Picture this — you’re at a major conference connecting with leads left and right. At the end of a stellar conversation with an executive whose company is the ideal fit for your product they hand you their business card and tell you to keep in touch.
Cue the record scratch — business card? In 2020? Yes, you heard that correctly.
Even with 2020 around the corner, business cards are still in circulation. At the end of an interaction at a loud or busy event, simply handing out a card with contact information can be an easier way to keep in touch than fumbling with your phone to connect on LinkedIn in real-time.
But the downside to receiving a physical business card is it can be easy to lose, and you have to remember to record the contact’s information in your database manually unless you have a business card scanner that can record your contact’s information for you.
Next time someone hands you a business card, be prepared with one of these scanner apps to turn your business card contacts into digital contacts instantly.
Here’s everything you need to know about the 10 best business card scanner apps to use in 2020.
1. HubSpot Business Card Scanner
This free business card scanner app integrates seamlessly with
HubSpot CRM. The app uses machine learning to accurately record business card data you scan to match necessary CRM property fields, helping you spend less time on manual entry and maintenance and more time connecting with your customers.
2. ScanBizCards
- Price: Free for individuals or $100 per year for a team subscription (up to 50 users)
- Best for: Capturing B2B leads at events
- iOS | Android
Image Source: ScanBizCards
ScanBizCards is designed to help you capture qualified B2B leads at events and conferences. You can scan business cards and conference badges and export the data to your CRM. Additional features include email signature capture, which allows you to update your contact list directly from email and address book sync, so your contact list is always up to date.
3. Haystack
- Price: Free, with paid plans available
- Best for: Creating digital business cards
- iOS | Android | Web
Image Source: Haystack
In addition to offering an unlimited business card scanner within the app, Haystack’s free plan allows you and your team to create digital business cards that can be shared with anyone, instantly. When you upgrade to a paid plan, you can unlock features such as CRM integration, custom vanity URLs (so you can send contacts a branded link), and analytics.
4. iCapture
- Price: Contact iCapture for pricing information
- Best for: Capturing leads during field sales and exhibitions
- iOS | Android | Web
Image Source: iCapture
If you frequently represent your company at expo events or perform product demos, iCapture was designed to make your life easier. Within the app, there is an effective badge scanner that provides real-time data retrieval of barcodes, QR codes, and RFID. There is also a business card scanner function that is automatically transcribed, saving you time on manual entry while you’re working at busy events.
5. Microsoft OneNote
- Price: Included in Office 365 plans
- Best for: Microsoft Office users
- iOS | Android | Web
Image Source: Microsoft
Use your phone’s camera to quickly capture and store business card information kept on the go within Microsoft OneNote. This app and web application is great for Microsoft Office users who like to store their notes and contact information in one place.
6. Evernote
- Price: Available for premium plans starting at $7.99 per month
- Best for: Keeping your scanned documents and notes in one place
- iOS | Android | Web
Image Source: Evernote
Chances are you're familiar with Evernote as a popular digital note-taking app — but did you know there is also a business card camera built-in? This premium Evernote feature captures the name, title, company, and contact information listed on the card. You can then use the stored entries to call, email, or text from within Evernote.
7. ABBYY Business Card Reader
Image Source: ABBYY
The ABBYY Business Card Reader app helps you convert physical business cards to digital contacts in just one tap. You can easily sync your business card contact data across all of your devices. Bonus: the app can scan text from 25 languages, and can even support multilingual cards with up to three languages on one single card making it perfect for those who work with international prospects.
8. CamCard
- Price: Free with paid plans available
- Best for: Maintaining up-to-date contact records
- iOS | Android | Web
Image Source: CamCard
Within CamCard, you can customize your business card records by adding notes and setting reminders to follow up with your contacts. They also have a tagging feature that makes your contact records easy to find and update.
9. CardHQ
Image Source: CardHQ
CardHQ is a straightforward business card scanner app that can quickly scan and store contact information for easy retrieval. Notable features include one-touch instant search, which saves you time looking for contacts, and text detection for scanning accuracy.
10. Sansan
- Price: Free with custom paid plans available — contact Sansan for custom pricing
- Best for: Team and enterprise business card scanning
- iOS | Android | Web
Image Source: Sansan
Sansan’s scanner app was designed to streamline business card contact management for large companies. If you’re looking for an enterprise solution for turning physical business cards into digital contacts, SanSan allows teams to scan and upload contacts to the cloud, allowing each company to create an organized database for the entire team.
Don’t get caught unprepared when a contact hands you a business card. As you gear up for your next conference, check out this post to help you get the most out of your next event.
