How the NFC card works (near to the cell phone)
Hold the NFC card against the back of the other person's phone and, within a second, your digital card opens on their screen. No app and no scanning: the chip in the card sends the address of your profile and the phone opens it in the browser. What is inside the chip and why it needs no battery is explained in what an NFC card is and how it works.
Basic use
- Have your NFC card at hand.
- Hold it against the back of the other person's smartphone. A very thick case can block the reading.
- Within a second the phone shows the link. On iPhone it appears as a notification at the top; on most Android phones it opens directly.
- The other person taps Save contact and your details go into their address book. If they fill in the form, you receive theirs by email.
Reading area by device
| Device | NFC reading area | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone | Top of the back | Hold it near the rear camera |
| Samsung Galaxy | Centre of the back | Hold it over the Samsung logo |
| Google Pixel | Centre/top of the back | Similar to Samsung |
| Other Android | Centre of the back (usually) | Try the centre and adjust |
If it does not work
- Check that NFC is switched on in the receiving phone (Settings > NFC). On iPhone it is always on.
- Move the card slowly across the back until you find the exact spot.
- If the phone has no NFC or does not read the card, scan the backup QR code on the back.
- iPhone 6 and earlier cannot read NFC tags.
- More causes and fixes in Problem with NFC.
What the other person sees
The same as if they opened the link to your card: photo, name, role, contact buttons and the form to save the contact. The NFC card does not store your details inside, it points to your profile. If you change phone number or role, you update the digital card and the physical one keeps working. And if someone leaves the team, their card is reassigned to another member from the dashboard without producing a new one.
💡 Tip: if the other person has a very thick case, ask them to remove it or use the QR code.
No NFC cards yet? The NFC cards for teams page covers the design with your company logo, the backup QR and management from the platform.
Common questions
What people ask most about tapping the card on a phone
Where to tap it, whether it works through a case, at what distance and what to do when it does not respond.
- Where on the phone should I hold the NFC card?
On iPhone, against the upper back; on Android, against the centre back. No app needed: a notification appears and tapping it opens the digital card.
- Is it compatible with all phones?
- Compatible with iPhone 7 and later and most modern Android phones. On top of that, each card has a backup QR code on the back — if the phone doesn't have NFC, the QR code does exactly the same thing.
- Do I need an app to read an NFC card?
No. iPhones and most modern Android phones read NFC cards natively: just hold the card near the phone and a notification with your profile appears, with nothing to install.
- Do NFC cards work with a case on the phone?
Yes, in most cases. Silicone, plastic or thin leather cases don't block the NFC signal. Only thick metal cases or ones with powerful magnets can interfere. If it doesn't work, use the backup QR code on the back.
- At what distance does an NFC card work?
Between 1 and 4 centimetres. It's near-field communication by design: you need to bring the card close to the back of the phone for it to work. That's also a security advantage, because nobody can read your card without being physically next to you.
- Does NFC always work?
Almost always. It may not respond if the phone has no NFC, has it switched off, is in battery-saver mode, locked on some models or has the camera open. For those cases the card carries a printed QR code that does the same job.