How to create a digital business card for free, step by step

You can make a digital business card on Cardly.ae for free, in the browser on your phone or computer. There's no app to install and no payment details to enter. The quick setup takes a couple of minutes; adding a photo, a logo and your links takes a few more.

This guide follows the screens exactly as you'll see them, from signing up to checking that Save contact works on an iPhone and an Android phone. At the end there's a plain list of what the Free plan includes and what it doesn't.

Before you start

Have these ready:

• An email address you can open now, to confirm your account.
• Your name in English and in Arabic, spelled the way you want people to save it.
• Your mobile number with the country code, for example +971 50 123 4567.
• A square photo of at least 400 × 400 pixels, and your logo (a PNG with a transparent background looks best).
• The links you want on the card: website, LinkedIn, listings, portfolio or a booking page.

Step 1: Create your free account

Go to the sign-up page. Enter your full name, your email address and a password of at least 8 characters, tick the box to accept the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, then tap Create account.

Cardly.ae sends you a verification email. Open it and tap Confirm email: you're signed in automatically and taken to the quick setup. The link works for 24 hours. If it hasn't arrived after a few minutes, check your spam or promotions folder.

Step 2: Write your name in English and Arabic

The quick setup opens at About you. Fill in:

• Full name (English), shown when your card is viewed in English.
• Full name (Arabic), shown when it's viewed in Arabic.
• Job title and Company.

Writing both names is what makes the card bilingual: visitors get a one-tap switch between English and Arabic, and the Arabic side reads right to left. You can start with one language and add the other later, including the Arabic version of your title and company in the editor. Use the same spelling as on your passport or Emirates ID, so people can find you in their inbox and on LinkedIn. Our Arabic–English business card guide covers names and job titles in detail.

Step 3: Add your mobile and switch on WhatsApp

Enter your Mobile number with the country code, for example +971 50 123 4567, and tick This number is on WhatsApp. Your card gets a WhatsApp button that opens a chat with you in one tap, so nobody has to save your number first or retype a +971 number.

To show your email address as well, tick Show my email on the card. Then tap Continue.

Need a stand-alone WhatsApp link for an Instagram bio or a flyer? The free WhatsApp link generator makes one from any UAE number.

Step 4: Claim your link and create the card

Next comes Claim your link. Choose your Card address: 3–40 characters using lowercase letters, numbers and hyphens, such as cardly.ae/sara-alnuaimi. This is the page your QR code and NFC card open. If your first choice is taken, the page suggests addresses that are free.

Choose it with care. Changing the address later stops the links and printed QR codes you've already shared from working. (Cardly.ae NFC cards keep working, because they use their own code.)

Then choose a look. On the Free plan you can use the Aurora, Classic and Minimal themes; Bold, Executive and Glass come with Pro. Tap Create my card. Your card is live straight away, and the next screen shows your link and your QR code.

Step 5: Add your photo, logo and links

Tap Customize my card to open the editor. It has five tabs (Profile, Contact, Blocks, Design and Settings), your changes save automatically, and the live preview shows exactly what visitors will see.

• Profile → Photos & branding: upload a Profile photo (a clear, square headshot) and your Company logo. JPG, PNG, WebP and HEIC files up to 8 MB all work, and a wide Cover image is optional. The same tab holds your job title, company and a short bio, each in English and Arabic.
• Blocks → Add block → Links: add a button for each link. Type the button text and paste a full link that starts with https://.
• Blocks → Add block → Social profiles: choose your networks, then paste each profile link or type your @username.

Other blocks are optional: a Lead form so visitors can send you their details, Services, Opening hours, Map, Gallery and more. Drag blocks to change their order.

Step 6: Get your QR code

Tap Share in the editor to open your share kit:

• QR code: tap Download PNG for screens and messages, or Download SVG for print, because SVG stays sharp at any size. Keep a dark code on a light background: light codes on dark backgrounds don't scan on every phone.
• Your card link: copy it for WhatsApp, email and social bios. If your card has Arabic text, Copy Arabic link gives you a link that opens it in Arabic.
• WhatsApp message and Email signature: a ready-made message, and a signature you can paste into Gmail, Outlook or Apple Mail.

Scans of your QR code count as QR visits in your analytics, separately from NFC taps and link clicks.

Step 7: Test “Save contact” on an iPhone and an Android phone

Before you share your card widely, test it on both kinds of phone. Borrow someone else's if you can, so you see what a new contact sees.

1. Open the card. Point the phone's camera at your QR code and tap the link that appears.
2. Check both languages. Tap the language switch (العربية on the English card, English on the Arabic one). Check your name, your title and the direction of the text.
3. Tap Save contact. On an iPhone, the contact card opens: tap Create New Contact (some iOS versions ask you to allow the download first). On Android, the phone downloads a contact file: open it from the notification or from Downloads, and choose your contacts app. The exact wording varies by phone and browser.
4. Check the saved contact. Your name is saved in the language the card was showing when you tapped Save contact, together with your photo, phone number, email and card link. Make sure the number starts with +971.
5. Tap WhatsApp. It should open a chat with your number.

If something looks wrong, fix it in the editor. The card updates at once, and your QR code stays the same.

Optional: add an NFC card

A QR code is enough to get started. An NFC card adds the quickest way to share in person: the other person taps it on their phone and your card opens, with no app. Cardly.ae NFC cards come in PVC (AED 99), bamboo (AED 149) and metal (AED 249), plus an NFC sticker (AED 49) for your phone case. Each is a one-time purchase that works with the Free plan, and you can point it at a different card later from your dashboard. They're delivered across the UAE and dispatched within 1–3 working days.

Not sure you need one? Read NFC vs QR code business cards.

What the Free plan includes, and what it doesn't

The Free plan has no time limit and needs no payment details. Here is exactly what it covers, and what needs Pro:

For three or more people, Teams adds a shared lead list and a locked brand template for every card.