MeCard QR Code Generator

What MeCard is and what it leaves out

MeCard is a short text format for contact data that some scanner apps understand. It opens with the MECARD label, lists its fields separated by semicolons and ends with a double semicolon. The result is much lighter than a vCard with the same name and number, because it drops the version lines and the repeated type labels.

The name is written differently from vCard. MeCard stores the last name first, followed by a comma and the first name, so the generator writes the last name, a comma and the first name in that order. It escapes backslashes, semicolons, commas and colons, so a name with punctuation still reads correctly once the phone has parsed the text.

MeCard has no field for a company or a job title. If those details matter to the person who scans, pick vCard instead. Like every static code, the contact stays exactly as printed until you make a new one.

Making a MeCard code in three steps

1. 01

   Enter the name and the phone

   First name is required, so type it first, then add Last name. Phone keeps the plus sign and the digits, and removes spaces, dashes and brackets, so you can type the number the way it appears on a printed card.

2. 02

   Add the optional fields

   Email, Website and Address can stay empty, and the code skips any field you leave blank. That keeps the text as short as possible. A website typed without a prefix receives one automatically.

3. 03

   Preview, compare and download

   Scan the preview with a phone that does not already hold the contact. If you are unsure how the readers in your audience behave, switch to the vCard type, compare the two previews and keep the one that works. Download an SVG for print or a PNG for a screen.

Where a short contact code fits

• Luggage and pet tags

  A small tag has room for a name and a phone number, not a full card. A MeCard code keeps the print compact, so a suitcase label or a pet collar tag stays readable at a small size.

• Equipment stickers

  Tool cases, bicycles and camera bags can carry a sticker that tells whoever finds them who to call. Put the phone number first, because that is the detail a finder is most likely to act on.

• Compact event badges

  When a badge has little room, a MeCard code can replace a larger vCard code. Name and email are usually all a new contact needs after a short conversation.

• Key boxes and parcel lockers

  A landlord or building manager can tag a key box or a locker with a short code, so a tenant can save the right number when a question comes up during a move.

• Laptop and phone-case stickers

  A sticker on the lid of a laptop or on a phone case works when the code is small and the contact is short. Test the printed size by scanning it from the distance you expect to be used at.

• Volunteer and club sign-up sheets

  A club or a volunteer group can print a short code on a sign-up sheet, so new members save the coordinator's number without copying it from paper. Keep the printed name next to the code so people know whose contact they are saving.

Tips for a MeCard code that scans

Last name comes first

The code stores the last name before the first name, separated by a comma. That is the MeCard convention, so the output is correct even though it looks reversed next to a vCard.

No company, no job title

If your audience expects a company or a role on the card, MeCard will not carry them. Choose vCard when those details matter more than the size of the code.

Check the reader before printing

Not every scanner app handles MeCard. Some may show the raw text instead of offering to save a contact, so scan with the readers your audience is likely to use before you print a batch.

Write numbers with a country code

A number entered with its country code works anywhere it is dialed. A number without one is stored as typed, so someone calling from another country may dial the wrong line.

MeCard code questions