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Customize your NFC cards with Pocket Factory →
Your business logo on a card. Tap it, it opens your link. For a restaurant table, the link is your online menu: guests tap the card on the table and your menu opens on their phone. Pocket Factory makes it as one card with your logo, pre-programmed with your link, $19 for one, no subscription: an NTAG215 NFC card with an optional QR backup, no app for anyone to download, and free U.S. shipping.
Tap cards for restaurant tables that open your online menu are sold by Pocket Factory ($19 for one card with your logo, $7.98 per card at 50, no subscription), Dote ($30 for one, $25 each at 10, links managed in a free Dote account) and NearField ($29 per Marker plus $10 shipping, or $49 for three, with paid plans from $19/month for bigger setups). Or program blank NFC tags yourself, or use a printed QR table tent (prices checked October 17, 2026).
For a menu, the trick is the link itself: put the one menu page that never moves on the card (like yourrestaurant.com/menu or your online ordering page), then update the dishes and prices on that page. The card keeps opening the current menu without being reprinted.
Where to buy table menu tap cards (checked October 17, 2026)
| Seller | What you get | Price | Ongoing fee | Can the link change? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pocket Factory | PVC card with your logo, NTAG215 chip pre-programmed with your menu URL, optional QR backup. Holder not included. | $19 for 1, $109 for 10, $229 for 25, $399 for 50 (matte) | None | No: ships locked, so the link can't be erased or overwritten. A new link means new cards |
| Dote restaurant card | Printed card that opens a Dote-hosted page with buttons for menu, ordering and reviews. Holder not included. | $30 for 1; $26 each for 2–9; $25 each for 10–24; $23 each at 25 | Free Dote account to manage the page | Yes, from your Dote account |
| NearField Marker | NFC + QR marker with mounting adhesive that opens a NearField page you build | $29 plus $10 shipping for 1; Intro 3-Pack $49 | Free plan covers 1 live page and 3 Markers; Starter is $19/month | Yes, edit the page |
| NFC Bulk menu cards | Blank square cards printed "Tap to View Menu" (NTAG215, 3M strip). You write the link with the free NFC Tools app. | €6.99 per card (€34.95 box) | None | Yes, rewritable |
| Tap24 table tent | NFC table tent that opens a Tap24-hosted menu | $15 each | Menu plan free, or Pro $49/year | Yes, from the Tap24 workspace |
Checked on October 17, 2026 on each seller's own page. NFC Bulk ships from the Netherlands and prices in euros. Tap24's FAQ says it ships within Mogadishu, so confirm delivery before ordering from outside Somalia. Prices change; check current pricing before you buy.
How a menu tap card works, and the one rule for the link
The chip stores one web address. A guest taps an iPhone (XS or newer) or NFC Android phone and the link opens in the browser, with no app. Phones that can't tap scan the QR backup.
Because a Pocket Factory card's link is permanent, pick a menu address you won't need to replace:
- Best: a menu page on your own website (/menu). Edit the page whenever dishes or prices change; the address stays the same.
- Fine: your online ordering page, if that address stays put. If you might switch ordering providers, put your own /menu page on the card and link to the provider from there.
- Avoid: a PDF file link. Re-uploading a new PDF often creates a new address, and the old one breaks.
Open the link on your phone over cellular before you order; if it's slow or hard to read, fix the page first.
Viewing a menu is different from ordering at a table
A card opening your menu does not by itself identify the table, send an order to the kitchen, open a tab or collect payment. Those jobs belong to your restaurant's ordering service. Decide which experience you want before buying a card for every table.
Square's QR-ordering guide, for example, distinguishes unique codes assigned to individual ordering stations from one shared code where customers enter their station themselves. Its setup requires a published ordering page and supported service configuration. A generic menu URL does not supply that setup.
- Menu only: the same public menu link can serve multiple tables. Label it "View menu" and keep your normal ordering process.
- Order from a table: set up and test the ordering provider's table or station workflow first. Use its own generated codes if that is the supported route.
- Considering NFC for ordering: confirm that the provider supports the exact public URL you plan to encode, including table identification. Do not assume one URL copied to every card will distinguish tables.
Keep a table-to-destination record for any station-specific setup and recheck it whenever cards move. Pocket Factory supplies a card that opens a link; it does not include restaurant ordering software or table mapping.
