8 best cardscan scanners

CardScan scanners are a line of devices designed specifically for scanning and digitizing business cards.These scanners are valuable tools for individuals and professionals who need to manage a large number of business contacts efficiently. Here is some information about CardScan scanners:

  1. Business Card Scanners: CardScan scanners are dedicated business card scanners, meaning they are designed to scan and organize information from business cards. They are equipped with specialized software and hardware to efficiently capture and process the data from business cards.

  2. Scanning and OCR: CardScan scanners use optical character recognition (OCR) technology to scan and recognize the text and images on business cards. OCR software converts the scanned text into digital text that can be edited and organized on a computer.

  3. Contact Management: Once the information from business cards is scanned, CardScan software allows users to manage and organize their contacts digitally. Users can create and update contact entries, add notes, and categorize contacts for easy retrieval.

  4. Integration: CardScan software often integrates with popular contact management software such as Microsoft Outlook, Salesforce, and other CRM (Customer Relationship Management) systems. This makes it easy to transfer contact information to existing databases and workflows.

  5. Compatibility: CardScan scanners are typically compatible with both Windows and Mac operating systems. They come with software that can be installed on these platforms to facilitate scanning and contact management.

  6. Scanning Speed and Accuracy: CardScan scanners are designed for quick and accurate scanning of business cards. They can capture text, images, and even handwritten notes from business cards with high precision.

  7. Batch Scanning: Some models of CardScan scanners support batch scanning, allowing users to scan multiple business cards at once. This is especially useful for processing a large number of cards efficiently.

  8. Mobile Apps: In addition to hardware scanners, CardScan may offer mobile apps that allow users to capture business card information using the camera on their smartphones. The app can then sync with the desktop software for contact management.

  9. Data Export: Users can export contact data from CardScan software to various formats, including Excel spreadsheets, vCards, and more. This flexibility enables the sharing and integration of contact information with other software and devices.

  10. User-Friendly: CardScan scanners and software are designed to be user-friendly, making them accessible to individuals and businesses of varying technical expertise.

In summary, CardScan scanners are specialized devices and software solutions designed to streamline the process of capturing, organizing, and managing business card information. They are particularly valuable for professionals who network frequently and need an efficient way to digitize and manage their contact information.

Below you can find our editor's choice of the best cardscan scanners on the market
  

CardScan Executive v8 Card Scanner

DYMO

Based on 101 reviews Check latest price

Product description

CardScan Executive features a desktop card scanner and full-featured contact management software -- ideal for the power user. Synchronizes easily with Outlook, PDAs, smart phones plus ACT!, Lotus Notes and GoldMine. Color scanning and fast 3 second scan.

From the Manufacturer

The CardScan® Executive is the "Best-in-Class" business card scanner. Easily drag and drop contact data from email or web pages and it's instantly placed in the correct fields of the CardScan software or mobile device. Manage your contacts in CardScan software or seamlessly sync with your software and mobile device.




Saving time capturing business cards is only the beginning.

Designed for the power user and those with more advanced contact management needs, CardScan Executive allows you to scan, drag and drop or import contacts, and manage them with ease. Synchronize your data with Outlook®, Lotus® Notes, ACT!* ®, GoldMine®*, Palm® and Windows® Mobile devices. Batch scan a trade show’s worth of cards - the Executive can handle it - it comes with a faster, more powerful scanner that adds color to your contacts.

Scanning business cards is only half the story. You’re likely getting as many contacts in email these days. We make quick work of that, too.

Simply highlight the contact information in an email signature, web page or other text file and drag it over to the CardScan software. It’s instantly placed into the correct fields. It can’t be much easier than that!

If you’re sync’ing to Outlook, you now have your contact data there too, all with one click of the mouse. CardScan is also the only leading business card reader with online back-up, web access and an updating service. We keep your data safe so you can access it anytime.

User Interface

How’s it different from other CardScan products?



If you use a PC: Only solution in the industry to include free, secure online backup and updating service.

If you use a Mac: CardScan Executive for Mac does not currently include the online backup and updating service.

Features & Benefits

Fast!

The fastest scan speed – up to 30 cards a minute!

