Paper cards and scanners
How 1Namecard compares with paper cards and badge scanners.
In short
Paper cards record only what is printed on them. An organiser's badge scanner records registered visitors under the organiser's terms. 1Namecard records the conversation: the visitor's own details, the consent wording they saw, the rep and the placement that brought them. Many stands use all three.
Facts checked
At a glance.
| Compared on | Paper cards | Organiser badge scanner | 1Namecard |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it captures | Paper cardsWhat is printed on the card, if the visitor hands you theirs | Organiser badge scannerUsually the details the visitor gave when registering, under the organiser's terms | 1NamecardName, e-mail, company and what the visitor wants, typed on their own phone |
| Consent record | Paper cardsNone | Organiser badge scannerSet by the organiser's registration terms | 1NamecardThe exact wording and its version, stored with every lead |
| Which placement worked | Paper cardsCannot be told | Organiser badge scannerNot what a badge scan records | 1NamecardEach placement has its own link and QR code, and the funnel compares them |
| Who spoke to the lead | Paper cardsOnly if someone writes it down | Organiser badge scannerDepends on the organiser's product and your package | 1NamecardRecorded: each card belongs to a rep, and leads are assigned to an owner |
| Getting it into the CRM | Paper cardsRetyped by hand | Organiser badge scannerOften a file exported from the organiser's portal | 1NamecardSent to HubSpot with owner and stage; other CRMs by signed webhook or REST API |
| Cost model | Paper cardsPrinting | Organiser badge scannerUsually a fee or rental set by the organiser. Check your exhibitor manual | 1NamecardStarter free; Team EUR 88 per month; no charge per lead |
| What the visitor does | Paper cardsKeeps a card | Organiser badge scannerWears a badge and lets you scan it | 1NamecardScans a QR code with their own phone |
| Follow-up | Paper cardsStarts after retyping | Organiser badge scannerStarts when the file arrives | 1NamecardTime to first contact recorded, untouched leads flagged after 48 hours |
Facts about scanners are general. Each organiser's product and terms differ, so read your exhibitor manual. 1Namecard facts were checked on 15 October 2026.
Where paper cards still work.
A printed card is a good thing to hand over. It needs no phone, no signal and no explanation. Keep printing them, and put a QR code on each one, so that the card becomes the entry to your pipeline rather than a dead end. Each printed namecard then counts as a placement.
Where badge scanners work.
An organiser's scanner reaches every registered visitor who wears a badge, and the data arrives in a format the organiser supports. If it is part of your package, keep it. 1Namecard does not read organiser badges, and it does not try to replace them.
Where 1Namecard adds to both.
- Included: It captures the conversations a scanner misses, such as visitors without a badge scan, partners and people you met away from the stand.
- Included: It shows which placement brought each lead: the badge, a roll-up banner, a leaflet or an e-mail signature.
- Included: It records consent and the rep, so follow-up is lawful and owned from the first minute.
- Included: It books meetings with real slots at your stand, in the visitor's time zone.
What 1Namecard does not have yet.
- Not included: SAML single sign-on and SCIM provisioning. Sign-in with Google or Microsoft Entra ID works today.
- Not included: A SOC 2 report. There is none.
- Not included: A native connection to a CRM other than HubSpot. Others connect through signed webhooks or the REST API.
- Not included: Reading organiser badges. Visitors scan a QR code with their own phone instead.
- Not included: NFC cards from us. Any NFC tag that opens a link works with a card, and tags from us are coming.
How to combine them.
At a typical show, hand out printed cards that carry a QR code, use the organiser's scanner for registration data you are entitled to use, and use 1Namecard for conversations, placements and the rep-level numbers. The guide to capturing and following up trade show leads walks through the whole show.
Questions people ask.
Should I stop printing business cards?
No. Keep printing them and add a QR code to each one. Then the printed card is a tracked placement and leads flow into your pipeline.
Does 1Namecard replace the organiser's badge scanner?
No. It does not read organiser badges. It captures the conversations a scanner misses and shows which placements bring them, so the two work well together.
How do I get leads from a stand into the CRM without retyping?
Capture them on a form that sends them to your CRM. 1Namecard syncs consented leads to HubSpot with their owner and stage, and other CRMs receive them through signed webhooks or the REST API.