Do recipients need an account to receive a digital card?

No. CardCard's public page is open to anyone with the URL. Adding to Wallet on iOS happens without an account. Saving a vCard contact happens without an account. The card holder is the only person who needs an email on file.

Can a digital card replace a paper card entirely?

For most working professionals today, yes. The few cases where paper still wins are formal industries, ceremonial moments, and printed keepsakes for milestones. Most office work is on phones now, and the card should be too.

Are the contact details actually private if I want them to be?

Each detail field is public or Wallet-only. Wallet-only fields show on the back of the pass after the recipient installs it; the public page hides them entirely. Privacy is per-field, not per-card.

Guide

What a digital business card actually is

A digital business card is a public web page plus a wallet-installable record. CardCard ships both, signed, in one issue.

Definition

A digital business card replaces the printed card with a pair of artefacts: a public web page that anyone can open with a URL or QR scan, and a wallet record (Apple Wallet or Google Wallet) the recipient can install on a phone. CardCard issues both from one record, with the page and the pass kept in sync.

How it works

The card holder edits a record — name, tagline, LinkedIn, theme. Optionally, on a Pro tier, a vanity URL and detail fields. The system renders a public page at a stable URL, a Wallet pass file the page links to, and a vCard download for older phones. The recipient picks the surface that suits their phone.

A worked example

Anna issues a CardCard. The card lives at cardcard.me/c/abc12345 and at cardcard.me/anna once she sets a vanity. She prints the QR on the back of a paper card, hands it to a hiring manager, and the manager scans. The public page opens, the manager taps Add to Wallet, and the card lives on the phone from then on.

When it matters

Whenever a paper card would have been useful but the moment is on a phone. Conferences, hallway introductions, and hand-offs at meetings. Whenever a follow-up email is the wrong format for what was just exchanged at a coffee shop or a panel discussion.

When it does not

When you actually need a paper card — formal handovers in some industries, decorative purposes, or memorabilia for a milestone hire. CardCard does not replace paper for those uses. It complements paper for the rest of the working week.

Questions

Do recipients need an account to receive a digital card?: No. CardCard's public page is open to anyone with the URL. Adding to Wallet on iOS happens without an account. Saving a vCard contact happens without an account. The card holder is the only person who needs an email on file.
Can a digital card replace a paper card entirely?: For most working professionals today, yes. The few cases where paper still wins are formal industries, ceremonial moments, and printed keepsakes for milestones. Most office work is on phones now, and the card should be too.
Are the contact details actually private if I want them to be?: Each detail field is public or Wallet-only. Wallet-only fields show on the back of the pass after the recipient installs it; the public page hides them entirely. Privacy is per-field, not per-card.

Reviewed 2026-05-08 by the CardCard atelier.