Yes, you should still print paper business cards if you meet people face to face, but print fewer and make each one point somewhere live. Put a QR code on the card that opens a digital profile, so the paper keeps working after your phone number or job title changes. If you rarely meet anyone in person, you can skip printing entirely.
Do people still print paper business cards?
Paper business cards are still handed out by most people who carry them. The best recent data comes from a printer, though, so read it with that in mind.
VistaPrint’s 2025 survey of 800 US working professionals who use business cards found that 78% “still hand them out at least occasionally,” and more than half do so weekly. The same survey found 30% use “both physical and digital formats” depending on the situation.
The catch is the sample. The survey asked people who already use business cards, so it can’t tell you how many professionals have stopped printing them.
The statistic you should stop quoting
The claim that 88% of business cards are thrown away within a week has no study behind it. It is the most repeated number in this debate, and it is weak.
The version most articles link to is a 2016 post on Adobe’s blog, written by the printer Silkcards, with no source linked. Nobody has measured it neutrally; we went through the evidence in digital vs paper business cards: which gets saved more.
When paper still makes sense
A paper business card earns its place wherever a phone-to-phone exchange feels awkward or slow.
- Formal meetings. A first meeting with a client, banker or lawyer, where pulling out your phone feels casual.
- Places with bad signal. Basement venues and trade show halls, where a profile link may not load right away.
- People who don’t scan codes. Some older clients would rather keep a card in a drawer.
- Leave-behinds. A card left at a front desk, tucked in a proposal, or pinned to a noticeboard.
For the etiquette of when to offer one, see digital business card etiquette.
When you can skip printing
You can skip printing paper business cards if almost all your contact happens online. A freelancer who meets clients on video calls rarely needs a stack of cards.
A profile link in your email signature and a QR code on a slide do the same job. Paper just adds cost and goes out of date.
A quick decision table
How much paper you need depends on how often you meet people in person.
| How you meet people | Print? | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Mostly online | No | Share a link and a QR code on screen |
| A few events a year | A small batch | Paper card with a QR code to your profile |
| Weekly meetings or showings | Yes | Paper with QR, refilled as you run out |
| Formal or traditional clients | Yes | Clean, simple paper card, QR on the back |
What a paper card should carry today
A paper business card today should be a doorway to your live details, not a full record of them. Print the few things that rarely change, and let the QR code carry the rest.
VistaPrint’s respondents valued “a clean, organized layout” (62%) above other physical design features. On the digital side, they ranked “easy contact saving” (57%) and “updatable information” (56%) highest. A QR code linking to a profile gives you both.
Here’s what I’d print:
- Your name and role.
- One way to reach you that won’t change, such as your company email.
- A QR code of at least 2 cm. Bitly’s guide says a code “should be at least 2 cm x 2 cm (approximately 0.8 in x 0.8 in) for most QR Code scanners to read.”
- A short printed URL under the code for anyone who won’t scan.
On iPhone, Apple’s support page explains that the person opens the Camera app and taps the link that appears. No extra app. Our guide on making a QR code for your business card covers the print steps.
A real example: a realtor prints a small run with only their name, agency and a QR code on the back. When they switch agencies, they edit the profile, and every card already handed out opens the new details.
How QRCard fits with paper cards
QRCard gives you the QR code and live profile that a paper card points to. Each card gets a vanity URL like qrcard.in/c/yourname and a downloadable QR code, both on the free plan.
Edit your phone number or title once and every QR code you’ve printed opens the current version, so you don’t reprint when details change. Whoever scans it can tap Save Contact and get a .vcf file in their phone’s contacts, with no app to install.
The limitation: the QR code only works while the profile does. If you ever cancel or delete your card, the codes you’ve printed stop showing your details, which is why the printed email matters.
My take
Print paper business cards, but print far fewer than you used to. Order the smallest batch your printer offers and treat the card as a pointer to your profile.
The survey found 45% of card users named “affordability” as their top ordering priority. A small run with a live QR code is the cheapest way to stay current. If you also tap cards, our comparison of NFC and QR codes on a business card covers adding a chip.
FAQ
Are paper business cards still used?
Yes. In VistaPrint’s 2025 survey of 800 US professionals who use business cards, 78% said they still hand them out at least occasionally. Keep in mind the survey only asked people who already use cards.
Is it true that 88% of business cards get thrown away?
That figure traces back to a 2016 post on Adobe’s blog written by the printer Silkcards, and no study is linked behind it. Treat it as marketing rather than data.
How big should the QR code on a paper card be?
Bitly recommends at least 2 cm x 2 cm, about 0.8 in, for most scanners to read it. Leave clear space around it and test it with a couple of phones before ordering.
Should I print a paper card or use a digital one?
For most people, both. A paper card covers the handoff in person, and a QR code on it opens a digital card that can be saved to contacts and updated whenever your details change.