Lead Capture: Turn Every Digital Card Scan into a Qualified Contact
Activate the lead capture form on your digital card: which fields to request based on context, how it differs from Tap to Connect, what to do with each lead in the first 24 hours, and how to measure if your card converts.
Lead Capture adds a form to your digital card so anyone who views it can leave you their details, and you receive them in your panel as your own contact instead of depending on them reaching out first. It's a feature of the Pro plan: it activates with a toggle in the Functions tab of the editor, and when it's on, your public card displays a short form that always asks for name and email, and optionally phone, company, and a free message field.
This guide explains how to activate it, which fields to request based on your context, what to do with each lead that comes in, and how it differs from Tap to Connect — the other way CardQR lets you receive information from people who view your card.
Why it matters: passive view versus active contact
Without Lead Capture, your card works one way only: someone sees it, keeps what interests them, and if they want to stay in touch they have to reach out to you. If they don't do it in that moment, it usually doesn't happen again — most scans don't generate a second interaction.
With Lead Capture the flow is complete: you receive that person's information, with their explicit consent by filling out the form, right at the moment of highest interest — the minute after they scan your QR or hold their phone up to your NFC. For anyone handing out dozens of cards at a trade show, networking event, or reception, that difference shows directly in how many of those contacts stay in touch with you.
How to activate it
- Open your card editor and go to the Functions tab.
- Turn on the Lead Capture toggle. On the Free plan it appears locked — it's a Pro feature.
- Give the form a title (up to 100 characters). The default is generic; something specific converts better than just "Contact".
- Decide which optional fields to request: phone, company, and/or free message. The free message field comes on by default; name and email are always requested, with no option to remove them — they're the minimum needed to follow up.
- Save. The form goes live instantly on your public URL, whether people arrive by QR, NFC, or direct link.
Which fields to request based on context
Each field you add slightly reduces how many people complete the form, so it's worth asking only for what you'll actually use:
| Field | When to activate | Conversion cost |
|---|---|---|
| Name + email | Always — it's the minimum, can't be turned off | No additional cost |
| Phone | When the next natural step is a call: real estate, B2B sales | Low to medium |
| Company | When you want to qualify the lead before reaching out — knowing if it's a large account changes your follow-up message | Medium |
| Free message | When the person might have a specific need they want to tell you about | Low (turned on by default) |
The practical rule: at large events where volume matters more than qualification, keep just name and email. The more specific your sales process, the more it pays to add another field even if you lose some completed forms.
What to write in the form title
The default title is generic. Treat it like a landing page headline: it says what the person gains by leaving their details, not just "fill this out". Some examples by industry:
- Consulting or training: "Leave your email and I'll send you the complete guide".
- Real estate: "Looking for a place? Leave your details and I'll notify you of new properties".
- B2B sales: "Let's talk about your project — leave your details and I'll contact you in 24 hours".
- Freelancer or services: "Want a quote? Tell me what you need".
- Event or trade show: "Leave your details and I'll send you the talk materials".
Lead Capture and Tap to Connect are not the same
CardQR has two different ways for you to receive information from people who view your card, and it's worth not confusing them:
Tap to Connect is a feature of the Free plan: a button on your public card that the other person taps to leave you their contact details almost instantly — designed for quick exchange, face to face, when both people are present. On the Pro plan you can customize the button text. Each submission is saved as a Connection, with its own section in your panel and CSV export.
Lead Capture is the complete form: name, email, and the optional fields you activate. It's designed for the person to fill it out at their leisure, in their own language and pace — not necessarily in front of you. It's what captures people who view your card later, from a link in your email signature or from a sign with your QR when you're not there.
They're not mutually exclusive: you can have Tap to Connect active for immediate exchange and Lead Capture active at the same time to capture people who look at the card again later. At a trade show booth, for example, it makes sense to combine both — Tap to Connect for people who stop to talk to you, Lead Capture for people who just scan the sign as they pass by.
What to do with a lead in the first 24 hours
A freshly captured lead has a shelf life: the longer you wait to contact them, the less they remember about why they left their information. With the metadata CardQR automatically saves — country, city, IP, user agent, and referrer from each submission — you can personalize that first contact without the other person having had to write any of that: if you know they arrived from a link you shared at a specific event or from a city different from your usual location, your reply can mention it directly.
At minimum: mark it as read in your panel once you've handled it, so you don't lose track of what's still pending, and reply while the context in which they found you is still recent.
How to tell if your card converts
The Analytics panel (Pro) records views of your card and the actions visitors take. By comparing the number of views against the number of leads captured in the same period you get a real conversion rate — not just how many people see your card, but how many give you something in return. If that rate is low, the first place to look is the form title and how many fields you're asking for; if it's high, it's a sign that the context in which you hand out the card matches what you offer.
Where captured leads go
Each form submission appears in Leads in your panel, with date, details, and the card it was captured from if you have multiple. From there you can filter them, mark them as read, and export them to CSV.
With the Enterprise plan you can also sync them automatically: a lead.created webhook signed with HMAC-SHA256 to your own system, or direct integration with HubSpot. One honest detail about webhooks: if the destination fails consistently, CardQR automatically disables it after 5 failures — so if you stop receiving leads in your CRM, check whether the webhook is still active before assuming no new leads came in.
Frequently asked questions
Is it compatible with GDPR? CardQR has its own GDPR section with support for access and deletion requests. That covers the technical side; the consent text in your form and the rest of your business's legal obligations depend on your own legal advice — this guide doesn't replace that.
Do I get notified when a new lead comes in? Yes, by email, unless you've turned off lead notifications in your notification preferences.
Can I export my leads? Yes, as CSV from the Leads panel, plus automatic syncing to CRM on the Enterprise plan.
Does it work the same whether they arrive by QR or NFC? Yes. The form is on your card's public page, so it displays the same regardless of whether the person arrived by scanning the QR, holding their phone to the NFC, or opening the direct link.