Digital business card glossary
Every term you need to understand digital and smart business cards, defined in plain language. From NFC and QR codes to vCards, lead capture, and Apple Wallet passes — here’s what each one means and how it fits into sharing your details with a single tap.
Key terms, defined
Eleven definitions that cover everything from the chip in the card to the tags that help the right people find it.
NFC
NFC (Near Field Communication) is a short-range wireless technology that lets two devices exchange data when held within a few centimetres. In a digital business card, an NFC chip embedded in the card opens your profile the moment someone taps it against their phone — no app, pairing, or internet setup required on their side.
vCard
A vCard (.vcf file) is the universal digital format for a contact card. It stores a name, phone, email, company, and address in a way every phone and email app understands. When someone saves you from a digital business card, they usually download a vCard, so your details land straight in their contacts with one tap.
QR code
A QR code is a scannable square barcode that encodes a link. Point any modern phone camera at it and the phone offers to open the URL — no app needed. On a digital business card, the QR code opens your live profile, giving people a second way to reach it when tapping isn’t available.
Tap-to-share
Tap-to-share is the gesture of holding an NFC card or phone against someone else’s phone to instantly send them your profile. There is nothing to type or install — the receiving phone reads the chip and opens your digital business card in its browser. It’s the fastest way to hand over your details in person.
Digital business card
A digital business card is a shareable online profile that replaces a paper card. People reach it by tapping your NFC card, scanning a QR code, or opening a link, then see your contact info, socials, and more in their browser. You edit it once and every card in circulation updates — no reprints.
Smart business card
A smart business card is the physical object — usually a metal, plastic, or sticker card with an embedded NFC chip and often a printed QR code — that opens a digital business card. Think of the smart card as the hardware key and the digital card as the profile it unlocks on someone’s phone.
Apple Wallet pass
An Apple Wallet pass is a card you save inside the Wallet app on an iPhone. For a digital business card, the pass keeps your profile link and QR code one swipe away, so you can share your details even without your physical card. Android’s equivalent is Google Wallet, which works the same way.
Contact-capture form
A contact-capture form is a short form on your digital business card that lets the person you meet leave their own details. Instead of a one-way exchange, they type their name, email, or phone and it lands in your dashboard. It turns a single tap into a two-way introduction you can follow up on.
Lead capture
Lead capture is the practice of collecting a potential customer’s details so you can follow up later. On a digital business card it happens through a contact-capture form or a saved exchange, feeding names straight into your dashboard or CRM. It’s what turns a networking handshake into a trackable sales opportunity.
hreflang
Hreflang is an HTML tag that tells search engines which language and region a page is meant for. A site offering English, French, and Spanish versions uses hreflang so Google shows each visitor the right one. It prevents duplicate-content problems and helps your digital business card pages rank in every market you serve.
PWA
A PWA (Progressive Web App) is a website that behaves like an installed app — it loads fast, works offline, and can be added to a phone’s home screen without an app store. A digital business card built as a PWA opens instantly for the people you meet and stays handy on your own screen.
From tap to lead, in plain terms
In practice these pieces work as one flow. A smart business card carries an NFC chip and a QR code. Someone taps it (tap-to-share) or scans the code, and your digital business card — often a PWA — opens in their browser. They save you as a vCard or add your Apple Wallet pass, and a contact-capture form hands you the lead. Behind the scenes, hreflang makes sure each visitor sees the page in their own language.