Contact vCard QR — Troubleshooting

Worked example

A blocked export names the bad field; a code that will not scan is usually too dense, and a contact missing fields is the reader dropping them.

Contact codes fail in more varied ways than link codes because they are denser and the receiving app has to understand a vCard. Start by deciding which of four symptoms you have: the export is blocked, the code will not scan, the scan shows plain text instead of a contact, or the contact saves with missing or garbled fields.

If export is blocked, read the red message. It names the offending field: a phone number that is not valid, an email without an at sign, a website that does not start with http:// or https://, a missing name and phone, or colors under 4.5:1 contrast. Fix that single field. A phone typed as 02-1234-5678 ext. 3 fails because of the extension note; remove the extra text and keep digits, spaces, a plus sign or hyphens only.

If the code scans slowly or not at all, the usual cause is density. All five fields at level H can approach 61 modules per side, and printed on a 20 mm card each square is under 0.35 mm. Enlarge the code to 25 mm or more, remove the center logo, drop from H to Q or M, or leave out the website. Test again at the real size.

If a reader shows plain text such as BEGIN:VCARD, it did not recognize the format; some barcode apps display raw data and expect you to copy it. Try the stock camera of a recent phone, which usually offers Add contact. If a saved contact is missing the website or the company, that app just drops fields it does not map; add the website to the notes yourself or print it next to the code.

A final case: the contact saves, but the phone number has no country prefix and fails when dialed abroad. The tool writes exactly what you entered, so go back and type the number in the international form, such as +34 91 123 45 67, and export again.

Chatcument; example contact fields

BEGIN:VCARD / VERSION:3.0 / END:VCARD

A contact that saves with missing fields is usually the receiving app dropping data; a code that will not scan is usually too dense for its size.