The vCard Format

vCard begins with BEGIN:VCARD and VERSION:3.0, followed by fields like FN (full name), ORG (organization), TEL (phone numbers), EMAIL, URL, and ADR (address). Each line is a field:value pair. The card ends with END:VCARD. Keep it concise to maintain scan reliability.

Essential Fields to Include

Full name (FN) and at least one contact method (TEL or EMAIL) are the minimum. For business use, add ORG (company), TITLE (job title), and URL. Avoid including home address for privacy — a website URL or LinkedIn profile provides professional context without personal location data.

vCard vs URL for Contacts

vCard QR codes work without internet access — the contact information is encoded directly. URL QR codes require data connectivity and more steps before the contact is saved. For networking events where connectivity may be limited, vCard QR codes are more universally convenient.

Testing Across Devices

Test your vCard QR code on both iOS and Android. Field support varies slightly between platforms. In particular, test how your name, company, and phone number display after importing.

Key Takeaway

vCard QR codes provide the most direct path to contact saving — no internet required, one tap to add. Keep the encoded data concise, test on both iOS and Android, and avoid including private address information.