How does an NFC business card work?
Updated
The card holds a tiny NFC chip that stores a web link. When a phone touches it, the phone reads the link and opens it in the browser. The card has no battery and the phone needs no app: the phone's own NFC reader powers the chip for the moment it is read.
What is inside the card
A chip about the size of a grain of rice, connected to a thin antenna that runs around the inside of the card. The chip stores a short piece of data, which for a business card is a link to your profile.
There is no battery. The phone's reader sends out a weak radio field, and that field is enough to power the chip long enough to read it. This is why the card never needs charging and why it only works at a few centimetres.
Which phones can read it
Most smartphones sold in India in the last few years have NFC, the same feature used for tap to pay.
- iPhone XS and newer read NFC tags in the background. Hold the top of the iPhone near the card while the screen is on.
- iPhone 7, 8 and X can read tags with the NFC Tag Reader in Control Center.
- Android phones read tags when NFC is switched on, usually in quick settings. The antenna is normally in the middle of the back.
When a tap does not work
- On Android, check NFC is on. Some phones ship with it off.
- Move the card around the back of the phone. The antenna is not in the same place on every model.
- Take off a thick or metal case, which can block the signal.
- Use the QR code on the back of the card. It opens the same page.
Do they need an app?
No. The link opens in the phone's normal browser. That matters: asking someone you just met to install an app is where most digital cards lose people.
Can I change what the card opens?
With Nuhdge, yes. The chip holds a fixed link to your Nuhdge Profile, and you edit the profile, not the card. Change your number or your job and every card, QR code and link you have handed out shows the new details.
The Nuhdge card is ₹499 for Classic or ₹799 for Personal, paid once, with delivery across India included.
Try it on the next person you meet.
Your Nuhdge Profile and QR code are free. No app needed.