Easy-to-use Software

More than a business card scanner CardScan’s powerful, easy-to-use software is a complete contact management solution.

Versatile

Capture contact information from almost anywhere (business cards, email signatures, web pages and more).

Convenient

CardScan puts your contact information where you want it and keeps you in sync (Outlook, ACT!, Notes, GoldMine, Palm or Windows Mobile, Blackberry and more).

Safe

CardScan keeps your contact data safe, securely backing up your data to our CardScan At Your Service™ online service at no charge.

Risk-free

All CardScan products offer an unconditional risk free 30 day trial because we’re sure you will like our products as much as we do.

Get the latest “how-to” tips to make your CardScan contact management solution work harder for you.



Your CardScan solution comes with so many features that you may find yourself wondering how you ever got along without it. From the simple but all-important capture of contact information to producing mailing labels at breakneck speed, you’ll find each feature a golden opportunity for you to get and stay organized.

Scan and Launch

Insert the card and voila! You’ve launched the program.

Quick Search

Just type a few letters and the software springs into action.

Organize

Use Categories to display contacts by whatever they have in common.

De-Dupe

Resolve conflicting or duplicate information with the Duplicate Wizard.

Sync Up

Keep your Outlook/Outlook Express®, Palm®, Windows® mobile device and smartphones up to date and identical.

Drag and Drop

No business card necessary; just an email or other electronic document.

One-Click Email

Select the contacts you want, click the email button and off you go.

Easy Labeling

A print wizard guides you gently to the right format, fields and font; the software does the rest.

Safeguard

Use CardScan At Your Service™ for online access with secure backup.


What’s in the Box:

Package Contents: Personal V8 Business Card Scanner, Detachable USB cord, CardScan version 8 Software, 2 Year Limited Warranty





Frequently Asked Questions:





CardScan® ExecutiveBusiness Card Scanne

How long will it take me to set up the product and get my cards scanned in?

You can set up your CardScan system in about five-ten minutes for individual users, or a few minutes more if you are using one of our solutions for CRM systems. Between 20-40 cards can be scanned per minute, depending on your system and whether you scan in color or black and white.

Can the product read hand written notes?

The product will scan hand written notes, but will not be able to interpret them. An image will be saved of the notes for you to refer to or type in later.

Can it scan insurance cards/receipts/driver’s licenses?

The card will scan most anything that fits within the dimensions of the width of a business card, but the software is not set up to put the information on cards other than business cards into special fields. The image of these cards will be saved, however.

What PDAs does CardScan work with?

Currently, CardScan works with Palm, Handspring, Sony CLI É and Windows Mobile devices.

How accurate is your product?

CardScan can accurately scan most business cards. If you can read the card, CardScan can also. The product will also highlight any fields it feels might be wrong so you can verify the information and correct it if necessary.

  • Use drag-and-drop feature to consolidate important business info from email, web sites, and other electronic media
  • Creates digital address book from scanned business cards
  • Categorize contacts, search, sort, print labels, map addresses
  • Synchronizes with most business software including Outlook, Palm, Windows Mobile, iPods, and many smartphones
  • Dimensions 9.2 x 8.1 x 2.8 inches; weight 4 pounds

User questions & answers

Question: Does this work with Sharepoint or salesforce
Answer: yes, I believe it should. It is a twain driver. Make sure SharePoint or salesforce has a twain driver.
Question: Does it work with windows 10 pro and office
Answer: Thank you for contacting us regarding your CardScan 800c. This scanner is compatible with Windows 10 and Outlook 365 as long as your Outlook contacts are local and not cloud based. If your Outlook is cloud based you will need to use the CardScan add-in for Outlook. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to give our technical support team a call at 877-724-8324 Monday- Friday 8am- 6pm EST as we will be happy to assist you. We appreciate your business and hope that you will continue to use Dymo products.
Question: Do you know if the software version included in this package has the option to connnect a twain compatible scanner (meaning like a hp scanner
Answer: Hello, this is Tarun from DYMO Consumer Care. Thank you for contacting us regarding our CardScan Executive v8 Card Scanner. I'm sorry to inform you that the CardScan Executive v8 Software is not TWAIN compatible and is only compatible with DYMO CardScan scanners. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to give our technical support team a call at 877-724-8324 Monday-Friday 9am-5pm EST as we will be happy to assist you. Please use the reference number 26706775 . You can also use the ‘Contact us’ option under the support tab on the DYMO website.
Question: Did anyone know that Dymo Card scanner products have all been discontinued according to their own website
Answer: It's after January 1, 2020, and they have stopped support for this product. But, you can hobble along on a Windows system, but Mac Users are SOL.

