NFC and QR code technology in networking: how they work and where you will meet them
By Online Business Cards Editorial Team | Published | Updated | Explainers
NFC and QR codes are behind badge scanning, event check-in and most modern contact sharing. Here is how each technology works, what it can store and what that means for your own card.
If you go to conferences, trade shows or networking evenings, you are already using NFC and QR codes, often without noticing. Your ticket is scanned at the door, your badge is scanned at a stand, someone shows you a code on their phone so you can connect on LinkedIn. This guide explains how the two technologies work, what each can and cannot store, and what that means when you set up your own card.
A note on what we sell. We sell digital-only business cards, shared by link and QR code. We do not sell NFC cards. NFC is explained here because you will meet it at events and in comparisons.NFC in plain terms
NFC stands for near-field communication. It is a short-range radio technology that works at a frequency of 13.56 MHz and is defined by international standards, including ISO/IEC 14443, which also underpins contactless cards. The NFC Forum, whose board includes Apple, Google, NXP and Sony, writes the specifications phones and tags follow.
Two things make NFC different from Bluetooth or Wi-Fi:
- The range is tiny. The NFC Forum certifies devices to connect within half a centimetre, extended to 2 cm by its 2025 Release 15 specification. That short range is deliberate: it means connections only happen when someone intends them.
- Tags need no battery. A passive tag, such as the one inside an NFC business card or sticker, is powered for a moment by the phone's radio field.
A tag stores a small amount of data in a common format called NDEF. The amounts really are small. NXP's widely used NTAG213 chip has 144 bytes of user memory, and its larger NTAG216 has 888 bytes. That is plenty for a web link, but not for a photo or a full profile. This is why an NFC business card normally stores only a link to your profile.
QR codes in plain terms
A QR code is a two-dimensional barcode. It was developed by DENSO WAVE in Japan in 1994 and is standardised as ISO/IEC 18004. Instead of a radio signal, it relies on the phone's camera reading a pattern of squares, called modules.
A few features explain why QR codes work so well for networking:
- Error correction. A QR code can still be read when part of it is damaged or covered. The standard, ISO/IEC 18004:2015, has four levels, from roughly 7% to roughly 30% of the code being recoverable, according to DENSO WAVE, which invented the QR code.
- Size scales with content. The more text in the code, the more modules it needs, up to 177 by 177 in the largest version. A short link makes a simpler code that scans from further away.
- A quiet zone. The code needs a clear border around it, four modules wide in the standard, so the camera can find its edges.
Our guide to QR code size and placement turns these rules into print sizes.
Where you will meet them when networking
Tickets and check-in. Many events send a QR code with your ticket and scan it at the door. Some venues use NFC wristbands or badges instead. Badge scanning at stands. Exhibitors often scan visitors' badges, usually a printed QR code or barcode, to capture their registration details. Before you let someone scan yours, it is fair to ask what they will do with your details. Social and messaging apps. LinkedIn and WhatsApp both let you show a personal QR code, so someone can find or message you without typing your name. Our LinkedIn guide explains how to use that alongside your card. Phone-to-phone sharing. Features such as Apple's NameDrop and Android's Quick Share use proximity and short-range radio to swap details between phones. Our guide to NFC, Bluetooth and phone-to-phone sharing compares them. Business cards. An NFC card, a QR code on a paper card, or a code on your phone screen all usually lead to the same thing: a web page with your details. Our guide to NFC vs QR code business cards compares the options.What this means for your own card
- Store a link, not your details. Both technologies have room for a link. A link can point at a profile you update; stored details cannot be changed.
- Keep the link short. A shorter link makes a simpler, more forgiving QR code.
- Make sure the page behind it is ready for phones. Whatever technology people use, they arrive on a phone screen. Our guide to laying out your profile covers what goes first.
- Have a fallback. Not every phone has NFC switched on and not every camera reads codes in poor light, so be ready to text your link instead.
- Think about consent. If your card collects details from people, the usual data protection rules apply. Our plain-English UK GDPR checklist covers the basics.
NFC and QR codes side by side
NFC | QR code
How it is read | Phone held a few centimetres away | Phone camera
Needs printing or hardware | A chip in a card or tag | No, can be shown on a screen
Works on every smartphone | Most recent phones | Almost all, through the camera
Can carry a web link | Yes | Yes
Which plan you need
Both of our plans include a profile with its own short link and QR code, ready to share in person or online. Brand Presence (£45, one-off) covers your details, social links, documents and analytics. The Business Plan (£90, one-off) adds contact leads, a card scanner for other people's paper cards, a CRM and export, which help when you meet a lot of people at events. Compare them on our plans.
Read next: What is NFC? A plain-English guide to how it works in business cards and QR code trends in business. You can also browse all our guides, or see how an online business card with a QR code works.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between NFC and QR code technology?
NFC is a short-range radio technology: a phone powers and reads a small chip when held very close. A QR code is a printed or on-screen pattern read by the phone's camera. For business cards, both usually carry a web link.
How much information can an NFC tag hold?
Not much. Common NFC tags hold between 144 and 888 bytes of user data, enough for a web link or a short contact entry, but not a photo or full profile. That is why NFC business cards normally store a link.
Why do QR codes still scan when they are partly damaged?
QR codes include error correction. Depending on the level chosen when the code is made, part of the code can be damaged or covered and still be read.
Do I need NFC to network with a digital business card?
No. A digital business card can be shared by QR code, by link in a message or email, or from your email signature and social profiles, none of which need NFC.
Do I need NFC to share my card at an event?
No. A QR code on your phone or a printed card, and your link by message, reach every phone. NFC is optional.