee joins.

Designated employees will instantly receive an email to save their digital business card to their digital wallet. No app download and no physical business card needed.

Plus, you’ll know your business information is secure thanks to Doorway’s SOC2 certification.

Where do they fall short?

Doorway’s card is designed for corporate use. Individual users might prefer the fun interactive functionality an app can provide.

The Doorway platform is built for seamless card distribution and to elevate a client’s corporate identity.

Check Doorway out here: https://www.doorway.io/

What is a digital business card?

Pause! We jumped right into the good stuff without explaining what a digital business card is.

Digital business cards (sometimes called virtual business cards or electronic business cards) transfer your contact details directly to another person’s phone.

They allow you to network, contact-free. And after the COVID-19 pandemic, networking is safer that way.

There are three main types of digital business cards:

• Digital wallet cards – accessible to anyone with a smartphone
• NFC (near-field communication) cards – physical cards that can be read by smartphones
• Digital business card apps – use is limited to a cardholder’s specific app

Digital Wallet Business Cards

Digital wallet business cards are stored in your Apple Wallet or Google Pay.

It’s a popular option for businesses because it’s the simplest – no app download and no physical card needed.

Digital wallet business cards are also safer than other solutions. Your contact details are only shared when your card’s QR code is scanned. They’re then transferred directly to the other person’s phone. Other providers store your basic contact information on the internet which is available to anyone with the link.

NFC Business Cards

Usually made of plastic, metal, or bamboo, this digital business card solution uses NFC technology. There’s a chip inside the card that connects with someone’s smartphone.

When you place the card close to their phone, they will be directed to a website link that hosts your contact details.

But are NFC’s truly digital business cards? Most would say no.

NFC digital business cards still take physical form. And for that reason, they’re often referred to as electronic business cards.

It’s worth noting that NFC cards can pose a security risk. Whoever has your link can see your personal contact information online (email, phone number, and more). So use them with caution.

Digital Business Card Apps

Digital business card apps can be downloaded to your phone and then used to host your contact details.

Usually, your card in the app will have a QR code that others can scan with their phone camera. Most will also have the option to send your details over text or email directly from the app.

Because they’re app-based, customization is limited.

How are people using digital business cards?

Like traditional business cards, digital business cards are the authorized link between you and your company—a credential given to you by your team to show the world that you mean business when you network.

They’re there to build professional relationships. But that’s where the similarities end.

With most digital business card providers, you can include more information than just your name, title, company, email, and phone number. People add links to their social media profiles, company website, and calendar booking pages for more efficient and effective networking.

Some digital cards can even track engagement with your contact details. So, if you want to know if potential clients click through to the website, you can see for yourself.

Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get back to what you’re here for—the other 8 best digital business cards on our list.

8 other digital business cards worth considering

Blinq: NFC Business Card & Digital Business Card App

Blinq offers both a virtual business card app and NFC electronic business card. You can choose the option that works best for you or even get both.

Their app is very similar to HiHello’s and comes in at a few dollars cheaper per user. They also boast the fastest load time of app-based digital business cards.

Key Features

• App download required for cardholder
• Card templates with some customization features
• Integrations available for systems such as Zapier, Salesforce, and Hubspot
• Use of card as a virtual meeting background

Pricing

Their app-based cards are priced at a very reasonable $2.99 per card, per month. Their NFC cards start at $14.

Who are they best for?

Blinq is the best digital business card for people who want the functionality of HiHello without the high price tag.

It’s also great if you want both an app-based card and a physical business card in your possession.

Where Blinq falls short

You’ll need to download the app to your phone to use your card. Alternatively, if you have their NFC card, you’ll need to rely on having internet access.

Check Blinq out here: https://blinq.me/

Mobilo: NFC Business Card

Mobilo offers NFC electronic business cards, as well as key fobs and buttons for the back of your mobile device. All three can share your contact details.

They’re less sustainable than other digital business card providers because of their wide range of physical products. That said, some want their card to exist outside of their phone.

Key Features

• App free
• Tap to share – with a single tap your new contact has your details
• Engagement tracking in their dashboard
• CRM integrations
• Some customization capabilities such as adding a company logo and color

Pricing

Their pricing starts at $4.99 for a single user. Teams pay an annual fee plus the cost of each digital business card.

Who are they best for?

Mobilo is a great option for those who want to have a button attached to their phone or something attached to their keys.

Where Mobilo falls short

Unfortunately, Mobilo doesn’t offer a free trial or a free version for individuals. If this is important to you, several other providers on this list do.

