the five best business card appsProfessionals who want to avoid the clutter of the traditional Rolodex file have begun to explore the possibilities of online business cards. Some professionals give out cards with QR codes that can be read by most smart phones. These QR codes link to online business cards or portfolios. Other professionals are relying on business card apps, primarily on the iPhone and Android phones, to take care of their business networking needs. Five of the top business card apps are outlined below.

Cardcloud This app allows users to create as many online business cards as they’d like. This means that users can have one business card for a day job, one for an entrepreneurial venture and another to swap with strictly social contacts. Cardcloud allows users to send a card to individuals who don’t have the app on their phones. This app also stores data about when and where contacts swapped cards, which is particularly handy for on-the-go business professionals who need extra help remembering where they met contacts.

SnapDat This app allows users to quickly share business cards. Users can send their cards to individuals who don’t have SnapDat as an email with a vCard attachment. The app includes an image of the business card when sending a vCard, which many business people consider an added advantage. SnapDat offers a wide variety of designs from which users can choose. Cards can include links to social networking profiles. Users can add a business logo as well. SnapDat also stores the location of a business card exchange, helping users remember where they met each and every new contact.

CardFlick Sleek and beautiful, CardFlick is a great app for the business professional who also has an eye for design. Users create a custom card online, choosing from a variety of backgrounds and font options. Saved cards can be sent to contacts via a variety of social networking sites. Users can also download the CardFlick app for the iPhone and Android phones. Once signed in, users can send business cards to other individuals using the CardFlick app. Cards can also be sent as an email attachment to individuals who do not have the app.

Bump One of the oldest kids on the block, Bump is an incredibly popular business card and contact sharing app that works via a virtual bump of one phone against another. Users store their contact data in an iPhone or Android phone’s address book. When the Bump application is running, the bumping of two phones triggers the exchange of contact information. Users can configure Bump so that it will highlight contacts that both users have in common. One of Bump’s most attractive features is the ability to update contact information without needing to re-bump contacts. Users can elect to have info updates sent to all contacts.

Fliq Designed more for quickly exchanging contact data than for exchanging traditional business cards, Fliq is a great solution for on-the-go business people who simply want to share their phone numbers and email addresses with contacts. Fliq doesn’t feature any fancy business card designs, but does allow users to beam information to one another with the press of a button. Fliq can only be used with others on a shared WiFi network.