How do I make a vCard contact QR code?

A vCard QR code holds a contact card as plain text. Paste a vCard 3.0 block into the generator, starting with BEGIN:VCARD and ending with END:VCARD, and a phone that scans it will offer to save the contact. Keep it to the fields you actually need, because every extra line makes the code denser and harder to scan.

Updated 22 September 2026 5 min read By HuCortex

A template that works everywhere

BEGIN:VCARD
VERSION:3.0
N:Lee;Jordan;;;
FN:Jordan Lee
ORG:Example Studio
TITLE:Creative Director
TEL;TYPE=CELL:+14165550123
EMAIL:hello@example.com
URL:https://example.com
END:VCARD

Replace the values and keep the structure. Two lines are mandatory beyond the wrapper: N (name split as surname;given;middle;prefix;suffix) and FN (the display name). Everything else is optional.

Fields worth including

LineWhat it doesTip
TEL;TYPE=CELL:Mobile numberUse international format with the plus sign so it dials from anywhere.
TEL;TYPE=WORK:Office numberOnly if people actually call it.
EMAIL:Email addressOne is enough.
URL:Website or LinkedInUse a short URL. Long ones bloat the code.
ADR;TYPE=WORK:Postal addressFormat is ;;street;city;region;postcode;country. Skip it unless people visit.
NOTE:Free textTempting, expensive. Leave it out.

Keep it short: density is the enemy

A vCard with name, mobile, email and website is around 180 characters and produces a 41 by 41 module code. Add an address, two more numbers and a note and you are past 400 characters and 65 by 65. At business-card size that means each square is well under half a millimetre, which is where scans start failing. Three ways to stay lean:

MECARD: the compact alternative

MECARD is an older, shorter format that most phones also recognise. The same contact in MECARD is about half the length:

MECARD:N:Lee,Jordan;TEL:+14165550123;EMAIL:hello@example.com;URL:https://example.com;;

It supports fewer fields and no job title, but for a business card it is often the better trade. Test both on your own phone and pick the one that opens the contact sheet cleanly.

Print size and testing

Even a lean vCard code should be printed at 2.5 cm or larger. Scan the printed card with an iPhone camera and an Android camera before you order. iPhones show a contact preview with an Add button; Android shows the details through Google Lens. Both should display your name correctly with no stray characters, which is the fastest sign the vCard is well formed.

Questions people also ask

Version 3.0. It is the most widely supported by phone cameras. Version 4.0 exists but some older Android scanners mishandle it, and version 2.1 lacks fields you want.

Because vCards are long. Every field adds characters and every character adds modules. Drop the address and notes, keep one phone and one email, and use a short URL.

No. It is a static code that stores the text directly. If your number changes you need a new code. Putting a link to a profile page in the URL field gives you something you can update later.

Technically yes, practically no. An embedded photo adds thousands of characters and produces a code no phone can scan from a card. Link to a profile page instead.