Check Mobilo out here: https://www.mobilocard.com/

Linq: NFC Business Card & App

No, that’s not a typo! This digital business card solution is separate from Blinq. But they’re not without similarities. Linq is also an NFC card.

Linq’s NFC electronic business card and app connect you to a landing page that you can customize. What’s more, you can purchase other items like event badges with your QR code printed on them.

Key Features

• Physical NFC card and app
• Integrates with CMS
• Custom landing page
• You can link to videos and embed music

Pricing

Custom products start at $30. The app can be downloaded for free or for their premium package of $5 a month. They have an option for teams but pricing is unclear.

Who are they best for?

If you go to events throughout the year it may be easier to use one of Linq’s custom badges. They are hands-free and people can scan them to collect your details as you work the room.

It’s also popular among creatives because they can use the landing page to display portfolios of their work.

Where Linq falls short

Like the other NFCs on our list, Linq’s product isn’t as sustainable.

Check Linq out here: https://buy.linqapp.com/

Haystack: Digital Business Card App

Haystack claims to be the largest digital business card solution on the market. So they must be doing something right!

Their product is touch-free and paper-free like many of the other providers on this list. The app has an easy-to-use dashboard for tracking engagement and card use across teams.

Key Features

• Virtual business card app
• Integrates with your systems to automate who gets cards
• Analytics track who views your card
• SOC2 compliant

Pricing

Haystack is free for individuals and costs about $4.95 per month for teams. Keep in mind that each card is charged on top of that at $27.50 per year.

Who are they best for?

Haystack makes it easy to share contact information over video calls too. It’s a great option for people who regularly network over Zoom, Google Meet, or similar video tools.

Where Haystack falls short

It can be hard to navigate Haystack’s pricing packages. On one page it says they offer company packages for companies with 2-200 employees and enterprise packages for 1000+.

So it’s unclear if they have an offering for businesses between 200-1000 employees.

Check Haystack out here: https://thehaystackapp.com/

Beaconstac: Digital Wallet Business Card

Beaconstac offers digital business cards and creates QR codes you place in your email signature, in a resume, or printed on paper products like brochures and leaflets. Either option lets you share your contact details in just a few taps.

Key Features

• QR code generator
• Bulk creation
• 4000+ integrations
• API Access

Pricing

Beaconstac’s pricing starts at $8 for 1 user. Its most popular plan is $49 monthly for 250 cards.

Who are they best for?

This is the best digital business card for tracking analytics because they integrate with over 4000 tools.

Where Beaconstac falls short

They’re first and foremost a QR code generator rather than a digital business card maker. Companies may want to choose a provider who focuses and executes on one service efficiently.

Check Beaconstac out here: https://www.beaconstac.com/

Knowee: Digital Card App

Knowee refers to their product as digital credentials. They’re based in Spain so the change in name from business card to credentials may be a result of translation.

They’re an app that hosts QR codes and hyperlinks for networking.

Key Features

• 37+ templates for your business card design
• Add your company logo
• Track analytics
• Zero ads

Pricing

Knowee is free forever for individuals and freelancers. For businesses, they charge €2.49 per user, per month. As the pricing is in Euros, you’ll need to check if they serve clients outside of Europe and convert pricing to your currency.

Who are they best for?

This is a great option for Spain-based businesses and individuals.

Where Knowee falls short

Unfortunately, if you want to create digital business cards en masse you’ll need to pay for their custom Enterprise pricing. And we’d understand if you didn’t want to pay for their premium package when you can choose many of the others on this list without paying enterprise fees.

Check Knowee out here: https://www.know.ee/

eVaunt: Web-based Virtual Business Card

EVaunt is less a digital business card and more a landing page functioning as a digital business card.

It’s not the greatest for usability but it will get the job done if you don’t mind pulling up the webpage on your phone (that’s what digital bookmarks are for, right?).

We’d only recommend this option if you’re unwilling to pay for digital business cards but still want to avoid using traditional business cards.

Key Features

• Hosts your contact details on a webpage
• Email and message capabilities for automated transfer of basic contact details

Pricing

EVaunt is completely free for any number of users.

Who are they best for?

This digital business card solution is a good option if you don’t have the budget to spend and you don’t mind the lack of features.

Where EVaunt falls short

Their website is very simple with limited details on their product which makes it hard to find out if this is something you or your team would want to use.

Check eVaunt out here: https://www.evaunt.com/

QR Code Generator Pro: DIY Digital Business Card Creator

Bitly, the renowned URL shortener, is the brand behind QR Code Generator Pro.

They enable you to create unique QR codes that you can download and print onto a business card or add to virtual marketing assets. So users become their own digital business card makers.

