How I Made My Own Digital Business Card with NFC Tags (and How You Can Too)

Aug 21

I’ve been playing around with NFC tags lately, and I’ll be honest, it’s pretty cool to feel like I’m walking around with my own little digital business card hidden inside a project. Tap a phone to it and boom, instant contact info.

At first, I thought it would be as simple as writing my vCard file to the tag. That worked fine on an Android test phone… but my iPhone said, “Nope.” Turns out Apple only likes certain types of NFC data, so I had to dig deeper to find a universal method that works for both iPhone and Android users.

Here’s what I learned (and how you can do it too):

Step 1: Create your contact card

Save your info as a .vcf (vCard) file. On iPhone I created a Contact document that contained all of the information I wanted on the card: Name, email, website, and social accounts.

Step 2: Host your vCard online

Upload the file to your website, Dropbox, Google Drive, or anywhere that gives you a shareable HTTPS link. HTTPS is the important part here. Apple will not open a link that is not secure.
Test it by clicking — it should download your contact.

Step 3: Program the NFC tag

Open NFC Tools Pro (or similar). I paid the one-time fee of $2.99 for this app. The developer is WakDev. There were many tools in the app store but I just picked this one.
Add a URL record — paste your HTTPS link (not just raw text). Again, it is very IMPORTANT that this link contains HTTPS. This URL doesn’t have to be to the vCard that I mentioned above. It can be to your website or Instagram account or your Venmo.
Write it to the tag.

Step 4: Test it

On iPhones XS or newer, just unlock, tap, and it should download the contact.
On Android, tap the back of the phone and it should open.

Why this works

Raw vCards aren’t handled the same way across devices. By hosting the .vcf file and linking to it, you create a universal solution that both iPhone and Android understand.

Now I’ve got tags I can embed in my laser-cut designs, business cards, or even little desk signs. They feel modern, fun, and most importantly, they actually work.

👉 If you want the step-by-step version you can reference anytime, I’ve created a permanent How-To Guide here.

Crista Pineau