NFC vs QR code business cards
NFC and QR codes both open a web page from a card, so the other person gets your details without typing anything. NFC opens when the phone touches the card. A QR code opens when the phone's camera scans it. Neither needs an app. NFC is faster; a QR code works on any phone with a camera. That is why KONEK cards carry both and open the same page.
How NFC works
An NFC card has a small chip and antenna inside. It has no battery. When a phone is held a few centimetres from it, the phone powers the chip for a moment, reads a web address from it and opens that address in the browser.
Almost every current Android phone and iPhone XS and newer can read these cards. Some Android phones have NFC switched off in settings.
How a QR code works
A QR code is a printed square pattern that holds a web address. The phone's camera reads it and offers to open the link. It needs no chip, so it also works printed on paper or shown on a screen.
Side by side
| NFC | QR code | |
|---|---|---|
| Opens by | Touching the phone to the card | Scanning with the camera |
| Needs an app | No | No, the camera is enough |
| Speed | About a second | A few seconds: open camera, aim, tap the link |
| Needs special phone support | Yes: an NFC phone, with NFC on | No: any phone with a camera |
| Works from a screen or photo | No | Yes |
Which should you choose?
Both, on the same card. NFC is the quick tap for most people. The QR code covers a phone without NFC, or a moment when showing a screen is easier. A KONEK card does this: tap the card or scan the QR code on it and the same profile opens.
If you change your username later, the card keeps working, because the chip and the QR code point to your card and not to your username.
Questions
How does the tap work? Does the other person need an app?
No app needed. Works on iPhone and Android.
What if the other phone has no NFC?
They scan the QR code on the card with the camera. It opens the same page.
Does an NFC business card need a battery?
No. The phone powers the chip for the moment of the tap, so the card never needs charging.
What if I change my username later?
Your card keeps working. The chip and QR code point to your card, not your username.
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