The Top Picks for Business Cards for Employees

Your VIP client asked for your colleague’s contact details after a meeting. You expected a deal to move forward. But the following email never came. That small gap in communication is exactly where business cards for employees are supposed to help, but too often, they don’t.

Weeks later, you find out the client wrote down the wrong spelling of the name. Couldn’t find your colleague on LinkedIn. So they gave up.

That sort of thing sounds small until it costs you the follow-up, the pitch, the partnership. It happens more than you’d think. In client work, it’s not the big blunders that hurt most. It’s the missed connections that should have been easy.

The Trouble with Paper Business Cards for Employees

Paper cards get lost, outdated, or tossed. Sharing LinkedIn links is clunky. Repeating emails over the phone is hit or miss.

There’s a better way. This guide walks you through how digital business cards for employees work now, and why Profyle is the option smart teams are quietly moving to.

You’ll learn:

• Why most paper cards don’t actually work for teams
• What new habits have replaced old business card etiquette
• How Profyle helps your employees connect cleanly and confidently
• How to use digital business cards for employees to sell more

Want to talk about setting up digital business cards for your employees? Get in touch with our team at Profyle here.

So, What Makes for a Great Business Card for Your Employees?

A calendar invite is useful. A quick email works. But when your team meets someone in real life, at a client office, a pitch, a workshop, it still comes down to this: how quickly and clearly can they share who they are and what they do?

That’s why business cards for employees are still important. They answer that question without delay, without awkward typing, and without needing to search for a contact online.

People still expect a business card, just not a paper one

In a survey by LinkedIn’s B2B research team, over 57% of professionals said they expect some form of instant, scannable profile or digital card when meeting someone in person. But here’s what’s interesting: over 40% also said they’ve never received one from a company rep.

That gap creates a silent first impression. If your team isn’t prepared with easy-to-share contact tools, it feels like you’re a step behind. Business cards for employees bridge that gap when done well.

What happens when you don’t have business cards for employees?

Here’s what usually goes wrong:

• The employee spells their email out loud. The other person gets it wrong.
• Someone sends a follow-up request later… but it ends up in spam.
• The prospect forgets their name entirely and moves on.

It’s rarely anyone’s fault. But it’s almost always preventable.

With proper business cards for employees, cards that are digital, easy to update, and fast to share, you remove that risk. You make your team look tidy, thoughtful, and ready.

Business cards for employees are not just for salespeople

There’s a common mistake: thinking only sales staff need cards. But real-life contact happens across all roles:

• HR staff meeting new candidates
• Project leads meeting external partners
• Support agents resolving issues on site
• Accountants or advisors sharing contact at a client office
• Founders who want to make sure people remember them

When you give business cards to employees in all key roles, you do more than just help them share details. You build consistency. You strengthen your brand.

Simple tools can do a lot. If you get them right.

The Best Choices for Business Cards for Employees

The best business cards for employees today don’t sit in a drawer. They live in your phone, your wallet, or even on a team badge. They’re fast to share, easy to update, and built around real contact moments, not old habits.

Here’s what modern teams are using instead

After reviewing the current landscape of workplace tools and networking habits across multiple industries, here are the most common alternatives:

• NFC business cards: Tap a phone, and your profile opens instantly. No typing, no apps needed.
• QR code profiles: Scan with a camera to access full contact details and links.
• Smart email signatures: Embedded links that lead to an always-updated profile.
• Link-in-bio tools: Lightweight personal pages for quick sharing across platforms.

All of these replace paper, but few of them solve everything. Most don’t scale well across teams. Or they feel like one-off hacks, not proper tools. That’s where a platform like Profyle comes in.

What makes Profyle different?

Profyle was built from the start to make business cards for employees feel personal and professional at the same time. You can set it up once, and every team member gets a profile that fits their role and brand.

• Every card is dynamic: You can update roles, contact details, or links anytime without reprinting anything.
• It works for whole teams: Admins can onboard new employees or adjust permissions in minutes.
• One card, multiple formats: Tap it, scan it, or share it by link. The card adapts to how people meet.

