Digital Business Card Statistics in 2024: Usage, Applications, Adoption, and Top Players

Digital business cards are helping organizations and individuals streamline networking and share contact details in a hassle-free way. 

We’ve compiled several statistics to help you understand the market potential of digital business cards. You’ll discover the market size of digital business cards, along with their key drivers, how people use them, and much more. 

Let’s delve in. 

Digital business card market statistics

The digital business card market is snowballing because of the need for digital and faster networking. 

Here are some statistics that summarize the current state of the digital business cards market. 

The global digital business card market size has increased from USD 164.95 billion in 2023 to USD 181.46 billion in 2024. The market will likely reach a whopping USD 389.3 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of 10.01% during the forecast period (2024-2032).

Key drivers for digital business card adoption

Various factors are driving the adoption of digital business cards. According to a recent study, the following are the key drivers of digital business card adoption:

Rapid shift toward digital networking 

Nearly 93% of organizations worldwide have adopted a digital-first business strategy. 

With the global business landscape becoming increasingly digital, there has been a rapid shift towards digital networking, resulting in higher demand for digital business cards.  

Growing environmental concerns

About 88% of paper business cards are discarded within a week after use. 

Business card production consumes natural resources like trees, and these cards most often end up in landfills, causing paper waste. However, switching to digital business cards prevents such wastage and contributes to environmental conservation.  

Pandemic-induced rise in demand for contactless solutions 

A 2023 study said the print rate of traditional paper business cards has fallen by more than 70% after the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Demand for contactless solutions, on the other hand, has increased since the pandemic, leading to a surge in digital business card adoption.  

Increasing adoption of innovative marketing strategies 

Digital business cards have emerged as one of the most effective marketing tools for boosting brand identity and increasing customer engagement.

Digital business card usage statistics

Digital business card apps on the Google Play Store have over 2 million combined downloads.

• According to a market study, 37% of small businesses and 23% of individuals have used a digital business card app. This number is expected to increase drastically because of the limitations of physical business cards. 

The ability to seamlessly share and save contact information is the key reason for using digital business cards. 

• The top 9 digital business card solutions get around 4.25 million combined monthly visitors. 

Regional market outlook

The major regional markets and their respective market shares:

• North America (30%)
• Europe (25%)
• Asia Pacific (25%)
• South America (10%)
• Middle East & Africa (10%)

North America accounted for the largest market share, followed by Europe and Asia Pacific 

The North American digital business card market held the largest market share of around 30% in 2023. The U.S. and Canada are the top markets in this region. 
The European digital business card market accounted for a 25% share in 2023. The U.K. and German have witnessed exponential market growth in recent years. 
The Asia Pacific region, too, held a 25% market share in 2023. China was the region’s largest digital business card market, followed by India.

Industry-wise usage statistics of digital business cards 

A revolutionary tool for professionals, digital business cards are increasingly replacing traditional paper business cards. Many industries are adopting this solution not only to double down on their marketing and networking efforts, but also to significantly reduce paper waste and support environmental conservation. 

Here are some key statistics on industry usage of digital business cards:

IT and Business Operations

The IT segment accounted for up to 40% of the global digital business card market in 2023. 

Growing demand for advanced professional networking tools among IT professionals is a key factor driving the growth of this segment. 

Sales & Marketing

According to Aura Print, business cards have a 12% conversion rate, which is significantly higher than the 2.35% average website conversion rate. 

Business cards play a vital role in driving sales and marketing success. However, this indicates a massive scope of growth for the digital business card market as more industry professionals switch to digital business cards. 

Real Estate 

A 2023 study said that 63% of real estate businesses increased their budgets for digital marketing in the previous year. This budget surge indicates a potential increase in digital business card adoption in this sector. 

Healthcare

Nearly 80% of patients choose physicians who use smart solutions like digital business cards to offer easy online appointment booking options.  

Top players in the digital business card market

As the popularity of digital business cards continues to skyrocket, various players have entered the market.

Here are some leading providers of digital business cards globally: 

QRCodeChimp: QRCodeChimp is a digital business card and QR code provider headquartered in Pune, India. Developed by the ex-employees of Google, Yahoo, PayPal, and Bank of America, QRCodeChimp allows you to create professional digital business cards with ease of use and top-notch security. 
HiHello: HiHello is a California-based digital business card provider. It allows you to create custom digital business cards for easy contact sharing. 
L-Card Pro: L-Card is an Indiana-based digital business card solution that allows you to create digital business cards and design physical business cards.
MobiloCard: Mobilo Card is a digital business card and NFC card provider based in New York, United States. 
Blinq: Blinq is a digital business card app provider based in Australia. It allows you to create, share, and manage your digital business card. 

How are NFC-enabled digital business cards the new trend in digital networking?

Amid the fast-paced switch to digital networking solutions, NFC digital business cards have gained much popularity among businesses. Business cards with NFC tags let you instantly share your contact details with a single tap. 

The global NFC business card market was worth USD 0.053 million in 2023, and is projected to expand up to USD 0.247 million by 2030, registering an impressive 25% CAGR during the forecast period.

What features do people want in digital business cards?

We surveyed our users on what features they’d like to see in digital business cards. Here are the responses:

• More design and customization options — 17.9%
• Sharing digital business card URL — 17.7%
• Downloadable and printable business card PDF — 14.8%
• Contact forms to collect user data — 14.7%
• Mobile app to create digital business cards — 13.5%
• Secure profile components with password — 12%
• Gamification widgets to engage users — 9.4%

How do people share digital business cards?

We also asked our users about how they share digital business cards. Here are the top responses. 

• QR codes on business cards
• Email signature
• Directly share URL
• Social media
• Website

Why do people use digital business cards?

While sharing contact information is the primary application of digital business cards, they also have other uses. We surveyed our users on how they used digital business cards. 

Here are the top responses:

• Share contact details
• Provide business information
• Share product information
• Share team information

The dawn of physical business cards

Of the 10 billion business cards printed annually, 8 billion are tossed away within a week. That’s over 80% of all business cards. 

The top reasons for throwing away a business card are:

• No need for the product or service
• Lack of value or usefulness
• Poor design and quality
• Too many business cards received
• Lack of personal connection
• Tedious contact-saving process

Even though business cards are effective, they have limitations.

Saving contact information from a physical business card is tedious and time-consuming. Additionally, physical cards are costlier than digital business cards and offer less personalization. 

The environmental impact of paper business cards

Earlier, we discussed that sustainability is the second-largest driver of digital business cards. Let’s understand the environmental impact of physical business cards with these statistics:

For every 100 million business cards made, 6 million trees are cut.
Most business cards end up in landfills. In landfills, they release methane gas, a greenhouse gas that is 28 times more potent than carbon dioxide.
Producing 1 ton of paper requires 17,000 gallons of water.

Wrapping up

Digital business cards have gained much popularity over the last few years. As networking becomes critical to professional and business success, organizations and individuals are increasingly investing in digital business cards. 

QRCodeChimp is one of the leading providers of digital business cards. If you’re looking for a secure, feature-rich, and easy-to-use digital business card platform, QRCodeChimp is the ideal pick. 

Frequently asked questions