DYMO CardScan v9 Executive Business Card Scanner and Contact Management System for PC or Mac (1760686)

DYMO

Based on 171 reviews Check latest price

Product description

Scan data from business cards directly into your PC, Mac, or Palm or Windows mobile device. Add information directly to Outlook (Windows only). Executive scanner is super accurate and can scan color cards. Reads cards in 7 languages from 14 different countries. Verifies and correct US addresses and ZIP + 4 codes. Use our software to drag and drop address information from emails and web pages.

  • Scan data from business cards directly into your PC, Mac, or Palm or Windows mobile device. Add information directly to Outlook (Windows only).
  • Executive scanner is super accurate and can scan color cards.
  • Reads cards in 7 languages from 14 different countries. Verifies and correct US addresses and ZIP + 4 codes.
  • Use our software to drag and drop address information from emails and web pages.

User questions & answers

Question: Does Dymo CardScan v9 work with windows 8.1? windows
Answer: Yes, Dymo cardscan V9 is compatible and will work on Windows 8.1 and 10.
Question: I have Cardscan 600c. Will I be able to export all my contacts to the CardScanv
Answer: Hi, I don't know about the 600c as I have the 800c and it works for me. I have 4,660 contacts in my computer base and they loaded with no problems. I have used it for about half a year and regularly sync with my BB Classic
Question: I have Office 2013 and Windows 8, is this compatible
Answer: Yes
Question: is cardscan compatible with windows
Answer: I don't know about Windows but it Works well with my Mac.

DYMO CardScan v9 Team Multiple User Contact Management System for PC (1760687)

DYMO

Based on 8 reviews Check latest price

Product description

Scan data from business cards directly into your PC, Mac, or Palm or Windows mobile device. Add information directly to Outlook (Windows only). Team scanner is super accurate, can scan color cards, and lets you set up multiple protected accounts, so you can share data across your organization. Reads cards in 7 languages from 14 different countries. Verifies and correct US addresses and ZIP + 4 codes. Use our software to drag and drop address information from emails and web pages. Includes 2 software licenses with password protection. Additional licenses can be purchased separately.

  • Scan data from business cards directly into your PC, Mac, or Palm or Windows mobile device. Add information directly to Outlook (Windows only).
  • Team scanner is super accurate, can scan color cards, and lets you set up multiple protected accounts, so you can share data across your organization.
  • Reads cards in 7 languages from 14 different countries. Verifies and correct US addresses and ZIP + 4 codes.
  • Use our software to drag and drop address information from emails and web pages.
  • Includes 2 software licenses with password protection. Additional licenses can be purchased separately.

User questions & answers

Question: Does this device sync contacts with Outlook 2013 on Windows 7 Pro
Answer: Thank you for contacting us regarding your Dymo Cardscan v9. Yes Cardscan can sync to Outlook 2013 from Windows 7. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to give our technical support team a call at 877-724-8324 Monday- Friday 8am- 6pm EST as we will be happy to find a solution for you. We appreciate your business and hope that you will continue to use Dymo products.
Question: Does this work with Outlook 2016 on WIndows
Answer: Outlook 2016 is not yet supported. An upcoming software release will correct this issue. A release date has not been announced.CardScan Team software is compatible with Windows 10.

CardScan Office (600c/V6) Business Card Scanner

CardScan

Based on 3 reviews Check latest price

Product description

A clever idea who's time has clearly come, the CardScan Office 600c scans business cards in full color, connects to your office's PC via a USB port, and uploads the card into your database using the included CardScan software.

