NFC visiting cards, explained

How the tap actually works

Notice what the chip does and does not do. It stores a link. It does not store your name, your photo or your rate list. All of that lives on the web page the link points to. So an NFC card without a good page behind it is just an expensive piece of plastic.

1. 1. A chip inside the card stores one short web link.
2. 2. The other person holds their phone within a couple of centimetres of the card.
3. 3. Their phone reads the link and shows a small banner at the top of the screen.
4. 4. They tap the banner and your page opens in their browser.

Which phones can read it

This is the part sellers rarely put on the product page. If you hand your NFC card to ten people in an Indian market, some of them simply cannot read it. Every one of those ten phones has a camera that reads a QR code.

• • iPhone: models from iPhone 7 onwards can read NFC tags. From iPhone XS onwards the banner appears on its own, without opening any app first.
• • Android: most mid range and premium phones have NFC. Plenty of budget Android phones sold in India still do not, and there is no way to add it.
• • The person may also have NFC switched off in settings without knowing it.

What NFC visiting cards cost in India

Prices move around, so treat these as rough ranges rather than quotes. Checked mid 2026.

• • The card is a one time cost. The page behind it often is not. Ask before you buy.
• • You usually need one card per person. Ten staff means ten cards.
• • If you lose the card, you buy another one.
• • If the seller shuts down, your page can go with them. Ask what happens to the link.

NFC card or QR code

Honest summary. NFC is a nicer moment. A QR code and a link reach more people, cost nothing, and can be sent to someone sitting in another city.

The free way to get the same result

Whatever you decide about the plastic, you need a page. Ahoyy gives you that page free. Your name, your work, your number, a Call button, a WhatsApp button and a Save contact button. Shops can add services with prices, photos, a map pin and a UPI code.

That page comes with a QR code you can print anywhere. If you later buy an NFC card, most sellers let you program the chip with any link, so you can point it at the page you already have and skip their yearly fee.

Common questions

Does Ahoyy sell NFC cards?

No. We do not make or sell NFC hardware. We give you the free page and the free QR code that an NFC card would point at.

Can I use my Ahoyy page with an NFC card I bought elsewhere?

Usually yes. Most blank NFC cards and tags can be programmed with any web link using a free NFC writing app. Point it at your Ahoyy link.

Are NFC visiting cards worth the money?

They are worth it if you meet people face to face in a setting where the moment matters, like sales meetings or events, and your buyers carry newer phones. For a shop counter or a market, a printed QR code reaches more people for nothing.

Do NFC cards work on iPhone?

Yes on iPhone 7 and newer. From iPhone XS onwards the link banner appears without opening any app first.

Is NFC safe? Can someone copy my card?

The chip only holds a public web link, the same link you would print or send anyway. There is nothing private on the card itself. A card can be cloned, but all a clone does is open the same public page.

What happens if my NFC card stops working?

Chips can fail if the card bends or gets very hot, and there is no repair. This is the main reason to keep a QR code as a backup, since a printed code has nothing inside it to break.