An NFC business card and an NFC review card use the same kind of chip, but they do different jobs. A business card shares your contact details with someone you've just met, usually by opening an online profile page. A review card opens your Google review page so a customer who has already used you can leave a review. Most businesses that want both are better off with two separate cards, for reasons explained below.
What an NFC business card does
An NFC business card usually holds a link to a digital profile: your name, job title, phone number, email address, website and social media, often with a button to save you as a contact. You hold the card against the other person's phone, the profile opens, and they save your details there and then. Because the details live online, you can update your phone number or job title without reprinting anything.
Many NFC business cards are sold together with that profile page, and some charge a monthly or yearly fee to keep it running. If you're buying one, check what happens to the card if you stop paying, because a card that points at a profile page stops being much use if the page goes.
What an NFC review card does
A review card holds one thing, your review link. When a customer taps it, they land straight on the box where they choose a star rating and write a review. It's used at the end of an appointment, a meal or a job, by staff who hand it over and ask. It usually stays with the business and gets tapped by customer after customer. Our article on how to ask customers for Google reviews has wording for that moment.
Side by side
| NFC business card | NFC review card | |
|---|---|---|
| What it opens | Your contact details or profile page | Your Google (or other) review page |
| Who taps it | People you meet, such as prospects and contacts | Customers who have used your business |
| When | When you first meet | After the job, meal or appointment |
| Ongoing cost | Sometimes a fee for the profile page | None needed if it holds your direct link |
Can one card do both?
In practice, a chip holds one link. You could point a business card at a profile page with a "review us" button on it, but that adds a step, and every extra step loses some people. A customer at the end of a job is unlikely to scroll through your contact details looking for a button.
There's also a rules question. A business card gets handed to people who haven't used your business yet. Google only wants reviews from genuine customers, so putting your review link in front of prospects isn't a good idea. Our guide to Google's review rules in the UK explains what's allowed.
Which do you need?
It depends on where your work comes from.
- Mostly new contacts and networking. Consultants, sales staff and anyone who meets a lot of new people will get more from a business card.
- Mostly customers in front of you. Hairdressers, restaurants, garages and clinics get more from a review card, or a stand on the counter.
- Both. Plenty of businesses use one of each. An estate agent might hand out a business card at a valuation and use a review card when the sale completes. Our post on reviews for estate and letting agents covers that trade in more detail.
If you already have paper business cards, Google gives every business a free review QR code, but for the reason above it's better on receipts and invoices than on cards you give to prospects.
What we make
We don't make NFC business cards. We make review cards, stands and stickers, each programmed with your own review link. Our Google review cards are £30 each in white or black, with no monthly fee and free UK delivery. We also make Instagram follower cards for £30. They open your Instagram page so customers can follow you, which may suit you better if social media matters more to your business than a contact card.
Common questions
Are NFC business cards worth it?
They can be if you meet a lot of new people and your details change now and then. Check whether there's an ongoing fee for the profile page before you buy.
Can I put my Google review link on an NFC business card?
Technically yes, since it's just a link, but then it stops working as a business card. A separate review card is simpler for customers.
Do NFC business cards work on iPhone?
Yes. iPhone XS and later read NFC cards without an app, held near the top of the phone. Most Android phones read them too.
Do review cards and business cards use the same chip?
Usually, yes. The difference is the link written to the chip and how the card is used.