How NFC business cards work
An NFC business card shares your contact details when someone taps it against their phone. It looks like a normal card, but it contains a tiny chip and antenna. Here is what is actually happening, which phones support it, and how to make one without special equipment.
Business cards · Published 2026-10-07
What happens when someone taps
NFC stands for near field communication. The card contains a small chip with no battery. When a phone comes within a few centimetres, the phone's NFC reader powers the chip by radio and reads the data stored on it.
For business cards, that data is almost always a web link. The phone opens the link, which shows your digital card: your name, photo, job title, contact buttons and usually an option to save you to contacts.
Which phones can read NFC cards
- iPhone XS, XR and later read NFC tags automatically. The phone must be unlocked with the screen on, and the card is tapped near the top edge of the phone.
- iPhone 7, 8 and X can read tags using the NFC Tag Reader in Control Center (iOS 14 and later).
- Most Android phones from the last several years support NFC. It must be switched on in settings, and is usually on by default. The antenna is typically in the middle of the back of the phone.
Because not everyone has NFC enabled, most people print a QR code on the back of the card as a backup. Both open the same link.
Choosing a chip
When buying blank NFC cards or stickers, you will see chip names such as NTAG213, NTAG215 and NTAG216. The difference is memory:
- NTAG213: about 144 bytes, enough for a URL of roughly 130 characters. Ideal for business cards that store a short link.
- NTAG215: about 504 bytes.
- NTAG216: about 888 bytes.
If your card stores a link rather than all your details, NTAG213 is plenty. More memory only matters if you want to store a full contact record directly on the chip, which is less flexible because it cannot be updated without rewriting the card.
Metal cards and stickers
Normal NFC chips do not work when placed directly on metal, because the metal interferes with the antenna. Metal business cards and stickers for phone cases use special on-metal tags or keep the chip away from the metal layer. If you are sticking a tag on a metal surface, buy tags labelled anti-metal or on-metal.
Writing your link to the card
- Create your digital card and copy its link.
- Install a free NFC writing app, such as NFC Tools, on your phone.
- Choose Write, add a record of type URL, and paste your link.
- Hold the blank card against your phone until the app confirms it has been written.
- Test it with a different phone. Optionally lock the tag so nobody can overwrite it. Locking is permanent.
Why store a link instead of your details
If the card holds a link, you can change your phone number, job title or photo at any time and every card you have already handed out shows the new details. If the card holds your contact data directly, outdated cards stay outdated forever.
Making one with Zonlet
Zonlet's NFC card designer creates a hosted contact page at a short zonlet.com/n/ link, with an Add to Contacts button that saves you straight to the visitor's phone. You can edit the card later, choose a design, and use the same link for the NFC chip and the QR code on the back.
Design a free NFC business card