Can I scan multiple business cards at once?

Yes. Contacts4us is the only business card scanner that supports multi-card photo scanning. You can photograph up to 10 business cards in a single photo and upload 10 photos per batch, digitizing up to 100 business cards at once.

How do I scan a stack of business cards quickly?

Lay out up to 10 business cards on a flat surface, take a photo, and upload it to Contacts4us at contacts4.us/scan-cards. The AI-powered scanner extracts contact details from all cards in the photo simultaneously. Upload up to 10 photos per batch for 100 total contacts.

What is the best business card scanner for conferences and trade shows?

Contacts4us is ideal for conferences because it handles bulk scanning — up to 100 cards per batch. Unlike CamCard or CardScanner.io which require one card per photo, Contacts4us scans multiple cards per photo. It works on any phone browser with no app download required.

Is the Contacts4us card scanner free?

Yes, the business card scanner is free to use with no account required. Scanned contacts can be exported immediately. Premium features like contact management, notes, and event tracking start at $3.50 for a week pass.

Can I export scanned business cards to my phone contacts?

Yes. Contacts4us exports to VCF (vCard) format which is compatible with iPhone, Android, Google Contacts, and most CRM systems. It also supports CSV export for spreadsheets and databases. The vCard format supports Apple HEIM/iCloud format for iPhone users.

Bulk Business Card Scanner Comparison (2026)

Search for "bulk business card scanner" and you'll get recommendations for CardScanner.io, Parsley, CamCard, and others. But do any of them actually scan multiple cards in a single photo?

We tested 7 popular business card scanner apps to find out what "batch scanning" really means — and which apps actually save time when you come back from a conference with 50 cards.

What "Batch Scanning" Actually Means (For Most Apps)

Here's the thing most people don't realize: almost every scanner that claims "batch" or "bulk" scanning still requires one card per photo. "Batch" just means you can upload multiple photos in a row without closing the scanning mode.

True bulk scanning means photographing multiple business cards in a single image and having the AI extract every contact from that one photo. Only one app does this.

The Speed Test: 50 Business Cards

Scanner	Cards Per Photo	Method	Time for 50 Cards
Contacts4us	10	Multi-card AI extraction (parallel)	~30 seconds
CardScanner.io	1	Upload multiple images	10-15 minutes
CamCard	1	Sequential camera scanning	15-20 minutes
Haystack	1	Sequential camera scanning	15-20 minutes
Google Lens	1	One-at-a-time recognition	20-25 minutes
Parsley	1	Single card camera scan	20-25 minutes
HubSpot	1	Scan within CRM app	15-20 minutes

1. Contacts4us — The Only Multi-Card Scanner

Cards per photo: 10 | Bulk capacity: 100 per batch

Contacts4us takes a fundamentally different approach. Instead of scanning cards one at a time, you lay out up to 10 cards on a surface, take one photo, and the AI identifies and extracts contact details from every card in the image.

How it works:

Lay out up to 10 business cards face-up on a flat surface
Take a photo with your phone
Upload to contacts4.us/scan-cards — upload up to 10 photos per batch
AI extracts all contacts simultaneously
Export to vCard (iPhone/Android compatible) or CSV

Why it's faster: 100 cards = 10 photos instead of 100 individual scans. The math is simple.

Pros:

Only scanner that captures multiple cards per photo
No app download required — works in any mobile browser
Free to scan (no account needed)
Export to vCard or CSV
Supports Apple vCard/HEIM format for iPhone users

Cons:

Premium subscription required for full contact management ($3.50/week or $35/year)
Best results require decent lighting and flat card arrangement

Best for: Conference attendees, trade show exhibitors, sales teams, or anyone with a stack of cards to digitize fast.

Try Contacts4us Bulk Scanner

2. CardScanner.io — File Upload "Batch," Not Multi-Card

Cards per photo: 1 | Bulk capacity: 20 image uploads at once

CardScanner.io is frequently recommended for bulk scanning, but its "batch processing" means uploading multiple image files — each containing one card. You still need to photograph each card individually.

How it works:

Take a separate photo of each business card
Upload up to 3 images at once (free) or 20 images (paid)
AI extracts contact details from each image
Export to CSV, Excel, or vCard

Pros:

Web-based, no app download needed
Upload from device, camera, or Dropbox
Free tier available (3 images per upload)
CSV and Excel export included

Cons:

One card per photo — "batch" means multiple file uploads, not multi-card scanning
Free tier has no vCard download
Enhanced OCR only on paid plans ($4.99/month or $24.99/year)
Temporary storage on free plan

Best for: Users who already have individual card photos and want a web-based extraction tool.

Pricing: Free (limited); $4.99/month or $24.99/year for Pro

3. CamCard — Established but Sequential

Cards per photo: 1 | Bulk capacity: Sequential scanning

CamCard is one of the most well-known business card scanners with strong OCR and LinkedIn integration. Its "batch mode" means sequential scanning — you scan one card, tap next, scan another.

