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For the contact QR on my business card, should I choose vCard or MeCard?

If there is room, choose vCard 3.0: it is more widely supported and carries your job title. If the code will be printed very small, choose MeCard: it drops the job title but is much shorter, so the modules come out larger at the same size. Both hold one phone number, email, website, address and note, and neither holds a photo.

Published · 2 min read

The same card in both formats

We entered Sara Alotaibi's details into the QR code generator: company Al Waha, job title Sales Manager, mobile +966 50 123 4567, email sara@example.com and website https://example.com. Then we switched only the 'Card format':

  • vCard 3.0 with the title: 199 bytes, and a symbol 57 modules wide.
  • vCard 3.0 without the title: 178 bytes, and a symbol 53 modules wide.
  • MeCard: 103 bytes and a symbol 41 modules wide; the title is not included at all, because the tool does not write it in this format.

This is what the tool stores as MeCard. Note the backslash before the comma and the colon: the tool adds it so the format does not break.

MECARD:N:Alotaibi\,Sara;TEL:+966501234567;EMAIL:sara@example.com;URL:https\://example.com;ORG:Al Waha;;

When to choose each

  • vCard: when you want the job title to appear in the saved contact, or the widest compatibility with phone apps, and the code has comfortable room on the card.
  • MeCard: when the code sits in a small corner of the card or on a sticker and you want the lowest possible density.
  • Either way: one number only. If you want both an office and a mobile number, the tool does not support that, so pick the one you want customers to call.

How to test before printing

  1. Choose 'Contact' and fill in only the fields you actually need.
  2. Try both formats and watch the byte counter and the symbol size.
  3. Scan each version with your phone, open the save-contact screen, and check that the name is not reversed and the number is complete.
  4. Use the same details in your email signature with the Email signature builder so your information matches everywhere.

Common questions

Do iPhone and Android read MeCard?

Support varies from app to app, and vCard is the more widely supported format, as the tool itself notes. Scan a test copy with the phones your customers use; with a mixed audience and enough room, vCard is the safer choice.

Can I include my photo in the card?

The tool does not support photos in contact cards, and a photo is far larger than a QR code can hold anyway.