What are NFC Business cards, and can they replace real ones?

The global NFC market size is supposed to reach USD 34.9 billion in 2025, with a 14.2% CAGR.

For decades, NFC (Near Field Communication) has been a staple in several industries, including scanning of in-store purchases, warehousing, goods tracking, and even cattle tagging.

In recent years, NFC has even started revolutionizing the world of business cards. However, can they really replace the traditional ones? Let’s find out here!

Understanding NFC business cards

NFC business cards are digital business cards with an NFC chip installed. This ensures seamless transfer of information from the card to compatible devices like smartphones and tablets when tapped against them.

How are they better than traditional business cards?

NFC business cards have been in the rage in recent times. However, to understand whether they can replace traditional business cards, we’ll need to consider the pros and cons of having one!

Pros

1. No hassle of reprinting

If you use traditional paper business cards, you’ll have to reprint them any time they get damaged, some information changes, or when you run out of stock.

However, if you invest in metal NFC business cards, you’ll be free from redundant reprints. You can share information by tapping on receivers’ devices, so you’ll never run out of cards. One card is good to go for a long time!

There’s no chance of the card getting damaged for natural reasons. If you need to update information, you can do so online with the help of your card maker. Ultimately, you save a ton of money on reprinting.

2. Instant information transfer

When you use traditional business cards, you give your card to someone. Then, the entire process depends on the receiver.

Most people delay this process as it’s quite redundant to manually type in every single contact detail from each card and save them. If they don’t proactively add your contact details to their phone, there’s a high chance they’ll lose the card and never get to do business with you.

Further, if they mistype anything and discard the card before double-checking, they’ll have no way to find the actual contact anymore.

However, with an NFC card, you ensure that all the details reach their device directly. You also save them the trouble of manually adding details!

3. High durability

Paper business cards get ruined easily from natural elements, including rain, humidity, snow and dust. On the other hand, metal or plastic NFC business cards are highly durable.

If they come in contact with natural elements, you can simply wipe them off, and they will be as good as new. You won’t have to worry about reprinting an entire stack because the card was exposed to natural elements!

4. Quick updates

If you use paper business cards, one of the most annoying and lengthy part is updating any information, such as contact and position.

Suppose your card is issued by the company. Then, you’ll have to report to the relevant department about needing a refill.

They’ll check in with authorities, get the green signal, and only then connect with the card maker to create a new set. This might even include some fine-tuning of the design to ensure that all relevant information fits.

However, with an NFC business card, the process is much simpler. You can sign in to the platform where all the information are put and update them. If necessary, you can also seek card makers’ help to make updates appropriately.

5. More unique information

Via NFC cards, you can even share unique details like the map of your physical business establishment, store, or office. You can add clear directions, which is impossible with traditional cards. You can also add the link to your online portfolio and share detailed information about your work.

Cons

The only issue with switching to NFC business cards is that the receiver must have a compatible device. If not, your only option will be a traditional business card.

Some also say that NFC cards are more expensive than traditional ones. However, in the long run, you’ll save more with NFC!

Will NFC cards replace traditional cards?

Traditional business cards may not go completely extinct in the coming few decades. However, they have lost their charm.

Especially after COVID-19, people have started embracing digitization in their businesses in several ways—NFC business cards being one of them!

So, once using NFC-compatible smartphones becomes the norm, NFC business cards will soon replace traditional ones.

Conclusion

NFC business cards also have several advantages over traditional ones. So, if you’re wondering whether you should switch, the short answer is YES! Don’t hesitate and embrace the change!