Digital business card prices look simple until you add them up. A small monthly fee becomes a large number after a few years. A one-time price looks higher on day one and then stops.
This guide puts real numbers side by side. It shows 1-, 3- and 5-year totals from each vendor's own pricing page. It explains what pushes the cost up, and what reprinting paper cards really costs you.
For a wider comparison of features, see our guide to the best digital business card.
The short answer
Brand Presence costs $72 and Business Add-ons costs $120. Each is paid once, with no subscription, and edits are unlimited. Both plans are on the digital business card page.
Subscription apps typically charge every month or every year. Several also offer a free plan with fewer features. Over five years, the paid subscriptions we checked cost between $180 and $1,245 for one person, before any hardware.
Why the monthly price misleads
"$6 a month" sounds like almost nothing. That is the point. Small monthly numbers are easy to say yes to, and easy to forget.
The real cost is the monthly price multiplied by every month you keep the card. Most people keep a business card for years. So the useful question is not "how much a month?" but "how much by the time I stop using it?"
A one-time price answers that question on day one. A subscription answers it only when you cancel.
Price table: 1, 3 and 5 years
| Option | Plan used | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| This store | Brand Presence, paid once | $72 | $72 | $72 |
| This store | Business Add-ons, paid once | $120 | $120 | $120 |
| HiHello | Professional, $72 a year | $72 | $216 | $360 |
| Wave Connect | Pro, $7 a month billed annually | $84 | $252 | $420 |
| Blinq | Premium, $87.99 a year | $87.99 | $263.97 | $439.95 |
| Mobilo | Pro, $3 a month, card extra | $36 | $108 | $180 |
| Linq | Plan shown, $249 a year | $249 | $747 | $1,245 |
| V1CE | NFC card, paid once, from £60 | From £60 | From £60 | From £60 |
| Popl | Subscription; see vendor site | See vendor site | See vendor site | See vendor site |
Prices checked on 31 October 2026 on each vendor's own pricing page, in the vendor's currency. Totals are the published price multiplied by the number of years, with no promotions and no price rises assumed. HiHello, Blinq and Wave Connect also publish free plans. Mobilo and V1CE prices are for a card plus the plan shown.
How to read the table
The monthly price is the least useful number. The 3-year and 5-year totals tell you what you will actually pay.
A one-time card is the same in every column. A subscription grows every year you keep it. The gap widens the longer you use your card.
Free plans change the picture. If a free plan has everything you need, it will always be cheapest. Check the limits first, such as the number of cards, scans or branding options.
What drives the cost
Per-user pricing
Team plans are priced per person. HiHello Business costs $5 per user per month billed yearly, with a five-user minimum. Wave Connect Teams costs $5 per user per month billed annually, with a three-user minimum. Blinq Business is billed per card, from $4.99 a month billed annually, with a minimum of five cards.
For a team of ten, that is $600 a year on HiHello Business at the published rate. A one-time card is paid once per profile. For larger teams, ask us about team pricing.
NFC hardware
Some vendors sell a physical NFC card. Mobilo lists cards from $19.99 to $139 before promotions. V1CE lists cards from £60. Linq's shop lists cards from $12.99. Blinq and Wave Connect also offer NFC cards.
Hardware adds cost and can be lost or damaged. Our guide to NFC vs digital business cards asks whether you need it at all. This store sells digital profiles only, with no NFC cards or other hardware. A QR code on your phone does the same job.
Add-ons and usage fees
Some features cost extra on top of the plan. Blinq charges $9.99 per lead captured and enriched. Wave Connect sells credits for AI lead capture. Popl says it has no per-scan fees.
Check what the features you need cost, not just the base plan.
Higher tiers
Many apps keep some features for a higher tier. Branding, analytics and integrations are common examples. Make sure the plan you price is the one with the features you need.
Here the two plans are listed in full. Brand Presence has 13 features, and Business Add-ons adds 9 more. Our guide to Brand Presence vs Business Add-ons has the full table.