With simple plug-and-play installation, the machine is easy to use: simply feed a card into the slot and then watch as the software deciphers the information on the card and categorizes it into the database. The machine can accurately read cards from United States, Canada, France, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, and other countries. The CardScan Office includes six software licenses (expandable in 3, 5, or 10 user-licensing packs), enabling multiple users to access and update shared information from one database. Individual users can also create password-protected databases for private contacts. Other features include AutoMap, expanded connectivity to synchronize with more handheld devices and mobile phones, and access to CardScan.Net where users can access their business card database via any Web browser.

Small enough to fit in your hand, and durable enough to take to trade shows and meetings, the CardScan Executive is a great way to organize the stacks of business cards that would otherwise clutter your briefcase, wallet, or desk.

The CardScan Office is just right for a six-person team, but if you're looking for a CardScan just for yourself, check out the CardScan Executive 600c V6.

  • All the benefits of the CardScan Executive plus support for up to 6 people
  • Multiple users can access shared information
  • Create password-protected databases for private contacts
  • Scans black or full-color business cards in just seconds
  • Convenient USB connection

User questions & answers

Question: will this work with windows 10? I have an older one (not the "c" version you have that will NOT work and no way to upgrade the system
Answer: My system does not work with Windows 10. It is too bad, because the camera apps just don't work as well.
Question: Does this work on mac os
Answer: A clever idea who's time has clearly come, the CardScan Office 600c scans business cards in full color, connects to your office's PC via a USB port, and uploads the card into your database using the included CardScan software. With simple plug-and-play installation, the machine is easy to use: simply feed a card into the slot and then watch as the software deciphers the information on the card and categorizes it into the database. The machine can accurately read cards from United States, Canada, France, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, and other countries. The CardScan Office includes six software licenses (expandable in 3, 5, or 10 user-licensing packs), enabling multiple users to access and update shared information from one database. Individual users can also create password-protected databases for private contacts. Other features include AutoMap, expanded connectivity to synchronize with more handheld devices and mobile phones, and access to CardScan.Net where users can access their business card database via any Web browser. Small enough to fit in your hand, and durable enough to take to trade shows and meetings, the CardScan Executive is a great way to organize the stacks of business cards that would otherwise clutter your briefcase, wallet, or desk. The CardScan Office is just right for a six-person team, but if you're looking for a CardScan just for yourself, check out the CardScan Executive 600c V6
Question: Can download to excell
Answer: How do I export to Microsoft Excel? ANSWER Follow these steps to export your CardScan information into a csv file: 1. Click File Menu -> [Data Exchange/'No, I want to export'/OK (v.6.0.4 or higher]) Select Export. 2. Choose one of the options to indicate which cards you would like to export and click Next You may get a warning that 'your cards have not been verified'. If so, click 'yes' to continue. 3. At the next page of the wizard, choose 'other' and click Next. 4. Choose 'Create a new free-form template' and click Next. 5. When prompted, create a name for the template and click Next (example: MS Excel). 6. Choose the CardScan fields for the custom template and click next. 7. Click Next two more times (default selections are recommended). 8. Click 'skip test' in bottom-left corner. 9. At the next page, choose a location for the file and click next. Click 'browse' to choose a different location. Make a note of the file name and location. 10. Open Microsoft Excel. 11. Select File menu -> Open. 12. Browse to the file location (as noted from step 10) 13. Change the files of type to 'All Files'. 14. Select the file and click open. An import wizard should open in MS Excel. 15. Click Next at the first page. 16. At the second page of the wizard, check the box for 'comma' and click Finish

Corex CardScan Executive 600c Color Business Card Scanner

Based on 18 reviews Check latest price

Product description

Sae your CardScan files to CardScan.Net-the free online address book connected to CardScan desktop software. You'll have up-to-date contact information with AccuCard Service, access to your contacts from anywhere and a guaranteed backup of your priceless address book..

  • Scan business cards in color. Connect through USB.
  • Card catcher collects scanned cards. Scans reverse type. Flags duplicate entries.
  • Sync with any Palm handheld, Pocket PC, Microsoft Outlook an more PDAs and contact manager than ever before.
  • 2 year warranty and free technical support.
  • Prints Avery address labels.

User questions & answers

Question: Is this scanner compatible with Windows
Answer: I'm not 100% but I believe so
Question: Can I upload the business cards to microsoft outlook
Answer: No sabria decirte. Compre este equipo y aun no he podido usarlo porque no trae el software para transferir datos desde el dispositivo hasta la computer
Question: does it work with windows
Answer: Yes. All of our computers that use the scanner are windows 7.
Question: Does this come with software
Answer: Yes. It come with a CD to install the software.

