Are you tired of carrying business cards with you? Is the size of the cardholder infuriating you? Maybe you even recall losing a very important contact.
Well, you might need to acquire a business card scanner for your business.
Business cards are a traditional way of businessmen and professionals introducing themselves. Despite the automation of many ways of doing business—these physical cards will be with us for some time even in the future. Managing the contacts we receive is key in maintaining relationships.
Going through a cardholder to locate a contact may be an uphill task, more so if they are not in an orderly sequence. A scanner comes in handy because once the contact is in soft form, you can sort them in a preferred way.
Business card scanners can transform physical contact cards into electronic form. These digital cards can now be accessed in Windows, MAC books, iPhones, IPads, and other modes.
Additionally, digital business contacts can be accessed in other formats such as email address books; thus securing them.
Business card readers are either made as mobile applications (APPS) or handheld hardware.
How do you get to choose the best scanner to suit you and your goals? With numerous options available, here’s a list of 7 best business card scanners for you.
Grab a seat and learn.
Our Top 7 Picks
1. Nutshell Business Card Scanner
It is a lightweight mobile app scanner. It does not require a flat surface to work or lots of light to accurately read the contacts. It has either a free plan or a paid plan to choose from. This app has advanced capability to crawl the internet for social media accounts, locations, job titles, and other details. It also has an email and calendar sync to help manage appointments and conversations.
Pros
- Automatic Field generation.
- It is best for the outbound salespeople.
- It has an unlimited number of scans.
- It takes a few seconds to complete a scan.
- It gives instant notifications concerning your contacts.
Cons
- Scans only one side of the card, though most cards are one-sided.
2. Hubspot Business Card Scanner
It is built into the Hubspot App and automatically moves data from the card to the app database. It gives you an option to personalize fields thus working well with CRM (Customer Relationship Management) tools.
It also allows up to eight different contact fields including website, job title and lifecycle stage of the lead or subscriber
Pros
- No manual entry.
- It is integrated with CRM.
- It scans more efficiently with time.
- It offers both free and paid option plans.
- It can process data further by parsing.
- It works on both Android and IOS platforms.
Cons
- Field mapping is laborious.
3. ABBYY Business Card Reader
This contact card Reader is a mobile application that uses the Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology and lets you navigate the software in a range of languages. With its advanced synchronization option, it can update the information to other devices such as I-pads, mobile phones, PCs and other gadgets.
Pros
- It supports 25 languages.
- Integrates with Salesforce CRM.
- It’s affordable.
- It converts contacts to digital data with a single tap.
- It can auto-fill missing fields in contact details such country codes and can correct typing errors.
Cons
- It integrates with only Salesforce CRM.
4. PenPower WorldCard Pro Business Card Scanner
This is a pocket-size scanner capable of recognizing, scanning into a digital format. It has several language support, management functions to help organize files and advanced search options. This scanner updates contact information into online address books such as Microsoft Outlook in just seconds.
Pros
- It is small and portable.
- It supports 24 languages.
- It has an accompanying app that helps better transform the files.
- It is a one-time investment.
- It creates files CRM compatible format (CSV).
- It enables text search and advanced search functions.
Cons
- It does not run on batteries.
5. Munbyn Handheld Wi-Fi Document Scanner and Copier
It is a small and portable device with 8.27 inches scan size. The scanner supports JEPG and PDF file formats and comes with a 16GB micro card. The device also has software able to convert files into more accessible formats such as Word. It uses a special wand-style where a wave-like movement helps scan a document.
Pros
- It is portable thus easy to carry anywhere.
- It can scan within 3 seconds.
- It accepts a Wi-Fi connection.
- It updates files wirelessly to other interconnected devices.
- It provides the choice of resolution and accepts a variety of any size of the document.
Cons
- It does not integrate with CRM tools.
- It cannot transcribe data.
6. Zoeson Portable Scanner
It is a pen-size portable scanner capable of scanning contact cards, photos, receipts, etc. The files once scanned are stored into micro USB drive which you can easily transfer into PCs. This device is battery-powered and compatible with most devices such as windows, MAC, iPhone, IPad, and iPod.
Pros
- Easy transfer of files to other devices.
- It supports file encryption enhancing data integrity.
- It provides high-resolution images in either JPEG/PDF files.
- It supports external Micro USD memory cards.
- It supports high, medium and low-resolution scans.
- High quality – made of metallic zinc and premium chips.
Cons
- It does not support wireless data transfers or data synchronizing.
7. Plustek SmartOffice PS283 Flexible Document Scanner
This is a desktop scanning device capable of saving documents such as contact cards to a PDF format or sending them electronically. It comes with a bundle of software to help read documents, cards, and images.
With a single touch, documents are converted into a common file format and a preset destination.
Pros
- It has enhanced image processing.