Key Features

• Generate unique QR codes
• Bulk creation from CSV uploads for some packages

Pricing

They bill monthly and offer tiered packages: starter, advanced, and professional.

Which one you choose is based on how many QR codes you need to generate, how many users you’ll have, and if you want to create them in bulk from a CSV file or do it manually.

Who are they best for?

This option is best for do-it-yourselfers who don’t mind taking the extra steps to get from QR generated to an electronic card in hand.

Where QR Code Generator Pro falls short

Their process of creating a digital business card is incredibly manual even if you pay for their top-tier package. Other options on the digital business card market will be easier to manage.

Check QR Code Generator Pro out here: https://www.qr-code-generator.com/pricing/

How to choose the card that’s right for you

You have your options before you, but how do you choose?

Here are a few key factors to consider when making your choice:

• Business vs Individual use
• Ease of use
• Integration capabilities
• Customization features
• Sustainability
• Analytics & tracking
• Customer support
• Number of users you’ll need to support
• Cost & pricing model

Let’s dig deeper into each consideration.

Business vs individual use

The first consideration you should make is who your digital business card is for.

Are you an individual freelancer? Do you want the card for yourself or do you need dozens to hundreds of cards for your company?

The functionality you look for will be different depending on your answer.

Ease of use

How easy will it be for you to implement this provider into your business? Will your employees actually use the card?

NFC cards and digital wallet cards ensure easy adoption because employees don’t need to download an app to set up an account. They simply receive the card, ready to use

And how easy will it be to use the product once you have it?

These are important factors to consider when purchasing a digital business card.

You want a solution that is solving something for you, rather than adding hassle and admin.

Think about the user experience from your side and the side of those you’re networking with. Do you or they need a special app? Are you still able to share your details if you’re struggling to find a phone signal?

Are details easy to update and can you add new users with ease?

Ask yourself these questions as you determine what digital card is right for you.

Integration capabilities

For businesses larger than 20 people, it’s crucial the tools brought into the business sync with the ones they have already.

Integrations to look out for are HR software, sales software, and digital calendars.

The right integrations can save you hours and they can make measuring the effectiveness of your networking easier. Think about how much time you could save by automatically transferring employee details and spinning up digital business cards that your people can use instantly.

Customization features

An important part of having a business card is showing off your brand and leaving an impression on whoever you exchange details with.

That’s why you’ll want to choose a digital card provider who allows you to customize not just the details of your card, but the look.

Adding your logo and brand colors gives you social currency in the networking world and allows your people to confidently engage with prospective clients.

The problem with NFC cards and app-based cards is that they limit the amount of company branding you can have on your card. There will always be an element of the card provider’s branding competing with your own.

Only digital wallet cards are 100% branded for the business, functioning as branding tools for corporate marketing teams.

A card that shows the digital business card providers branding instead of yours will never have the same effect.

Analytics and tracking

Are you interested in tracking the use of your employee’s cards and seeing how prospects interact with your details?

If you can have access to this type of information you can test, learn, and improve how you network and interact with clients and prospects.

Some digital business cards have analytics dashboards that show who viewed your details, when, and what details specifically. Others integrate with CRMs so that you can see how people have engaged and moved through your marketing and sales cycle.

Cost

Different digital business card providers have different pricing models. Some may be better than others for how you plan to use and distribute cards to your employees.

If you’re a freelancer or small business owner, you may want a free, low-cost app or a one-off fee for a card.

But per-card pricing can become expensive for businesses, especially as they scale.

Mid to large-sized businesses prefer providers who have flexible monthly tier pricing that’s based on the number of cards provided and the features.

What’s best for you depends on how you want to use the cards and how many you’ll need.

Sustainability

One of the perks of going digital isn’t for us, it’s for the planet. But digital business cards range in how sustainable they are.

If sustainability is an important factor for you then you’ll want to pay attention to which provider you choose. NFC card providers are still producing waste.

On the other side of the spectrum are providers like Doorway who minimize their environmental impact and partner with tree-nation to plant trees on behalf of their clients.

Create digital business cards for your employees with Doorway

Doorway offers digital business cards that are easy to access and effortless to use.

You and your employees can nurture and expand your network as long as you have your phone on you, with or without internet access.

If you want to learn more about how Doorway can help you do business better, get in touch here.

What is information security?
Information security or infosec is a set of policies and practices that an organisation undertakes in order to protect the information of its users, customers, or employees. An important part of this responsibility is ensuring that the organisation – whether they’re handing their own data or another entity’s data – develops clear risk management processes. Succinctly put by OneTrust, “An ironclad cybersecurity program is a cornerstone to providing assurance to clients, site visitors, and prospective consumers their personally identifiable information (PII) is safe at all times”.