DYMO 1760685 CardScan Personal Card Scanner

DYMO

Based on 62 reviews Check latest price

Product description

Scan data from business cards directly into your PC, Mac, or Palm or Windows mobile device. Add information directly to Outlook (Windows only). Personal scanner is small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Business card management was never easier. Scans only black and white cards. Reads cards in 7 languages from 14 different countries. Verifies and correct US addresses and ZIP + 4 codes. Use our software to drag and drop address information from emails and web pages.

  • Business card scanner converts contact information from business cards into digital form. Reads cards in 7 languages from 14 different countries.
  • Sends all card data to your Outlook, Palm or Windows mobile device. Verifies and correct US addresses and ZIP + 4 codes.
  • It's small enough to fit in the palm of your hand. Business card management was never easier.
  • Requires Windows XP/Windows Vista/Windows 7/Windows 8, Pentium processor or later, 64MB RAM, 90MB available disk space (120MB for full installation)
  • Includes protective pouch. 8.1 inches long by 6.6 inches wide by 3.2 inches high. 1.3 pounds. Imported.

User questions & answers

Question: Will the CardScan Personal V9 work with Windows 8 for 64 bit
Answer: No it wont. You need to scan and synchronize with Outlook and since I have I Cloud i trf to icloud from outlook its easy. G
Question: will this work with WINDOWS 7 or just XP
Answer: I just spoke with my IT guy and he said that it will work with Windows 7. We upgraded our systems from XP to Windows 7 and have had no complaints about the cardscans.
Question: does it work with windows 7 64-bit
Answer: Yes it does. We have several in our company and we use that very OS.
Question: Will the cardscan personal v9 work with the Mac, specifically Maverick
Answer: This model doesn't work with Mac. It says so on the Amazon page, but DYMO's product page pdf shows only the Executive model working with Macs. I tried to set this one up on a Mac for someone and the software works fine (though it's only on a DVD, so you have some work to do there if you have a newer Mac with no optical drive), but the scanner itself is never recognized by their software.

DYMO Canon CardScan Personal v8 Card Scanner for 32- bit systems

DYMO

Based on 244 reviews Check latest price

Product description

CardScan Personal is the smallest most affordable system from CardScan -- ideal for the user on the go. Synchronizes easily with Outlook, PDAs and smart phones. Monochrome scanning in about 5 seconds per card.

From the Manufacturer

The CardScan® Personal Business Card Scanner is fast, accurate, and affordable! Saving time capturing business cards is only the beginning. Just drag and drop contact information from email or web pages and it's instantly placed in the correct entry fields of the CardScan software or Outlook, Palm or Windows device.




Saving time capturing business cards is only the beginning.

Fast, accurate, portable and affordable! CardScan Personal is our basic contact management tool. Save time capturing contact data from business cards, websites, emails and more, and manage them in our software, Microsoft® Outlook®, Outlook® Express, the Palm® Desktop or Windows® Mobile Device.

Scanning business cards is only half the story. You’re likely getting as many contacts in email these days. We make quick work of that, too.

Simply highlight the contact information in an email signature, web page or other text file and drag it over to the CardScan software. It’s instantly placed into the correct fields. It can’t be much easier than that!

If you’re sync’ing to Outlook, you now have your contact data there too, all with one click of the mouse. CardScan is also the only leading business card reader with online back-up, web access and an updating service. We keep your data safe so you can access it anytime.

User Interface

How’s it different from other CardScan products?

CardScan Personal is our most affordable system. It’s designed for an individual to use. It includes the same software as CardScan Executive without the ability to sync with ACT!, Lotus Notes and GoldMine. The scanner is monochrome only unlike the Executive which is color or monochrome and faster.

The Personal scanner is our smallest and is designed for travel. All CardScan systems are equally reliable and equally accurate. They all include our 30-day risk free trial.

Note: CardScan Personal does not currently work with 64-bit Windows systems.

