How to read and write NFC business cards
Do you want to make your business cards more interactive and engaging? Consider adding NFC (Near Field Communication) to your business cards.
NFC cards are becoming increasingly popular as they offer various potential uses and applications. With NFC, you can program your business cards to do all sorts of things, from displaying your contact information to opening a specific website or social media page. Allowing your customers to interact with you immediately and save your information to their phone, where they will most likely be in contact with you again.
If you’re not familiar with NFC technology, don’t worry. This ultimate guide will explain everything you need to know about how to program NFC business cards and access them on your phone. We’ll also provide some helpful tips on using NFC to enhance your business cards and make them truly unique.
What is NFC?
NFC, an abbreviation for Near Field Communication, is a short-range wireless technology that allows two devices to exchange data and information.
NFC is similar to RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) but has a shorter range and requires less power. Shorter-range activity is also safer for criminals as data is not easily transferred and cloned.
NFC is often used in mobile payments, public transportation, and contactless keycards. Anything that can be shared in close proximity to one another.
NFC tags are embedded with special chips that store important information. When an NFC-enabled device, such as a smartphone, comes in proximity to an NFC tag, the tag will wirelessly transfer its data to the smartphone. This process is known as “tag reading.” Tag reading can be used for various purposes, such as retrieving information from an NFC tag or writing data from an NFC tag.
How do you program an NFC business card?
NFC allows you to read and write information on your business card for people to access important information. Programming an NFC business card is relatively simple. Here we will show you how simple it is.
First of all, you need to make sure that your smartphone is NFC supported. Some android smartphones do not have NFC capabilities yet, so here is a list to see if your smartphone will be compatible. If you’re still unsure if your phone has NFC, do a quick Google search of your phone model and “NFC.” you’ll see if your phone is compatible.
Next, download the NFC Tools app. This free app is available for Android and iOS devices and is easy to download.
Open it and select the “Write” option.
To program the NFC tag, enter the desired information into the “Add Record” field.
You can enter any data you want, but we recommend including your contact information (name, phone number, email address, etc.) or a URL that leads to your virtual business card.
Click ok in the right-hand corner once you’ve filled in all the important information.
Once you’ve entered the data, tap the “Write” button.
Then, hold your NFC-enabled device close to the NFC tag on your business card. The app will automatically detect the tag on your business card.
Hold it in place until you get confirmation that the write was successful; it will usually vibrate, letting you know it was successful.
To read your NFC card, they will go onto the app and click “read”. The device will link shortly with the NFC tag on your business card, and all your important information will be displayed.
iPhone users will need to hold the top-center of their phone within 2,5 cm of the NFC tag. Android users need to place the backside-middle of their phone onto the tag.
Lastly, get your friend to access NFC. Their phone should automatically receive the information you encoded via a drop-down notification. You can click on this, which will take you to all the information you saved. From there, they can see your digital profile, access your contact details, or check your social media profiles. If you get a red exclamation point, try again.
If you do not want to download the app onto your phone, it’s not a problem. You do not need an app to pick up NFC. Any phone will pick up the NFC tag by holding the tag near the phone as long as the screen is turned on.
Smartphones usually take 1-2 seconds to scan the tag. Some Android phones may require you to turn on the “NFC” setting in the phone’s menu before they pick up NFC.
Transfer your NFC card to your clients
Making an NFC business card is simple to do from the comfort of your home. You only need to print and design one card that you can take around and show your clients. This business card will represent you and everything you do.
The next time you meet a client and want to exchange contact details, simply pull out your NFC card and hold it near their phone to bring up a link with all your details.
Gone are the days of reprinting stacks of paper business cards each time you update your details. An NFC business card is the last one you will ever need.
The best part about this is that you can update your details easily on your phone before giving them to your clients.
Why NFC?
It’s good for the environment
Reducing the amount of unnecessary paper or plastic cards you give out is a great way to reduce unnecessary waste. Unfortunately, the real truth is that after you hand someone your card, they are unlikely to look at it again or put your details in their phone for future use. They just end up throwing it away, and that’s a big waste to the environment.
Our NFC business cards are made of high-quality, durable plastic that can be reused repeatedly, reducing unnecessary waste. Your information will be stored on their phone, so you do not need to give out a new card every time you meet a new client; you can just re-use the same card every time.
It’s convenient
When you provide your information for your client to access on their phone, they will most likely save it and remember you because of the cool NFC interaction they had with you. Your information is already on their phone, so they can easily contact you.
Gone are the days when clients forget your card somewhere and do not enter your details on their phones. All your information is quick and easy for them to access.
It’s unique
When you meet a new client, you want to make a valuable impression on them so that they get back to you in the future. Using NFC cards creates a wow factor and allows you to be different from anyone else.
This unique experience makes you stand out from the crowd and is a great way to break the ice and form a good relationship with your clients.
Create your unique NFC cards
You can create your unique NFC cards with us or print them from the comfort of your home.
Create your business card design using affinity designs, canva or adobe. You can get a few ideas by going onto our site and getting our templates.
All you need to do is simply complete your design and supply a list of your team members who want an NFC business card on a database, and we’ll do the rest. Check out our playlist on how to design and upload your database.
Important: Make sure you think about where you’re going to place your NFC chip. You can leave one side unprinted or leave a space where the chip will be printed. Normally, card printers will struggle to print over chips and may damage your printhead if you print directly onto the chip.
You can decide to print with us, and we will print your cards for you, or you can purchase one of our card printers and print directly to your home or office.
Your NFC business card must be designed to share what makes your business unique.
Can NFC cards be hacked?
The short answer is yes; however, the chances of your NFC business card being hacked is low. But it is always important to take necessary precautions.
There are a few ways that hackers could access the data on your card. Some methods are skimming, cloning, or using malicious software to access the card’s data.
You should only store your card in a secure location and never loan it to anyone else. Keep an eye on your card when using it in public, as this is when it is most vulnerable to being hacked.
To sum up
A digital business card paired with an NFC business card allows you to share who you are, with any client, wherever you go.
This quickly becomes a great way to network with potential clients and wow them simultaneously.
NFC is a new and exciting way for future networking. Let us help you be unique. Contact us for any information, and our team will be happy to help.