Why is information security important for digital business card providers?
In their most basic function, digital business cards hold Personally Identifiable Information (PII), e.g. full name, phone numbers, emails, addresses, social media profiles etc. Digital business card providers centralise the PII of its users, and therein takes on the responsibility of personal privacy liability for each user.

When using a business card, you can rest assured that you are the only person who can give out your own information. This must remain true for digital business cards. When subscribing to a digital business card platform, you are subscribing to a means of information exchange, and you should not be at risk of your provider taking the reins of exchanging your data at their own prerogative.

The appetite for data privacy and security demands grows every year. A McKinsey report showing that as “consumers become more careful about sharing data, and regulators step up privacy requirements, leading companies are learning that data protection and privacy can create a business advantage”, giving evidence to a growing demand for information security and privacy.

What you can do to make sure your information is secure when choosing a digital business card provider?
We provide our clients with a simple checklist you can use in order to ensure your data is stored and managed securely.

1. Seek an information security authority when choosing a digital business card provider. This includes technical employees, online resources, and independent consultancies / services.
2. Think about the data that that digital business card service can collect. Do they have an opportunity to collect data that is deemed as private or personal? If so, are they stating how they will use this data?
3. Always read the Terms and Conditions. This may seem obvious but it’s the bread and butter to how a digital business card provider intends to use your information now and in the future.

What could the future of information security in the digital business card market look like?
The future of information security for digital business card providers lies in what data is being generated through their usage. There are various digital business card providers that each offer different methods to share contact information. Digital business card providers that require an internet connection to use should require your greatest attention, for if your information is being shared via an internet webpage, data is indeed being collected, processed and possibly sold without full disclosure. All in all, as technology continues to transform different parts of our individual and professional lives, we must be wary of how our personal information is used.

What does Doorway do for information security?
Doorway’s backend has been specifically designed so that Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is encrypted, securely stored, and never shared. We recognise the importance of data privacy and security and will always meet the responsibility of carrying of the personal information stored in your digital business card. Our clients regularly conduct audits of our data privacy & security protocol, and we have been authorised to share the following quote from CBRE:

“Doorway is committed to offering world class data protection standards to ensure client data is safe. The types of data that will be involved with this vendor are Employee Name, Designation, contact number, email, office address. Doorway’s hosting environment is fully compliant with disaster recovery procedures. Their cloud hosting providers maintain multiple certifications for its data centers, including ISO 27001 compliance, PCI certification, and a SOC 2 Type II…this is a reflection of the good controls in place with the vendor and good responses…In summary, based on the Doorway’s responses to the SIG, their documentary evidence, and the use of an industry leading Cloud provider, I recommend approval and affirm that a low-risk rating is warranted and appropriate”.

Furthermore, as a company, we believe in the currency of data privacy and ownership. As we continue to grow our product offerings, we make a firm commitment to keeping our customer and user data private, wishing to be part of a world where you can have trust in the software-based services that help us with our everyday tasks.

We have engaged Ernst & Young as our data privacy & security auditor, and have worked with their team in our achieving SOC II certification.

For further information on all we do keep our users’ and customers’ data secure and safe, please download Doorway’s Information Security Bundle here.

Hugh,
CISO at Doorway

Our corporate past: 2019

It’s week three at your new job. You arrive at your desk to a new box of business cards – countless fresh-cut cards so sharp that they are slightly shedding from the edges. You pull out a card from the stack and see your name, emblazoned below your company’s logo. It’s official. You are a member of the team, and this card is your credential.

With this card, you are empowered with the arsenal of your entire business, and the breadth and integrity of your organization will resonate with every connection you make. You are a part of this company’s identity and you are proud to play a role in its growth. What a feeling.

Now it’s year two and you’ve achieved a promotion – you are now a Vice President. You’ve emailed HR and your new set of business cards has just arrived in perfect timing – some reps from another business are coming into the office today for a deal you’ve been working on. You’ve been CCd in the email chain, but you haven’t made any direct contact thus far.

Today is the day to prove yourself. These reps will see you are a Vice President and they will know to direct their attention toward you. When they walk in the room and take your business card, they will see that you are authorized to make decisions on behalf of your business. This meeting is serious. The room will know that you are a part of your company’s identity, and you have the power to close this deal.

Present day

These anecdotes from 2019 ring sweet to us all – such pride and power those business cards dawned when wielded in the meeting room. Now, however, its 2022. Where are your business cards?