A review from Curtins, one of the companies using Profyle says:

“We’ve been using Profyle for our digital business cards for a couple of years now and have been consistently impressed with the service. The cards are easy to use, more sustainable than printed and reflect the digital-first approach of our business.”

If you’re still reordering printed cards or managing a dozen scattered tools, it’s time to switch. Digital business cards for employees save valuable time at work and simplify life for everyone.

The Real Cost of Paper Business Cards for Employees

It seems cheap at first. A thousand cards for £25? Not bad. But when you zoom out, paper business cards for employees cost far more than what the invoice says.

Let’s break it down.

What does a printed card actually cost?

Here’s the rough average cost across Europe and the UK in 2025:

• Basic 300gsm matte card: £0.03 to £0.07 per card
• Premium embossed or soft-touch card: £0.10 to £0.25 per card
• Reprints due to title or detail changes: full reorder every time
• Internal admin time: managing approvals, design tweaks, and delivery

Now multiply that by every team member. Then repeat the order every few months. The real cost builds fast. Not just in money, but in hours lost and details missed.

Let’s say you onboard 15 new hires per quarter:

• Each one gets 100 cards
• You spend time collecting info, ordering, checking proofs
• A few weeks later, someone’s job title changes
• You redo the whole process again

That’s not clever. That’s admin for admin’s sake.

What about waste?

Here’s a surprising stat: according to Ipsos, 71% of people who have paper business cards do not use them. They end up in bins, drawers, or forgotten stacks at the back of the desk.

Even worse, when an employee leaves, those cards go with them. That’s cost, brand identity, and contact data all lost in one go.

Digital means you don’t start over every time

With digital business cards for employees, updates happen in minutes. Someone’s role changes? Edit the profile. No reprint needed. You need to remove someone from the system? Done in two clicks.

Profyle helps you do that at scale:

• One admin dashboard to manage every employee
• Card never goes out of date
• Costs don’t rise as the team grows

Instead of throwing money at paper and hoping for the best, you make one solid investment that keeps working.

Want to see how much your team could save by switching? Reach out to our team here.

How Your Employees Can Share Digital Business Cards

It’s that small pause at the end of a meeting. The kind where someone says, “How can I best reach you?” That’s your window. And how your employee responds speaks volumes.

Do they fumble for a paper card? Do they say, “Just search for me on LinkedIn?” Or do they tap their Profyle Card and hand over everything in one clean move—name, role, number, links, even a picture?

Sharing business cards for employees used to mean sliding a card across the table. But habits have shifted. Being polite now means being prepared, relevant, and quick.

Why tapping feels better than digging in your pocket

According to etiquette guides like Debrett’s and new research from workplace behaviour studies at the University of Sussex (2024), people now value interactions that feel:

• Personal but not invasive
• Immediate but not rushed
• Digital but human

A simple tap with an NFC-enabled Profyle Card does exactly that. No one has to type anything. The contact appears on their phone, ready to save or act on.

This form of sharing feels more natural in both formal and casual settings. It doesn’t interrupt the flow. It doesn’t feel old-fashioned. And most importantly, it doesn’t go missing later.

Avoiding awkward moments

Without business cards for employees, small awkward moments creep in:

• Someone pulls out their phone but can’t find the right contact to share
• The wrong person gets added in haste
• A detail gets misheard and never followed up

A digital card like Profyle avoids that. It becomes part of your team’s rhythm. Quick to hand off. Easy to track.

A polite card respects time

Modern manners are about removing friction. Business cards for employees don’t need to be flashy. But they do need to work, without putting pressure on the person receiving them.

Profyle lets your team:

• Share contact details without asking others to do the work
• Add context, what they do, how they help, where to book time
• Leave behind something useful, not just a rectangle of card stock

Want to make your team’s introductions smoother? Let’s talk. Contact the Profyle team here

How Business Cards Can Help Your Team Sell More

Think of all the tiny moments where a deal is made or lost. A meeting runs five minutes short, and someone asks for more info. A client forwards your contact to their boss. A lead is checking back through old contacts, wondering who that great person was from your team.

