A MeCard QR code holds a contact in a compact text format, MECARD:N:Doe,Jane;TEL:…;EMAIL:…;;, that a compatible phone offers to save as a new contact. MeCard was created by NTT DoCoMo and carries the same basics as a vCard in a shorter string. Shorter means a less dense code, which scans more easily at small print sizes.
The code is built in your browser. Whether a given phone's camera offers to save a MeCard varies, so test on the phones your audience uses.
How do you make a MeCard QR code?
- Enter the First Name and Last Name. The name is the only field that matters much.
- Add any of Phone, Email, Website, Address, and Note.
- Download the code and scan it on the phones you care about.
With all fields filled, the code holds:
MECARD:N:Doe,Jane;TEL:+1 555 123 4567;EMAIL:jane@example.com;URL:https\://example.com;ADR:123 Main St\, Springfield;NOTE:Met at the trade show;;Note the backslashes. The characters \, ;, :, and , have a structural meaning in the format, so the generator escapes them inside values, as in https\:// and Main St\, Springfield. The ZXing project's documentation of barcode contents shows the same MECARD structure and escaping approach.
MeCard or vCard?
| MeCard | vCard | |
|---|---|---|
| Length | Short, so a sparser QR | Longer, so a denser QR |
| Fields | Name, phone, email, website, address, note | Adds job title, organization, several labeled phones, structured address, social links, and a photo |
| Best for | Small stickers, badges, and tight layouts | Business cards where richer data matters |
| Compatibility | Recognized by many scanner apps, but verify on your target phones | Widely supported as a standard contact format |
The generator's form notes that some older Android cameras read MeCard more reliably than vCard, which is the main reason to choose it. Whether the built-in iPhone camera offers to save a MeCard is not clearly documented, so if your audience is on iPhones, run a test and switch to the vCard QR code generator if MeCard does not behave.
Which fields should you fill in?
- Always: a name and one way to reach you, either a phone number or an email address.
- If you have space: a website. Keep the address short; it adds density.
- Skip: a long note. Each extra character makes the code larger. The note is for one short prompt, such as where you met.
Write the phone number with its country code so it saves correctly for people in other countries.
What are the privacy trade-offs?
A contact code is public data: anyone who scans or photographs it gets every field. Do not put a home address, a personal mobile number, or notes that you would not put on a business card. On a badge worn in public, a work email is the safer choice.
A static code also cannot be corrected after printing, so a typo in an email address is permanent. Scan the final file and read every field on the phone's contact screen before you print.
How do you test it?
Scan with an iPhone and at least one Android phone, using the default camera and a common third-party scanner. Confirm the contact preview shows name, phone, and email correctly, including the special characters. Then use the payload decoder to view the raw text and check the escaping. For print guidance, see business card QR codes and the print size guide.