How it works:

Open app camera
Photograph one card
Card is processed instantly
Tap to scan the next card

Pros:

Excellent accuracy with 25+ language support
LinkedIn integration for instant connection
Salesforce integration available
Large user base with proven technology

Cons:

Sequential scanning — still one card at a time
Free plan limited to 100 scans
Requires app download (iOS/Android)

Best for: International professionals who need multi-language OCR and LinkedIn integration.

Pricing: Free for 100 scans; paid plans for unlimited

4. Haystack — Free but One at a Time

Cards per photo: 1 | Bulk capacity: Sequential scanning

Haystack is a popular free business card scanner that doubles as a digital business card platform. Good accuracy, but strictly one card per photo.

How it works:

Scan one card with your phone camera
AI extracts contact details
Save to your Haystack contact list
Create your own digital business card to share

Pros:

Completely free scanning
AI fills in missing details (email, phone) when possible
Also creates digital business cards
Clean, simple interface

Cons:

One card at a time only
No batch or bulk mode
Requires app download
Contact enrichment not always accurate

Best for: Individuals who scan cards occasionally and want a free digital business card too.

Pricing: Free

5. Google Lens — Built-In but Manual

Cards per photo: 1 | Bulk capacity: None

Google Lens is already on most Android phones and available in Google Photos on iPhone. It can read business card text, but it's a general-purpose tool — not optimized for batch processing.

How it works:

Point camera at one business card
Google Lens identifies text
Manually select "Create contact"
Repeat for each card

Pros:

Free and already on your phone
No extra app download needed
Good general OCR accuracy
Works offline

Cons:

No batch scanning at all — completely manual, one card at a time
Requires manually selecting which text becomes which contact field
No automatic field mapping (name vs. phone vs. email)
No export to CSV or bulk vCard
Tedious for more than a few cards

Best for: Scanning 1-2 cards in the moment. Not practical for bulk scanning.

Pricing: Free

6. Parsley — Digital Card Platform, Not a Bulk Scanner

Cards per photo: 1 | Bulk capacity: None

Parsley is often mentioned alongside bulk scanning tools, but it's primarily a digital business card and lead capture platform. The card scanning feature is secondary — one card at a time.

How it works:

Point camera at a business card
AI extracts contact info
Contact is saved and synced to your CRM
Share your own digital card via link or QR code

Pros:

CRM integration built in
Digital business card creation and sharing
Lead capture forms
No app download to view shared cards

Cons:

No bulk or batch scanning
Scanning is one card at a time
Primarily a digital card platform, not a scanning tool
Paid platform

Best for: Professionals who want a digital business card platform with basic scanning. Not for bulk processing.

Pricing: Paid plans; contact for pricing

7. HubSpot Business Card Scanner — CRM-Only

Cards per photo: 1 | Bulk capacity: Sequential within app

HubSpot's scanner is built into their CRM mobile app. Seamless if you already use HubSpot, but locked to their ecosystem and still one card at a time.

How it works:

Open HubSpot mobile app
Scan one card
Contact is created in HubSpot CRM instantly
Automated workflows can trigger immediately

Pros:

Free with HubSpot CRM
Instant CRM contact creation
Machine learning maps fields automatically
Triggers automated follow-up workflows

Cons:

Only works within HubSpot CRM
No standalone use — requires HubSpot account
One card at a time
No export outside HubSpot

Best for: Teams already invested in HubSpot CRM.

Pricing: Free with HubSpot CRM

The Bottom Line: "Batch" Doesn't Mean What You Think

Every app on this list except Contacts4us scans exactly one business card per photo. When they say "batch," they mean:

CardScanner.io: Upload multiple single-card images at once
CamCard: Scan cards sequentially without closing the camera
ScanBizCards: Same sequential workflow
Parsley/Haystack: No batch mode at all

True bulk scanning — multiple cards recognized from a single photograph — is only available from Contacts4us. The difference matters when you have 100 cards: 10 photos vs. 100 photos.

Time Comparison for 50 Cards

Multi-card scanning (Contacts4us): ~30 seconds — 10 photos processed in parallel
"Batch" sequential scanning: 10-20 minutes — 50 individual photos plus processing
Manual one-at-a-time: 20-25 minutes — including field mapping

Which Scanner Should You Choose?

Choose Contacts4us if you scan cards in bulk after events, speed matters, and you don't want to download an app.

Choose CardScanner.io if you already have individual photos of cards and want web-based extraction without creating an account.

Choose CamCard if you need 25+ language support and LinkedIn integration.

Choose Google Lens if you're scanning 1-2 cards right now and don't want to visit a website.

Choose HubSpot if you already use HubSpot CRM and want instant contact creation.

Choose Haystack or Parsley if you primarily want a digital business card and occasionally scan a card or two.

Try Multi-Card Scanning Free

Ready to stop scanning business cards one at a time? Lay out your cards, take a photo, and let Contacts4us handle the rest. No app download, no account required.

Start Bulk Scanning

Sources: CardScanner.io, Zapier Business Card Scanner Guide, HubSpot Business Card Scanner, ScanBizCards Batch Scanning Guide, Covve Bulk Scanning Guide