Digital Business Cards: What to Include and What to Leave Out

A digital business card solves the one problem paper cards can't: the contact lands straight in the other person's phone. The moment someone scans your QR code and the 'Save contact' prompt appears, you've skipped the 'let me type your email later' step where most paper cards die. But a digital card only works if the data behind it is structured and complete.

The must-haves

• Name and job title — what you do, not just who you are.
• Company and a one-line description — context for the conversation.
• Phone, email, and website — the three fields everyone actually uses.
• Location (city is enough) — it matters more than you'd think for trust and follow-ups.
• A vCard (.vcf) export — the format Apple Contacts, Google Contacts, and Outlook all import natively.
• A QR code pointing at the card — so the card is shareable in person, on a screen, or on a printed version.

The nice-to-haves

• Social links that matter for your role — LinkedIn for almost everyone; portfolio or GitHub for designers and developers; a booking link if you take meetings.
• Action buttons — call, email, WhatsApp, or 'book a meeting'. Each button removes a step.
• A photo — people remember faces. Keep it a clean headshot, not a crop from a group photo.

What to leave out

• Every social platform — ten icons of platforms you never post on reads as noise. Keep the ones you'd actually want a client to follow.
• Personal details — home address, personal number, and birthday have no place on a business card.
• Huge bios — the card's job is to start the conversation, not to replace it. One line, not a paragraph.
• Low-contrast or tiny text — a QR code that fails to scan, or a name in 8px gray, defeats the entire purpose.