What Is a Digital Business Card?

A digital business card (sometimes called a virtual or electronic business card) is a way to share contact information via the internet. You can create digital business cards on a desktop computer or mobile device.

How Do Digital Business Cards Work?

A digital business card is a simple way to share your contact information. There are different products to use to create a digital business card. You likely already have most of the data for a digital business card in your contacts program (i.e., the Contacts program on the iPhone or a Mac).

Why Do You Need a Digital Business Card?

The point of a digital business card is to have one set of information available to share with others. While you could use the old vCard format, the new style of digital business cards can include much more rich information in a more pleasing design.

Because digital business cards aren't constrained by the size of a physical card, you can put as much information on your digital business as you want. People enrich their cards with a photo, logo, or links to social media profiles. Some even put in their Venmo accounts or their Twitch profile (if they're a live streamer) on their card. And because you don't have to worry about printing costs, you can have several cards customized for your work contacts, clients, or customers.

How Do You Share a Digital Business Card?

There are many different ways to send them out. Some online tools generate a card that you can attach to the bottom of an email in the form of a signature.

Some people send them out via text or share them using QR codes. Some business card apps even have a feature that allows users to send them to others without sending a link or code.

What Are the Benefits of a Digital Business Card?

The biggest is the convenience factor. Because so much is electronic nowadays, you will never have to worry about your business card supply running low and having to order more. Digital cards are also highly flexible. If you ever change jobs, get a new phone number, or fix a grammatical mistake, you can easily edit a digital business card, saving time and money.

You will never have to throw away excess supply since it wouldn't exist, and that alone makes digital business cards environmentally friendly.

According to Adobe, around 90 percent of printed business cards are thrown into the trash in less than a week. Not only are people wasting paper, but they're also wasting money and effort on something that most don't want.

What Are the Drawbacks of a Digital Business Card?

Digital business cards require people to have access to the internet, and if the recipient doesn't have access, the card is essentially useless. There's no one central repository for digital business cards since different formats are often incompatible with one another. You'll still have to search your email (assuming that's how you received the card) to find the card.

And finally, these types of cards lack a personal touch. The handshakes and the greetings during the exchange of cards are absent, and so is the emotional flair.