Cost for a team of five
Team plans charge per person, so totals grow quickly. Here are the published team prices for five people.
| Option | Published team price | 1 year | 3 years | 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| This store | $72 per profile, paid once | $360 | $360 | $360 |
| HiHello Business | $5 per user a month, billed yearly | $300 | $900 | $1,500 |
| Blinq Business | $4.99 per card a month, billed annually | $299.40 | $898.20 | $1,497 |
| Wave Connect Teams | $5 per user a month, billed annually | $300 | $900 | $1,500 |
Prices checked on 31 October 2026 on each vendor's own pricing page. HiHello Business and Blinq Business have a five-seat minimum. Wave Connect Teams has a three-user minimum. Other vendors did not publish a per-user team price on the pages we checked.
Hidden costs to watch
Some costs do not show up in the headline price.
- Currency. Many apps price in US dollars. If you pay in another currency, your bank may add a conversion fee. Here each storefront charges in its own currency.
- Tax. Check whether the price includes sales tax or VAT for your country.
- Price rises. A subscription can go up at renewal. A one-time payment cannot.
- Seat minimums. A five-seat minimum means a team of three still pays for five.
- Switching time. Moving to a new app means updating your email signature, bios and any printed QR codes.
Is a free plan really free?
Yes, if it has what you need. HiHello, Blinq and Wave Connect all publish free plans.
The catch is the limits. Free plans often cap the number of cards, scans or branding options. If you hit a limit, the next step is a paid plan that charges every year. Read the free plan's limits before you build your profile on it. Our guide to free vs paid digital business cards lists the most common ones.
When a subscription is worth paying for
A subscription can be the right choice. It often makes sense if:
- you run a large team and need one admin to manage every seat;
- you depend on event badge scanning or contact enrichment;
- you need a specific integration that only a higher tier includes; or
- you want a physical NFC card bundled with your plan.
If none of these apply, a one-time card usually costs less over time.
A worked example over five years
Take one freelancer who keeps her card for five years.
On HiHello Professional at $72 a year, she pays $360. On Wave Connect Pro at $7 a month billed annually, she pays $420. On Blinq Premium at $87.99 a year, she pays $439.95. On Brand Presence here, she pays $72 once.
If she only needs the basics, a free plan would cost her nothing. If she needs lead tools, compare Business Add-ons at $120 once with the higher tiers elsewhere.
The point is not that one option always wins. It is that you should compare the total for the years you expect to use it.
What paper cards really cost
Paper cards look cheap per box. The cost comes from reprinting.
You reprint every time something changes: a new job title, a new number, a new office or a rebrand. Each change throws away the cards you have left. Design, proofing and delivery time add to the bill. And a paper card never shows a booking link or a portfolio.
Printing prices vary too much by country, quantity and finish to give a fair number here. Compare your own last printing invoice with the one-time price above. Our guide to digital vs paper business cards works through real printer prices.
A digital card does not need reprinting. You edit the profile, and every link and QR code you have shared shows the change.
How to cut the cost
- Start on a free plan if it has what you need, and upgrade only when you hit a real limit.
- Pick the plan per person. Not everyone in a team needs lead tools.
- Skip hardware you do not need. A QR code on your phone does the job of an NFC card.
- Pay once where you can. A one-time payment stops the cost growing.
- Avoid paying for unused seats. Check minimum seat counts before you sign up.
- Keep one link. Moving between apps costs time and reprints.
How to compare prices yourself
- Write down how many people need a card.
- Pick the plan with every feature you need, not the cheapest plan.
- Multiply the yearly price by three and by five.
- Add any hardware, per-lead or credit costs.
- Ask what happens to your profile if you stop paying.
- Compare the totals, not the monthly figure.
Our guide to digital business cards with no subscription explains what you get, and what you do not, when you pay once.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a digital business card cost?
From nothing on a free plan, to a few dollars a month on a subscription, to one payment. On this site each plan is paid once, with the price for your market shown on the product page.
Are digital business cards a one-time cost?
Some are. Most apps charge monthly or yearly. On this site both plans are one-time payments with no subscription.
What is the cheapest digital business card?
A free plan, if it has what you need. Among paid options, a one-time card usually costs least over three or five years.
Why do some digital business cards cost more for teams?
Team plans are usually priced per person, often with a minimum number of users. The total grows with every person you add.
Do I need to buy an NFC card?
No. A QR code on your phone and a link work without any hardware. This store sells digital profiles only.
When were these prices checked?
On 31 October 2026, on each vendor's own pricing page. Prices change, so check the vendor's site before you buy.