# Scan a business card

Photograph a business card or badge in WhatsApp or in Chat and RareMachine reads it into a new capture.

Updated 27 Oct 2026 · Admin and member

## What you'll need

- A WhatsApp number linked to your RareMachine account ([how to link it](/help/getting-started/link-your-whatsapp-number)), or access to **Chat** on the dashboard.
- A photo of the card in good light, with all the printed text in frame.

## Scan a card on WhatsApp

  1. **Open your RareMachine chat in WhatsApp**
   Open the conversation with your workspace's RareMachine number.

  2. **Send the photo**
   Photograph the card and send it. Add a caption to tell RareMachine what to do with the lead, for example to add a note about where you met.

       **Tip:** Lay the card flat and keep your hand out of the frame. A blurred or cropped photo is the most common reason a scan comes back empty.

  3. **Read the reply**
   RareMachine reads the card and replies in the chat with what it saved. If it cannot read enough, the reply asks for a clearer photo.

  4. **Open Captures and filter by source**
   On the dashboard, open **Captures**, then open **Any source** and choose **Card scan**.

       [Image: The Captures list with the Any source filter highlighted above the list of people]

  5. **Check what was read**
   Select the person. **Captured fields** lists every value RareMachine read from the card.

       [Image: A capture page with the Captured fields panel highlighted on the right]

  6. **Correct a mistake**
   Next to the name, choose **Correct**, change the field and choose **Save correction**. The button shows for the teammate who captured the lead, and for admins, while the status is **Not sent**. [A card scan got it wrong](/help/troubleshooting/card-scan-got-it-wrong) covers what to do after that.

Result: the person is in **Captures** with the source **Card scan**. Whether they reach your CRM straight away depends on auto-sync, which [Review and approve before it syncs](/help/capture-and-events/review-and-approve-before-it-syncs) explains.

## Scan a card from the dashboard

In **Chat**, choose the camera button (**Attach a business card or contact-info photo**), pick one photo and send it. Chat reads one card per photo.

[Image: The Chat message box with the camera button highlighted at the bottom left]

## Frequently asked questions

### Can one photo show more than one card?

On WhatsApp, yes. RareMachine reads each card as its own person. In Chat on the dashboard, send one card per photo.

### Does a scan go straight into my CRM?

Only if an admin has turned on auto-sync for leads. Otherwise the capture waits in Captures with the status Not sent until someone sends it.

### What about a QR code on the card?

RareMachine reads a QR code that holds a contact, a LinkedIn profile or a WhatsApp number. If it cannot decode the code, it says so and asks for a clearer photo.