Paper business cards are over – there is no doubt about that. In a Financial Times article last week, Ms. Pilita Clark discussed this post-pandemic change, solidifying a trend that had burgeoned in years prior to address the all too familiar tedium of paper business cards – sorting through the cards you’ve received after a conference, taking the time to enter in the details of anybody who might prove useful in the near future, and storing the remaining rectangles of cardstock in perpetuity underneath your computer monitor.

Ms. Clark is spot on – there is no longer time for that tedium in 2022, and fortunately, she tells us the solution: digital business cards.

Defining a digital business card

Somewhat self-explanatory yet still quite vague, what exactly is a digital business card? The global corporate landscape is searching for the answer to this question; now that we are certain paper business cards have lost their spot on the shelf (both figuratively and literally), we need to select what the next solution looks like.

In August, the WSJ published an article on the fall of paper business cards and the rise of their digital replacement, refencing some of the many vendors on the market. Mobilo and V1CE sell plastic NFC cards that you keep in your wallet; HiHello and Blinq have their own apps for individuals to download on the iPhone or Android. Still, something isn’t right.

Let’s first address the NFC card. “Digital” is a stretch when describing these cards, for they are indeed physical offerings. Whether made from plastic, metal or bamboo, NFC cards were the first alternative to the traditional paper business card, and they have never really taken a foothold on the market. Some will say they are inconvenient, given the need for a business to order and distribute thousands of pieces of plastic to employees, with no instant replacement functionality for new employees or employees who leave the business. Others will argue that they fail the “sustainability” angle, for though they are not paper, they will inevitably end up in a landfill. Whatever the reason, we can all agree that NFC cards simply aren’t perfect.

The app-based alternatives may be better, but they still share an unfortunate commonality with NFC cards: the need for internet connection. Succinctly put in the WSJ’s article, “bad cell service or a weak Wi-Fi connection can sap the magic.” What’s the point of a digital solution to networking if you have a weak signal at the conference, on the project site, or in the board room? HiHello and Blinq are among the throngs of app-based digital business card vendors, joined by the likes of Haystack, businesscard.io, Linqcard et al, and though their solution checks the sustainability box, it is still failing the test of convenience and corporate identity.

This brings us to my favorite point: corporate identity. Say you have a perfect cell signal and don’t mind the several touch points that aggregate the c. 13-second business card app use-case: finding and opening the app, waiting for the webpage to load, and having the recipient save your details, etc etc. What happened to corporate identity? What happened to the empowerment of receiving your very own business card from your company, your corporate credential, your authorization to act on behalf of your team? Do you expect employees to access their corporate identity via a heavily branded app, sorting through various screens of purple animation until they finally find and save their app-branded [enter company name] digital business card?

Doorway

Where, you wonder, might we find a solution that addresses sustainability, convenience, reliability and corporate identity? Search no more. Welcome to Doorway.

No wasted material, no app downloads, and no internet connection required to use. Your corporate identity held in your digital wallet. Entirely branded for your company. Evolving corporate identity and empowering your employees. Doorway.

Who are they?
“If 3/4 of your drink is the mixer, mix it with the best”

Fever-Tree is a premium mixer and drinks brand founded in London in 2003. The company is known for its uncompromising commitment to sourcing high quality ingredients, and playing counterpart to the world’s leading spirit brands in your favourite drinks. 

Since the launch of their inaugural tonic water in 2005, they’ve been on a mission to bring quality, flavour and choice back to mixers.

Why Doorway?

“I particularly loved it – as a Brazilian all I want to do is to save the planet. This was a great idea to cut our paper usage and CO2 emissions. It’s also easier to have a permanent card on my phone than carrying boxes of cards around.“

Amanda, Office Manager

“My Digital business card has been very well received, my customers have been finding them very clever and they’re actually a very good conversation starter!”

Emma, Account Executive

Did You Know?

Through our relationship with Tree-Nation, we plant trees for Fever-Tree every month!

At Doorway, we believe we should do more than just replace paper business cards for our customers – so we help them further their climate action by actively fighting deforestation.

Who are they?
Founded in 1972, OMP is one of the largest industrial real estate developers in the Western US, having developed more than 3 million square feet across California, Arizona, Nevada and Utah, accounting for more than $3billion in gross development costs.

Why Doorway?
“We hadn’t ordered paper business cards since before COVID, and then we started looking into digital solutions. We didn’t want our employees to have to download an app, and wanted to steer clear of the metal/plastic NFC cards. Doorway is perfect because their cards go in the digital wallet, and our Head of HR can manage all employee details within the Admin Portal.

We think about the environmental impact for every one of our buildings. Why would our business operation be any different? Doorway is low-hanging fruit for our corporate sustainability”

Timur Tecimer, CEO