In short
A metal NFC business card is stainless steel, weighs about 25–30 g and is usually laser-engraved in one tone. In Bulgaria it costs about €45–56. A PVC card weighs about 5 g, is printed in full colour on both sides and costs less: at Echo €30 including the design. Metal impresses with its weight; PVC shows your brand in its exact colours.
Comparison
| PVC | Metal | |
|---|---|---|
| Material | Plastic (PVC), matte or gloss | Stainless steel, often with a black, silver or gold finish |
| Size | 85.6 × 54 mm, bank-card size | The same |
| Thickness | About 0.76 mm | About 0.8 mm |
| Weight | About 5 g | About 25–30 g |
| Design | Full-colour print: any colours, gradients and photos | Laser engraving, usually in one tone |
| NFC | The chip sits inside the card and reads easily | Metal blocks the signal: the chip sits behind a special layer and the tap needs to be more precise |
| QR code | Printed | Engraved |
| Price in Bulgaria | At Echo €30 including the design, no monthly fee | About €45–56 per card; some companies charge for the profile separately |
The metal prices come from the websites of Bulgarian NFC card companies, checked in November 2026.
How NFC works in a metal card
An NFC chip is powered by the phone’s radio signal. Metal absorbs that signal, so a plain chip on metal does not work. Metal cards solve this with a ferrite layer behind the antenna or with a non-metal area that holds the chip. The card then works with iPhone and Android, but the phone reads it from a shorter distance than a PVC card, so it helps to know exactly where to tap.
With either material the QR code on the back matters: it works with any phone that has a camera, even when NFC is turned off.
The design: engraving or full-colour print
On coated metal the laser removes the coating and reveals the steel underneath. That is why an engraved design is in one tone: light steel on black, for example. It looks clean and does not wear off, but a logo with several colours or a gradient does not come out the way it looks in your brand. Some companies print in colour on metal, but most metal cards are engraved.
PVC is printed in full colour on both sides. A logo in its exact colours, a dark or light background, a photo, a gradient: all of it works. If your brand relies on colour, PVC shows it more faithfully.
When to choose metal
- You want the weight to impress: a metal card feels different in the hand.
- Your logo is simple and looks good in one tone.
- You hand out cards rarely and the higher price is not a concern.
When to choose PVC
- Your brand has colours you want shown exactly.
- You want a photo, a gradient or a bolder design.
- You are ordering for a team: across several people the price difference adds up.
- You want a light card that does not weigh down your wallet next to your bank cards.
What about a wooden card?
Wooden NFC business cards are laser-engraved as well. They look warm and natural, but the design is again in one tone.
What Echo offers
Echo Card (echocard.eu) makes NFC business cards in matte PVC with full-colour UV print on both sides, an NFC chip and a QR code on the back. You do not need a ready design: in about 2 minutes you get a premium design made for you from your logo and colours, and you see it before you pay. One card costs €30 including the design, with no monthly fee. Echo does not make metal cards.