It starts with an invisible magnetic field
NFC stands for Near Field Communication. It is a way for nearby devices to exchange a small amount of information without pairing them first.
The phone supplies the energy that makes this tap possible. Its NFC reader creates a changing magnetic field at 13.56 MHz. You cannot see the field, but a nearby NFC tag can pick it up.
The card does not need a battery tucked inside it. The energy needed to power its chip during the tap comes from the phone. Once you move the card away, that momentary power source is gone.
Where is the NFC reader on iPhone and Android?
On a compatible NFC-enabled iPhone, start at the top edge. Bring that part of the phone close to the card’s NFC area and hold it steady briefly.
On many compatible Android phones, start around the middle of the back. Reader placement varies by model, and NFC may need to be switched on in settings. Move the card slightly if the phone does not respond.
Why do you have to get so close?
NFC works at close range, over a few centimetres rather than across a room. Bringing the card close lets its antenna pick up enough energy from the phone’s magnetic field.
Physical contact is not what powers it. Finding the right spot matters more than pressing the card firmly against the phone. A thick case, wallet attachment or another card in the way can make reading harder.
If a tap is awkward, use an available backup. On a Metal Pick Card, the engraved QR code opens the same profile through the phone’s camera.
The tiny coil turns that field into power
An NFC tag has a small antenna coil connected to its chip. The changing magnetic field induces an electrical current in that coil. This is called electromagnetic induction.
A wireless charger uses the same broad idea of transferring energy through a magnetic field, although its design and purpose are different. In an NFC business card, the energy powers the chip directly during the tap. There is no battery inside being topped up.
The coil picks up energy, the chip wakes up, and the tag can communicate with the reader.
The chip sends a link, and your browser does the rest
Once powered, the chip sends a small piece of data to the phone. A Pick Card sends a link to your digital profile, where your contact details, social accounts and other links live.
The person viewing it opens the notification to load that page in their browser. They do not need to download a Pick Card app or create a Pick Card account. Internet access is needed to load the online profile, even though the phone can read the tag’s link without it.
The tag only needs to point towards the profile. It does not need a complete copy of every detail on the page.
Why your details can change while the card stays the same
Imagine changing your phone number after your card has been engraved. You update the number on your digital profile. The link stored on the card stays the same, but the page it opens now shows your updated details.
The same applies to your socials and website links. You change the information at the destination, so you can keep using the physical card. Pick Card includes free profile updates with no subscription.
There is one useful distinction: updating your digital profile does not change the physical engraving. Your name or logo engraved on the card stays as it is. The editable part is the profile people open.
Why metal interferes with NFC, and how shielding helps
Metal can interfere with the magnetic field an NFC antenna needs. Putting an ordinary NFC sticker directly onto a metal surface can prevent it from reading properly.
An on-metal NFC tag has a shielding layer between its antenna and the metal. That layer helps the tag operate with metal behind it. It is a separate component, rather than an invisible chip hidden inside a solid piece of metal.
Pick Card’s Metal cards have a black anodized aluminum body and a separate on-metal NFC tag attached to the back. Bring that area towards the phone’s reader. The engraved QR code provides another way to open the profile when tapping is unavailable or inconvenient.
The battery-free principle behind tap-to-pay
A contactless bank card also gets energy from a nearby reader during a tap. That shared battery-free principle is the useful comparison: the reader supplies energy and the card responds.
The job being done is different. A Pick Card shares a profile link; it does not perform a payment transaction or copy the payment features of a bank card.
So the surprising part is not a hidden battery. It is that the card can use the energy it needs for the brief moment it is close to your phone.
Frequently asked questions
Do NFC business cards need an app?
No. A Pick Card shares a link that opens your profile in the phone’s browser. The person viewing it does not need to download a Pick Card app.
Do NFC business cards need a battery?
No. The phone’s magnetic field supplies the power. An antenna coil picks up that energy and powers the chip during the tap.
Do NFC business cards work on iPhone and Android?
Yes, on compatible NFC-enabled iPhones and Android phones. Tap near the iPhone’s top edge or, on many Android phones, the middle of the back. Android reader placement varies by model, and NFC may need to be enabled in settings.
Can I change my information after the card is engraved?
Yes. You can update the contact details, socials and links on your Pick Card profile without changing the card’s stored link. Profile updates are free, with no subscription. The physical engraving stays the same.
Do metal NFC business cards work?
Yes, with an NFC tag designed for use on metal. Pick Card’s Metal cards have a black anodized aluminum body with a separate on-metal tag attached to the back and an engraved QR code as a backup when tapping is unavailable or inconvenient.