NFC card or paper card?
Paper costs less per unit. An NFC card updates without reprinting and shares in one gesture. Here are the numbers, and the cases where each one wins.
What 100 cards actually cost.
The gap between the two is €180.00 excl. VAT for 100 cards. That is the price of the chip and its personalisation. The calculation turns mostly on the number of reprints: a new phone number, job title or website makes a stack of paper cards obsolete, while an NFC card is reprogrammed with a phone, as many times as needed.
The differences, row by row.
| Criterion | NFC card | Paper card |
|---|---|---|
| Cost for 100 cards | €370.00 excl. VAT, that is €3.70 per card | Cheaper per unit, that is its main advantage |
| Changing information | The chip is reprogrammable with a phone, no reprint needed | The whole batch has to be reprinted |
| Sharing contact details | One tap and the page opens on the other person’s phone | Manual typing or a scan, often never done |
| Lifespan | ISO 7810 PVC, 0.76 mm, resists water and bending | Gets dog-eared and stained in a pocket |
| Measurement | The destination page is measurable, you know if the card is used | No measurement possible |
| Mass distribution | Right for a team, a trade show or regular customers | Unbeatable for disposable use at very high volume |
Which one fits your case.
Go NFC if
- Your details, website or offer change during the year.
- You want the other person to actually keep your details.
- You are equipping a team, a trade show or a network of outlets.
- You want to measure what the card actually triggers.
Stay on paper if
- You hand out very high volumes with no expected response.
- The item is disposable by nature: a flyer, a one-off invitation.
- Unit cost matters more than anything else.
What people ask us most.
Is an NFC business card much more expensive than a paper one?
At Printags, 100 PVC cards with an NFC chip come to €370.00 excl. VAT, that is €3.70 per card, against €190.00 excl. VAT for 100 PVC cards without a chip. The difference pays for itself the first time you avoid a reprint, since the chip is reprogrammed without changing the card.
Can the link on an NFC card be changed after printing?
Yes. The chip is rewritable: with a free app such as NFC Tools you can change the URL, the text or the contact details as many times as you want, without reprinting the card.
How long does it take to receive custom NFC cards?
You upload your files, approve the proof online, then delivery is estimated within 7 business days, shipping included. It is an estimate, and you track every step by email.
Do you need an app to read an NFC card?
No. iPhones from the XR onwards and the vast majority of Android phones read NFC natively: hold the card close, the notification appears and the link opens.
Compare on your own volume
Set your quantity and both prices appear immediately, with no account to create.