vCard QR code generator
This vCard QR code generator turns your name, organisation, phone numbers, email, website and address into a code that phones save as a new contact with one tap. The code is static, so it never expires and nothing is fetched from a server. It is free with no sign-up, built entirely in your browser, and verified by a real scanner before you download it.
Content: Contact
MeCard holds fewer fields but makes a much smaller code.
Style
PNG, JPG or SVG up to 2 MB. It stays on your device.
Your codes on this device
Off by default. When on, each downloaded code (type, content, style) is saved in this browser only, never uploaded. You can delete them at any time.
How to make a vCard QR code
- Fill in First name and Last name; these become the N and FN lines every phone uses to file the contact.
- Add Organisation, Job title, Mobile phone, Work phone, Email and Website. Enter phone numbers with the country code, for example +44 20 7946 0000.
- Add the Street address, City, Region, Postal code and Country only if people need to find you; each field makes the code denser.
- For a small business card, tick Use MeCard (smaller code) to encode the essentials in a more compact format.
- Wait for the badge to read Verified: scans as contact, then choose Download PNG, Download SVG or Download PDF.
vCard QR code generator details
A vCard QR code carries a small text record in the vCard 3.0 format that phones and mail programs use to exchange contacts. The generator writes one property per line between BEGIN:VCARD / VERSION:3.0 and END:VCARD: N: for the structured name (last;first), FN: for the display name, ORG:, TITLE:, TEL;TYPE=CELL: and TEL;TYPE=WORK: for the two numbers, EMAIL:, URL:, ADR;TYPE=WORK: for the address, and NOTE: for anything else. Empty fields are left out, so a card with just a name and a mobile number is only a few lines long. Turn on Show encoded text to see the exact result.
Escaping and folding
Two rules of the format are handled for you. Commas and semicolons inside a value are escaped with a backslash, because N: and ADR: use semicolons to separate their parts, so Smith, Jr. is stored as Smith\, Jr. and restored by the phone. Long lines are folded at 75 bytes with a line break followed by a space, as the standard requires; phones join them back together on import.
Size, error correction and MeCard
A full card with name, organisation, title, two numbers, email, website and address runs to about 300 bytes. At error correction Q, the default for contacts so a worn card still reads, that is a version 15 code with 77 modules on each side; a minimal card of name, mobile and email is closer to 120 bytes and version 9 (53 × 53). Fewer fields is the surest way to a simpler code; the other is Use MeCard (smaller code), which writes the compact MECARD:N:…;TEL:…;EMAIL:…;; format instead. MeCard has no job title, does not distinguish a mobile from a work number and cannot carry a photo, but iPhone and Android cameras both read it, and the same details come out around 40 percent smaller.
What the phone does
The iPhone camera shows a contact preview with an Add contact option; Android, through Google Lens, shows the name and a button to add it. Nothing is saved until the person taps, and the details land in their address book as if typed.
Printing advice
Contact codes are dense, so give them room. Print at least 2.5 cm across on a business card and keep the four-module quiet zone clear; a 77-module code at 2.5 cm gives each module about 0.3 mm, near the limit of what a phone camera resolves at arm’s length. Drop the address and note if the card is small, prefer MeCard, and check the finished file with the QR code reader before ordering a print run.
This code never expires
The contact details are stored inside the code itself, so the card keeps working until your phone number or email actually changes. This is a static QR code: the data is written into the pattern, so scanning it needs no server, no account and no subscription. There is nothing to renew and no redirect that can be switched off, which is why a code made here keeps working for as long as the printed copy exists. The trade-off is honest: a static code cannot be edited after printing and does not count scans. If you need either, encode a link to a page you control. Read how static and dynamic codes differ, and if a code you already have has stopped working, see why QR codes expire.
Styling, formats and print size
Every code can be styled in the Style panel: six dot shapes, corner shapes, solid or gradient colours, a transparent background, a quiet zone of 0–8 modules, and your own logo up to 30 percent of the width. A contrast checker warns below 3:1 and blocks downloads below 1.5:1, and after each change the preview is decoded again so the badge tells you whether the styled code still scans.
| Output | Best for | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PNG | Web, documents, quick prints | 256 to 4096 px; transparent background supported |
| SVG | Designers and print shops | Vector, scales without limit; logo embedded |
| Printing at an exact size | Vector modules at a chosen width in mm or inches, optional caption | |
| JPG | Platforms that reject PNG | White background; no transparency |
| EPS | Legacy print workflows | Vector from the module matrix, no logo |
| Copy / Print | Pasting into a document; a quick paper test | PNG to the clipboard; print view with caption |
Print size: as a rule of thumb the code should be at least one tenth of the scanning distance wide, with the quiet zone included.
| Scan distance | Minimum width |
|---|---|
| 0.5 m (arm's length) | 5 cm |
| 1 m | 10 cm |
| 2 m | 20 cm |
| 5 m | 50 cm |
A full vCard is 65–85 modules wide, so print it at least 2.5 cm across on a card and 4 cm or more on a flyer; give the printer the SVG or PDF so the modules stay crisp.
The QR code size guide has a calculator for module size, DPI and distance.
Frequently asked questions
Does a vCard QR code expire?
No. The contact details are written into the code itself as vCard 3.0 text, and the phone reads them without contacting any server. There is nothing to renew. Only the information dates: if you change your phone number, generate a new code and print new cards.
Can I update the contact details after printing?
No. The details are the code. If you expect them to change, put the changeable details on a web page you control and encode a link to that page instead, or encode only the stable fields (name, mobile, email) and leave out the rest. The static vs dynamic guide covers which approach fits.
vCard or MeCard: which should I choose in this vCard QR code generator?
vCard when you want the job title, separate mobile and work numbers and a full address, and the code has room to be printed at 3 cm or more. MeCard when the code goes on a small business card and you need name, one or two numbers, email and website. Both are read by iPhone and Android cameras.
How big should a contact QR code be printed?
At least 2.5 cm across for a full vCard on a business card, more if the card has an address and note. A MeCard with four fields is around 45 modules and prints fine at 2 cm. Keep the quiet zone white, avoid glossy laminate, and test with an iPhone and an Android phone before ordering.
Why does the phone show Add contact instead of opening something?
Because a vCard code contains data, not a link. Phones recognise the BEGIN:VCARD prefix and hand the content to the Contacts app, which shows the details and asks before saving. It is the same behaviour as opening a .vcf attachment in an email, and nothing is stored until the person confirms.
Can I include a photo in the vCard?
Not in a printable code. A photo would have to be embedded as base64 text, and even a tiny image is several kilobytes, beyond the 1,663-byte limit at error correction Q and far too dense to print. Add the website field instead and let the person find your photo there.
Which fields does a phone actually import?
All the properties the generator writes: name, organisation, title, mobile and work phone, email, website, work address and note. iPhone and Android both import them into the matching contact fields; phone labels come through as Mobile and Work, and the address is filed as a work address.
Is my contact information uploaded anywhere?
No. The vCard text is assembled and encoded in your browser, and verification decodes the preview locally with a scanner engine; nothing is sent to a server. If you enable Remember my codes on this device, the entry is stored in your own browser only; otherwise it is gone when you close the tab.
Related
Last updated . QR Code is a registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED. Open-source engines are listed on the how it works page.