Troubleshooting: Why is My NFC Business Card Not Scanning?

Most NFC scanning problems are caused by phone position, device settings or an unactivated card. Work through these checks in order.

1. Check that the card is activated

Open Cards in Banana Cards and confirm that the physical card appears as activated. If it has not been linked yet, start from a virtual card and choose Activate NFC card.

An unactivated card cannot open your finished digital profile.

2. Move the card to the phone's NFC reader

The NFC reader is not in the same place on every phone.

• iPhone: hold the top edge of the phone close to the card.
• Android: try the upper-middle or center of the back of the phone.
• Remove thick, magnetic or metal phone cases.
• Hold the card still for two or three seconds instead of tapping quickly.
• Keep the screen awake and the phone unlocked.

Try moving the card slowly around the back of the phone until it responds.

3. Check NFC settings on Android

Some Android phones let you turn NFC off.

1. Open the phone's settings.
2. Search for NFC or Contactless payments.
3. Turn NFC on.
4. Try the card again with the phone unlocked.

For activation by tap inside Banana Cards, use Chrome 89 or newer. If Web NFC is not supported, choose Scan QR instead.

4. Test the printed QR code

Every Banana NFC card includes a QR code as a fallback.

1. Open the phone's camera.
2. Point it at the printed QR code in good light.
3. Open the link that appears.

If the QR code works but NFC does not, the digital profile is available and the issue is likely the phone's NFC reader, settings or scan position.

5. Check the destination card

If the phone detects the card but the profile does not open correctly:

• Confirm the card is still published and attached to the correct workspace.
• Open its public link from the Cards area to confirm the profile itself loads.
• Try a different phone to separate a card issue from a device issue.
• Avoid placing the NFC card directly against metal surfaces while testing.

Still not working?

Record the card ID printed on the card, the phone model and what happens when you scan it. Include whether the QR code works. These details help support identify whether the problem is activation, the NFC chip or the phone.