If your business cards for employees work like silent assistants, those moments go your way.

But if they’re clunky, missing, or forgettable—you don’t get the second chance.

That’s where smart features come in. Profyle’s digital cards aren’t just a flashier way to say hello. They quietly help your team close more conversations and build real trust over time.

What do smart business cards for employees actually do?

Here’s what you get when your employees use Profyle Cards:

• Live updates: Job title changed? New number? Just update the card once. No reprints. No confusion.
• Customisable layouts: Highlight the info that matters—LinkedIn, booking links, calendars, portfolios.
• Built-in analytics: See who clicked what, when, and how often.
• Contact downloads: The recipient can save the contact with a single tap.
• Team control: Admins can manage all employee cards from one dashboard.

That last part matters more than most people realise. With printed cards, you don’t know if someone is sharing the right version. With digital business cards for employees, you do.

Real feedback from real use

A London-based design consultancy recently rolled Profyle out to 60 employees. They didn’t expect much. But within the first month, they saw:

• Faster responses from leads
• Better handoff between sales and account teams
• Less back-and-forth asking for details

One of their project leads said:

“It’s one of those tools you don’t realise you needed until you’ve had it for a week.”

That’s the point. Business cards for employees should disappear into the background—and work when they’re needed.

Features aren’t just flash. They fix real problems.

With paper cards, here’s what teams often deal with:

• Multiple versions floating around
• Missed contact moments after events
• Clients who get in touch with someone who’s left the company

Digital business cards for employees solve those issues by design. You control the data. You keep it clean. You move faster.

Want to help your team make better connections that last? Start by contacting us here.

FAQ: Business Cards for Employees

How much should 500 business cards cost?

Standard printed cards usually cost between £15 and £35 for 500 cards, depending on thickness, finish, and design. Premium cards can cost more.

How much is 1000 business cards?

Most printing services charge between £30 and £70 for 1000 business cards. But if you need to update names or titles often, expect to reorder—costing more over time.

What is the average cost of 100 business cards?

On average, 100 printed cards cost £5 to £15. Design, delivery, and paper quality all affect the final price.

Is 100 business cards enough?

Not usually. Most employees use more than 100 in just a few weeks, especially in sales, service, or HR. If job titles or contact details change, you’ll need to reorder.

Do professionals still use business cards?

Yes. Professionals still use them to share contact info in meetings, interviews, and networking. But most now prefer digital cards over printed ones.

What is the etiquette of giving business cards?

Offer your card after a short introduction. Make sure it’s clean, up to date, and shared in a way that feels natural—not pushy. Digital business cards for employees are now widely accepted.

What do people use now instead of business cards?

Many people use NFC cards, QR code profiles, or tools like Profyle. These options are easier to update and share, and don’t get lost or thrown away.

Why don’t people use business cards anymore?

Paper cards go out of date fast, get lost, or end up in the bin. People prefer digital contact that’s quick to share and always accurate.

Is it illegal to leave business cards around?

It depends on where you leave them. In most public places, leaving cards without permission can be seen as littering or advertising without approval. Digital business cards avoid this issue.

What is the trend in business cards for 2025?

In 2025, companies are switching to digital business cards for employees. Teams want smart cards that can be updated, tracked, and shared instantly, without the waste.

Are digital business cards safe to use?

Yes. Trusted tools like Profyle don’t store personal info without consent. Each card is protected and can be managed by your company.

Do I need business cards for employees in remote teams?

Yes, especially when employees meet clients online or travel for hybrid events. A digital card helps share info cleanly, even through video calls or email.

Can I update my business card after it’s shared?

With Profyle, yes. Digital business cards for employees update in real time. So if your phone number, title, or booking link changes, your contacts always see the latest info.

How do I give digital business cards to my whole team?

Profyle lets you create, assign, and manage cards for each employee from one dashboard. No printing, no fuss.