Features & Benefits

Portable

Designed to take on the road. Includes a closing scanner door and travel pouch so you can throw it in your bag with your laptop. Rests in the palm of your hand measuring 4.5” x 3.125”.

Fast!

Scans a card in less than 5 seconds. That’s about 12 cards a minute. Since all CardScan scanners have batch processing, you won’t likely find faster scan times anywhere.

Reliable

After 14 years of scanner design and improvement, you don’t have to worry about your scanner breaking down. We’re so confident in our technology, we include an unheard-of 2 year scanner warranty.

Monochrome

Scans in monochrome with great precision. If color scanning is important to you, check out CardScan Executive.

Get the latest “how-to” tips to make your CardScan contact management solution work harder for you.



Your CardScan solution comes with so many features that you may find yourself wondering how you ever got along without it. From the simple but all-important capture of contact information to producing mailing labels at breakneck speed, you’ll find each feature a golden opportunity for you to get and stay organized.

Scan and Launch

Insert the card and voila! You’ve launched the program.

Quick Search

Just type a few letters and the software springs into action.

Organize

Use Categories to display contacts by whatever they have in common.

De-Dupe

Resolve conflicting or duplicate information with the Duplicate Wizard.

Sync Up

Keep your Outlook/Outlook Express®, Palm®, Windows® mobile device and smartphones up to date and identical.

Drag and Drop

No business card necessary; just an email or other electronic document.

One-Click Email

Select the contacts you want, click the email button and off you go.

Easy Labeling

A print wizard guides you gently to the right format, fields and font; the software does the rest.

Safeguard

Use CardScan At Your Service™ for online access with secure backup.




Package Contents: # Personal V8 Business Card Scanner, Detachable USB cord, Handy travel pouch, CardScan version 8 Software, 2 Year Limited Warranty





Frequently Asked Questions:





CardScan® Personal Business Card Scanner

How long will it take me to set up the product and get my cards scanned in?

You can set up your CardScan system in about five-ten minutes for individual users, or a few minutes more if you are using one of our solutions for CRM systems. Between 20-40 cards can be scanned per minute, depending on your system and whether you scan in color or black and white.

Can the product read hand written notes?

The product will scan hand written notes, but will not be able to interpret them. An image will be saved of the notes for you to refer to or type in later.

Can it scan insurance cards/receipts/driver’s licenses?

The card will scan most anything that fits within the dimensions of the width of a business card, but the software is not set up to put the information on cards other than business cards into special fields. The image of these cards will be saved, however.

What PDAs does CardScan work with?

Currently, CardScan works with Palm, Handspring, Sony CLI É and Windows Mobile devices.

How accurate is your product?

CardScan can accurately scan most business cards. If you can read the card, CardScan can also. The product will also highlight any fields it feels might be wrong so you can verify the information and correct it if necessary.

  • Use drag-and-drop feature to consolidate important business info from email, web sites, and other electronic media
  • Creates digital address book from scanned business cards
  • Categorize contacts, search, sort, print labels, map addresses
  • Synchronizes with most business software including Outlook, Palm, Windows Mobile, iPods, and many smartphones
  • Dimensions 7.1 x 7.4 x 2.5 inches; weight 1.3 pounds

User questions & answers

Question: Hello, the cardscan did not arrive with software. is this an online download? how do i install the software
Answer: I am not sure I understand the question since I have not sold or shipped this item to the customer. As far as I know, software can be downloaded from cardscan.com support using the serial number on the bottom of the unit. Instructions are available online.
Question: Does CardScan support Korean Language
Answer: I cannot say for certain because it has not come up, but believe this device only works with Latin script.
Question: What file is the scanned card converted to? Is it an image file
Answer: Scans to cvs file used by Microsoft Outlook and other programs as well as capability to export card scans to spreadsheets and more.
Question: hello, i would like to buy one of these gadgets, but it says it does not work with 64-bit systems, but most systems nowadays are 64-bit systems, so
Answer: Cardscan confirms it will not work. You may be able to do some fancy work but I returned mine.

Corex CardScan Executive with Version 5.0 Software

CardScan

Based on 10 reviews Check latest price

Product description

The Corex CardScan Executive 500 is an ingenious device designed to help you organize all the business cards you acquire into an easy-to-use contact database. Simply stick a business card into the scanner, and the CardScan 500's OCR technology extracts such information as names, e-mail addresses, and company, placing them into your contact manager for easy reference.