- It has a 50-page automatic feeder.
- It has an amazing speed of 25 pages per minute.
- It saves pages in searchable PDF format.
- It has the industry-standard TWAIN drivers.
Cons
- It does not convert documents into CRM friendly files.
You may be wondering, how do you settle with one tool among the seven listed above. Check out this buying guide.
How to choose the best business card scanner
Here are more defined reasons why you need to acquire a card reader for your business or as a professional.
The downside of physical cards
- They are bulky.
- They are borne to wear and tear.
- In case of fire or burglary, you can lose your contacts.
- Depending on your files location strangers can access your contacts or even competitors.
- Tracing a particular contact may be time-consuming.
- You can easily misplace them.
- Organizing them is tedious.
What to consider when selecting a suitable Business Card Reader:
For you to effectively store your contacts you need to select a reader that meets a certain threshold. Here are some key things to guide you in making the choice.
Nature of your work
Professionals such as salespeople meet tons of people daily, they are also ever on the go. If you fall in such a category it’s good to choose a highly portable device and if possible battery powered.
Compatibility
In the era of complementing technology, a device that works easily with others is an addition—be it CRM, PC’s and other device types.
Ease of use
This device is supposed to make your work easier; therefore, a one-touch button with minimal user participation should form the top of the selection list.
After-sales Support
It is very vital to look out for care centers with technical support, support lines, and warranty thereof. Once you’ve bought any device should it have any technical issues or bugs this will come in handy. A suitable mobile application should offer frequent updates to deal with possible bugs and offer improvements.
Portability
Devices that are highly portable and can fit in small areas such as a pocket or a laptop bag are suitable for your movements. Portability means it comes in a small size so you can conserve workstation space.
Cost
Depending on your budget you could go for mobile applications— some of which have free packages— or you could choose a relatively costly one to get even advanced features. For big corporates managing contacts, a machine is appropriate as it comes with add-on features.
Add-on Features
A scanner able to fully integrate with various CRM tools, to synchronize with other devices or offer services unrelated to card scanning is a plus to you. Zoeson Portable Scanner, for instance, can double up as a high-speed file transfer medium.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Is there a way to scan the Contact card into Microsoft office Outlook?
Yes! Microsoft Outlook is an email application can benefit from numerous mobile applications that scan contacts directly into email address books. ABBYY a mobile application discussed as item No.3 has the capability of scanning directly to an email address book.
What is the Best Business Card Scanner for an iPhone?
An iPhone being a mobile phone requires a Mobile application that can easily read the data stored in contact cards and convert them into digital data. A device such as a Zoeson Portable Scanner or the Hubspot scanner mobile app will assist in performing this task.
What is the best way to organize business cards?
This is a question that many people grapple with because of the difficulty in handling many contact cards. The best way to solve this issue is by scanning them either using a handheld device or a mobile app then once in a soft format, you can arrange them as you wish. Using the advanced searching options available in file formats accessing them now becomes easy.
Are Contact Card readers Apps free?
Well, depending on the company offering the app some are free and others are offered at a premium price. A closer look at Hubspot, a mobile application, reveals that in addition to a free version, they also offer a paid package that comes with additional features such as CRM integration.
Therefore, the answer to this question is yes and no—based on your business needs you can choose between a paid and a free version.
Can a Business Card Scanner change a Card to Excel or Spreadsheet?
Yes! It is possible. If you are using Munbyn Handheld Wi-Fi Document Scanner and Copier you will be able to convert into such format as excel. Munbyn transforms cards into such workable formats that are easy to work on. It is also worth to note that if you choose the right scanner, you may not need to convert physical contact cards into Excel—some mobile application readers have capabilities able to convert directly into ready-to-use contacts.
Can I scan Business Cards into Google Contacts?
An easy and effective way is to use the Nutshell Card Scanner, with it you get unlimited scans and full integration to CRM and other online storage modes. This kind of mobile application allows synchronization with online accounts which is a great addition.
Which is the best business card Scanner Machine?
It is always advisable to look at several factors when settling on a particular machine. Affordability, portability, ease of use and other key factors such as after-sales support. For instance, Zoeson Portable Scanner comes out highly recommended to outbound professionals due to its mobility.
Versatility is also another factor to consider, Plustek SmartOffice PS283 Flexible Document Scanner can be acquired to serve as both a normal document scanner and assist in converting contacts into soft formats.
Conclusion
Contacts are an essential tool in the 21st century. Therefore, investing in a tool that can help secure them is as vital as gaining them.
Companies have come up with various solutions for this. There are many machines and a variety of mobile applications available in the market to cater to these unique needs. Being a sales professional, business manager, office secretary, or a businessman possess unique contacts handling situations.
Therefore, it is wise to take some time before making that investment. Carefully understand the products before investing in one.
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