3.8 How the business card scanner works

Helpie Event’s built-in card scanner uses AI to read business cards and extract contact details into structured fields. Here’s how to get the best results.

What happens when you scan a card

1. Tap Scan Card on the New Interaction screen.

2. The camera opens. Point it at the business card.

3. Helpie photographs the card and reads the text using AI.

4. Contact details are extracted and mapped to fields: Company, Name, Job Title, Email, Phone.

5. You see the essential details on screen immediately.

The scanner works completely offline. No internet required.

Scanning both sides

You can scan the front and back of a card, one at a time. Scan the front first, then the back. Helpie combines data from both sides.

If the first scan was blurry or off-angle, tap the rescan button to try again.

Expected accuracy

The scanner delivers over 90% accuracy on standard Roman-script business cards that are legible to the human eye.

Accuracy depends on several factors:

• Card design — Standard layouts scan best. Creative or unusual designs may need manual correction.

• Print quality — Faded, embossed, or metallic text can be harder to read.

• Phone camera — Higher quality cameras produce better results.

• Human factors — Lighting, focus, and hand stability matter.

No AI scanner is 100% accurate. Treat the scan as a strong starting point, and make quick corrections if needed.

Tips for better scans

• Lighting — Reasonable ambient light is fine. Avoid deep shadows or very bright direct light on the card.

• Focus — The entire card should be in frame and focused. Wait for the camera to focus before the scan triggers.

• Orientation — Hold the card naturally. Vertical card = hold vertically. Horizontal card = hold horizontally. Keep your phone in portrait mode.

• Steady hand — Hold the card steady in one hand, or place it on a flat surface. Avoid shaking.

• Clean background — Keep the background neutral. Move other documents or cards away. The scanner reads all visible text, so nearby documents can introduce noise.

• Card only — Do not use the card scanner to scan event badges, IDs, or other documents. The results won’t be reliable. Use the badge scanner for GUEST badges at partner events.

Fixing mismatched fields

Sometimes the scanner maps data to the wrong field — for example, a job title ending up in the company field.

To fix this:

• Tap the dropdown arrow next to the field label.

• Select the correct label from the dropdown menu.

• You can also manually edit the text in any field.

This override capability means you’re never stuck with a scanner error.

What you see vs what the admin sees

The app shows five essential fields on screen: Company, Name, Job Title, Email, and Phone. This keeps the interface fast and clean for the booth team.

In the console, the admin sees everything the scanner captured — including the full raw scanned text from both sides of the card, under the “Scanned Details” tab.

Known issue: iPhone hazy/blurry scans

Some iPhone users report that business cards appear hazy or out of focus. This is typically caused by the iPhone’s macro mode activating when the card is held too close.

To fix: hold the card slightly further from the phone camera (about 15–20 cm). Let the camera focus fully before scanning.

Language support

The scanner currently supports Roman-script languages (English and accented European languages like German, French, and Spanish). Non-Roman scripts (Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, Russian) are on our roadmap.

Next steps

• Scanning badges at partner events (3.7)

• Preparing your team: what to tell your booth staff (2.8)

Still need help?

Email us at prioritysupport@helpie.io or call +91 98206 08561.