The CardScan 500 integrates nicely with ACT, GoldMine, Groupwise, Lotus Notes, Lotus Organizer, Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Schedule, Sidekick, and other popular programs, while also providing one-touch synchronization with Windows CE and Palm handheld devices. A PC-only device, the CardScan connects to your computer via USB or parallel ports, and can even connect to your digital phone with separately sold Fonesync software and cable.

The CardScan 500 comes backed with a one-year manufacturer's warranty.

Review

Users have long known that Corex Technologies' CardScan Executive is an ace at turning a pile of business cards into a PC database of contact information. Version 5 adds powerful connectivity and information management features.

The CardScan 500 scanner, slightly smaller (and quieter) than the previous version, scans business cards slightly more slowly but more accurately. A new USB port will simplify making connections if you can't use your PC's parallel port or if your printer doesn't work on the scanner's pass-through parallel port. I liked the handy catcher: scanned cards don't fall off my desk. A scanner setup wizard simplifies configuring your CardScan or third-party scanners and helping you get the best scans possible with your equipment.

CardScan 5's OCR software has gone international: besides being able to recognize information on USA and Canadian business cards, it can now handle cards for Australia, Belgium, Germany, France, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK. (Note that all of these countries use alphabets identical with, or similar to, English.) Occasionally CardScan sticks a tricky company name (like Widgets USA) into an address field, but you can (and should) manually verify every card.

The improved international support hasn't slowed down the scanning or OCR processing. In an informal test, 25 American business cards took only 130 seconds to scan and 95 seconds to process, with five errors for the 25 cards. To make life difficult, I tried feeding the cards in sideways. The same 25 cards took 195 seconds to scan and 150 seconds to process, with fourteen errors for the 25 cards. I also tried altering one card by circling a phone number on it before scanning. This caused many errors in the information near the area that I circled, but the rest of the card scanned perfectly. Moral: you can deliberately make your accuracy worse if you want, but if you leave CardScan alone it makes less errors than I do typing.

One nice feature is that you can even scan the back of a card now. This is useful if, like me, you jot down notes about people, businesses, or products. CardScan can retain the notes I scrawled on the back.

CardScan now syncs automatically with Psion palmtops, in addition to Windows CE and Palm-based handhelds. I found it easy to make the connection with a Psion, even though you have to use Psion's own somewhat quirky PsiWin software. The prospect of being able to instantly populate a new-out-of-the-box handheld with your complete CardScan contacts database will be popular with many.

I never knew what to do with those vCard email attachments before, but CardScan 5 lets me drag and drop them into my contacts database. The Print Wizard is the simplest and most logical way to select data, page layout, and output format that I have ever seen in any product, period.

CardScan Update lets you peruse Corex's web site for updated software or scanner firmware. Although I doubt I would use this frequently, it is very straightforward, and automatically gets you the most up-to-date versions available.

If you handle business cards, contacts, or handhelds, you need to check out CardScan Executive version 5: for $299, it's an amazing deal. -- From Winmag®

  • Scan business cards into your PC, Palm organizer, or Windows CE device
  • AutoSync with Outlook, ACT!, Lotus Notes, and other applications
  • USB or parallel port connection
  • Comes with CardScan Version 5.0 software
  • Reads international business cards and two-sided cards

User questions & answers

Question: I see that cardscan software has been discontinued. the cardscan software will not install on windows 10. what new software are people migrating to
Answer: The software should be able to work in compatibility mode even on windows 10
Question: does this work with Win
Answer: Sorry about the delayed response. I don't know the answer as I use Windows 7. However you can contact CardScan support via the Dymo website or call 020 3564 83 54 if you are in the UK.
Question: I found out today the CardScan 500 only works with 32 bit computers. Anyone having it work with 64 bit
Answer: I use it with Windows 7 Professional 64bit with no problem.
Question: When I scan a card is it easy to transfer to my contacts on my phone and or computer
Answer: I haven't even been able to get my computer to recognize the card scanner..total waste of money so far

Latest Reviews

View all