Save your number to a phone with a stripped-down contact code
One scan drops your name, phone and email straight into the reader's contacts, using a format that predates vCard on mobiles and still reads on hardware vCard chokes on. MeCard was born on Japanese feature phones, so it stays tiny and it stays compatible.
The trade for that reach is deliberate thinness. There are three fields here — name, phone, email — and no company, title, address or photo. If you need a full business card with a logo and a job title, that's vCard's job; MeCard exists for when the scanner might be old or the payload must stay small.
Why pick MeCard over vCard at all
vCard packs more fields but produces a longer, denser code and occasionally trips up basic scanners that never fully implemented the spec. MeCard's syntax is shorter and older, so a wider spread of readers — including legacy handsets — parse it without complaint.
The rule of thumb: choose MeCard when the code must be small and universally readable, and you only need the essentials. Choose vCard when a photo, address and organisation genuinely matter more than raw compatibility.
The three fields and how to fill the name
You get a single name field, not separate first and last boxes. Enter the name as you want it stored. Many readers split on a comma into surname and given name, so 'Tanaka,Kenji' can land more tidily in the contact list than 'Kenji Tanaka' on some devices — test it if the sorting order matters to you.
- Name — required; the label the contact is saved under.
- Phone — optional but the usual reason people scan.
- Email — optional; add it or leave the field empty.
Phone-number format that survives borders
Write the number in full international form with the plus and country code, like +81 90 1234 5678. A local-only number saved from a scan abroad won't dial once the reader is back home. The international prefix makes the saved contact callable from anywhere.
Compatibility with older and Japanese devices
MeCard is the format that early camera phones shipped with, which is why it still shows up on kit that ignores vCard. If your audience skews toward older Android builds or legacy handsets, MeCard is the safer bet for a contact that actually saves rather than displaying as raw text.
How to make a MeCard contact code
- Enter the name. Type it as it should appear in contacts. If you want reliable surname/given-name splitting, try 'Surname,Given' with a comma — some readers use it, others store the whole string.
- Add the phone in international form. Start with + and the country code. A bare local number won't dial for anyone who scans it in another country.
- Add an email if you want one. This field is optional. Leave it blank and the code just carries name and phone — shorter payload, bolder pattern.
- Download and test on a real phone. Scan it and confirm the contact saves rather than showing as text, especially on the oldest device you expect to support.
Technical details
- Maximum characters: 4296
- Recommended error correction: Q (quartile) — the higher default gives a contact card room to survive a scuffed print or a small logo overlay.
- Payload format: MECARD:N:<name>;TEL:<phone>;EMAIL:<email>;; — fields it doesn't use are simply omitted.
- Only name, phone and email are encoded; there is no address, organisation or photo field in MeCard.
Frequently asked questions
- What's the difference between MeCard and vCard?
- MeCard is the older, leaner format — name, phone and email in a short syntax that predates vCard on mobiles. vCard carries far more (address, org, title, photo) but makes a denser code and occasionally fails on basic scanners. Pick MeCard for reach and simplicity.
- Does MeCard work on old Japanese phones?
- Yes. MeCard originated on Japanese feature phones, so legacy handsets and early camera phones read it natively — often where they'd stumble on a vCard. That heritage is the main reason the format is still worth using today.
- Why is there only one name field, not first and last?
- Because MeCard's spec stores the name as a single string. Some readers split it on a comma into surname and given name, so 'Yamada,Aiko' can sort correctly, while 'Aiko Yamada' saves as one label. Test on your target device.
- Can I add my company, job title or address?
- No. MeCard here supports only name, phone and email — there are no fields for organisation, title, address or photo. If you need those, use a vCard code instead; MeCard trades detail for a smaller, more compatible code.
- What phone-number format should I use?
- Full international, starting with + and the country code, for example +81 90 1234 5678. A local-only number won't dial for someone who scans your card while abroad, so the international prefix keeps the saved contact usable everywhere.
- Can I change the details after printing?
- No. The name, phone and email are baked into the pattern. If your number changes you generate and print a new code — there's no server behind it to update the old one.