Business cards have traditionally always contained the same three pieces of information: your name, email address, and phone number. For years, we’ve stuck to the same outline when making a new business card, but should we? Let’s look at why you shouldn’t always have your phone number on your business card.
Why you shouldn’t put your phone number on your business card
While you may not need to hide your phone number all the time, there are plenty of situations where sharing your phone number makes perfect sense, but in our increasingly connected world, there are a few reasons why you can and should be more selective with your phone number.
1. Safety and security
Not everyone you interact with will be your next big client or new mentor. For those new connections you make who don’t need direct contact with your personal line, keeping your personal number private can protect you from unwanted calls or even potential security risks.
2. They don’t need it
Think about all the people you interact with daily. Then, consider what information you want or need them to know. One business card doesn’t fit all, and each group likely needs a different set of information. Maybe your sales lead needs your email, office phone number, and a link to your calendar, while a neighbor needs your personal phone number and social media information.
3. Professionalism
How you present yourself matters, and sometimes, using a mobile number as your main point of contact isn’t the best look. Depending on your industry, choosing an office phone number offers a more established look and feel than using your mobile number, especially if you haven’t updated your voicemail message in a while.
4. Work-life balance
Give yourself more control over who contacts you and when. Most of us don’t want clients calling at all hours, nor do many industries require 24/7 communication. Keeping communication through email, office number, or even a Google Voice number can be the perfect way to maintain boundaries.
How to hide your number with HiHello
We’ve covered the why. Let’s talk about the how. If you’re using a digital business card, 2025’s greatest networking tool, you already know they offer more customization and sharing options than their paper predecessors. Here’s how they are the perfect solution to staying connected while controlling the information you choose to share:
1. Create multiple customized cards
With HiHello, you can create multiple cards, so you can always share the right information with your audience. Bonus: Making multiple cards is free.
2. Use other sharing options
If you want to share your digital business card and don’t want to share via text, HiHello has you covered. Use your custom QR code, share via a link, social media, email, and more. Learn all the ways to send your card.
3. Hide your number with HiHello
HiHello users with a Professional, Business, or Enterprise plan can use our “Send via HiHello” feature when sharing via text or WhatsApp to hide their number. Here’s how it works:
1. From the HiHello mobile app, swipe up on the card you want to share
2. Tap to the text icon
3. Enter the details of your new connection and include an optional message
4. Here’s the magic part: toggle on “Hide your number”
5. If you want to send via WhatsApp, toggle on “Send via WhatsApp”
6. Hit send!
When you use this feature, you can text your card to connections. They’ll receive the card from a randomized HiHello number, keeping your personal number completely private. This ensures your connection receives your card in the most convenient way without compromising your information.
At the end of the day, whether or not you hide your phone number is up to you. It all depends on the industry, your comfort level, and your networking needs. But it’s always good to know your options and be prepared for an interaction where you want to keep personal details private. With HiHello, you can easily be ready for any situation, giving you the flexibility to network on your own terms.
Need help hiding your number? Find more information on how to hide your number when your share with HiHello in our Help Center.
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