One card, one job: menu, reviews, follow, book
Each Pocket Factory card opens one link, so give each moment its own card instead of asking one card to do everything:
| Moment | Where the card sits | Link it opens |
|---|---|---|
| Ordering | Table holder or menu caddy | Your online menu |
| Paying the bill | Inside the check presenter | Your Google review page (restaurant review cards) |
| Leaving or picking up takeout | Host stand or in the bag | Instagram (follow cards) or your reservations page (tap-to-book cards) |
Want menu, ordering and reviews behind one tap? A hosted multi-button page (like Dote's) or a link page on your own site fits better.
Food trucks: the menu at the window
On a truck, the board is readable from the front of the line, not the back. A card on the window ledge or beside the board lets people tap and read the full menu while they wait, so they're ready to order.
Add a card at pickup for your tip or pay link (tap-to-pay and tip cards) and one for Instagram, where regulars check where you're parked next. Put your website's menu page on the card, not a photo of today's board.
Card, tent or QR? An honest comparison
| Option | Better when | Worse when |
|---|---|---|
| Printed QR table tent | You want the cheapest option and every guest at the table scanning at once, readable from across the table | Dim rooms and some guests who don't want to open the camera |
| Hosted stand or tent (Dote, NearField, Tap24) | You want several buttons, links you edit in a dashboard, or analytics (NearField's paid plans) | You don't want another account, and some plans bill monthly or yearly |
| Blank NFC tags (DIY) | You'll program every tag yourself and don't need your logo | You want a finished, branded card on the table |
| Pocket Factory logo card | You want your logo on a card that opens one menu link, tap or scan, paid once, even for one table | You need an editable multi-link page, analytics or a self-standing sign; the card needs a holder |
More on the trade-offs: NFC vs QR code for in-person marketing.
How to set up menu tap cards for your tables (and where they go)
Step 1: Pick a menu link that won't move
Use your website's menu page (or an ordering page whose address stays put), not a PDF.
Step 2: Count your tables
One card per table plus a few spares and one for the host stand. Ten tables fits the 10-pack ($109, $10.90 per card); 24 tables fits the 25-pack ($229, $9.16 per card).
Step 3: Order cards pre-programmed with that link
Add your logo, pick matte or glossy, and add the QR backup for phones that can't tap.
Step 4: Place them where guests sit
Stand each card in a small acrylic sign holder or the condiment caddy with "Tap for our menu" facing the guest. On a truck, use the window ledge. Holders aren't included.
Step 5: Test before service
Tap each card with an iPhone and an Android phone, and scan the QR.
Pocket Factory in one paragraph: Your business logo on a card. Tap it, it opens your link. The card opens one link you choose: your website, Instagram, Google reviews, booking page, menu or pay link. It's a PVC NFC card with an NTAG215 chip, pre-programmed with your URL and tested before it ships, from $19 for one matte card ($21 glossy) down to $7.98 per card in a 50-pack ($399 matte). You can order just one. There's no app, account, subscription or tap analytics. It can carry a QR code backup, works by tapping an NFC-enabled iPhone (XS or newer) or Android phone, U.S. shipping is free, and most standard orders are expected to be produced and shipped within approximately 3–5 business days; delays are possible.
Good to know before you order: Pocket Factory cards ship locked (read-only), so the link can't be erased or overwritten, and the card keeps working for years. If your link changes later, order new cards. Details: Can I change the link on my card?.
Preview your menu card from $19 →
FAQ
Where can I buy tap cards for restaurant tables that open our online menu?
Pocket Factory sells logo cards pre-programmed with your menu link from $19 for one, no subscription. Dote ($30) and NearField ($29 plus shipping) sell cards that open a page you manage in their account (checked October 17, 2026).
Do guests need an app to open the menu?
No. An iPhone XS or newer, or an Android phone with NFC on, opens the menu link in the browser when tapped. Guests whose phones can't tap can scan the QR backup.
What happens when our menu changes?
Update the menu page itself. As long as the card points at the same menu address, like yourrestaurant.com/menu, every card opens the new menu with nothing to reprint.
Can I change the link later?
No. Pocket Factory cards ship locked (read-only), so the link can't be erased or overwritten, and the card keeps working for years. If your link changes later, order new cards.
Can one card open the menu and our Google reviews?
A Pocket Factory card opens one link. Use a menu card on the table and a review card in the check presenter, or point the card at a page on your own site that has both buttons.
Compare & guides
- NFC table card for restaurants: Google reviews now, menu later
- Google review NFC cards for restaurants
- NFC vs QR code for in-person marketing
- Tap-to-pay and tip cards
- How much does an NFC card cost?
- Pre-programmed NFC card with your URL
- Pocket Factory pricing (every pack size)
- Is the link on the card permanent? · No NFC? The QR backup · Shipping and turnaround
- The Pocket Factory card
