Business card size: US, UK, Europe, Japan and credit card
Common card formats by country in every unit a printer or design tool asks for, with trim, bleed and safe area from printers' own templates and places to order.
Last updated October 15, 2026
A business card in the United States and Canada is 3.5 × 2 inches, which is 88.9 × 50.8 mm. There is no single world standard: most of Western Europe and the UK use 85 × 55 mm, Japan uses 91 × 55 mm, and Australia is listed with the 85.60 × 53.98 mm credit card format.
This article gives each common size in inches, millimeters, centimeters and pixels, explains trim, bleed and safe area, compares the regional formats, lists places that print cards, and ends with how to choose a size for a shop.
Summary
- The US and Canadian card is 3.5 × 2 in (88.9 × 50.8 mm).
- The card used across most of Western Europe and the UK is 85 × 55 mm (3.35 × 2.17 in). It is a convention, not a formal standard.
- Japan uses 91 × 55 mm. Parts of Scandinavia, Australia and India use 90 × 55 mm, and much of Eastern Europe uses 90 × 50 mm.
- A credit card (ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1) is 85.60 × 53.98 mm, close to the European card but with a different shape.
- Print files need bleed beyond the cut edge and a safe area inside it. MOO's US template adds 0.08 in per side; Vistaprint's guide adds 0.125 in per side.
- At 300 dpi a 3.5 × 2 in card is 1050 × 600 px, or 1125 × 675 px with Vistaprint's bleed.
- Use the size customers expect in your country and order a proof first.
Business card dimensions chart
The table lists the common card formats by region, with each value converted to the other units. Conversions use 1 in = 25.4 mm and are rounded. Pixel figures are at 300 dpi.
| Format | Where it is common | mm | Inches | cm | Pixels at 300 dpi |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US and Canada | United States, Canada | 88.9 × 50.8 | 3.5 × 2 | 8.89 × 5.08 | 1050 × 600 |
| Western Europe and UK | UK, most of Western Europe | 85 × 55 | 3.35 × 2.17 | 8.5 × 5.5 | 1004 × 650 |
| Credit card (ID-1) | Australia | 85.60 × 53.98 | 3.37 × 2.13 | 8.56 × 5.40 | 1011 × 638 |
| 90 × 55 | Scandinavia, Australia, India | 90 × 55 | 3.54 × 2.17 | 9.0 × 5.5 | 1063 × 650 |
| Japan | Japan | 91 × 55 | 3.58 × 2.17 | 9.1 × 5.5 | 1075 × 650 |
| China and Southeast Asia | China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore | 90 × 54 | 3.54 × 2.13 | 9.0 × 5.4 | 1063 × 638 |
| Eastern Europe and others | Eastern Europe, Latin America | 90 × 50 | 3.54 × 1.97 | 9.0 × 5.0 | 1063 × 591 |
The regional assignments come from the dimensions table in Wikipedia's business card article, which notes that there is no standard for card dimensions and that aspect ratios range from 1.42 to 1.8. Confirm with the printer you use.
How card size is measured
A card has three outlines, and printers quote all three.
- Trim size is the finished card after cutting. This is the figure people mean when they quote 3.5 × 2 in or 85 × 55 mm.
- Bleed area is the larger outline the artwork must fill. Any color or photo that touches the edge is extended past the trim line so that a small shift in the cutter does not leave a white sliver.
- Safe area is a smaller outline inside the trim. Text, logos and QR codes stay inside it so that the cut cannot clip them.
Inch and metric sizes convert exactly. The NIST page on SI units of length states that the inch, derived from the yard effective July 1, 1959, is exactly 25.4 mm. That is why the US card is exactly 88.9 × 50.8 mm.
Standard business card size
In the United States and Canada the standard card is 3.5 in wide and 2 in tall. MOO's US product page lists its Standard card at 3.5 × 2.0 in, and Jukebox's page calls 3.5 × 2 in (88.9 × 50.8 mm) the North American standard. That is a 1.75 aspect ratio.
Outside North America "standard" usually means 85 × 55 mm in Western Europe or 91 × 55 mm in Japan. When a supplier says "standard", ask for the trim size in numbers.
Business card size in inches
The US card is 3.5 × 2 in landscape, or 2 × 3.5 in in portrait. The other formats convert to awkward decimals:
- 85 × 55 mm is 3.346 × 2.165 in, usually rounded to 3.35 × 2.17 in.
- The credit card format is 3.370 × 2.125 in, which is 3 3/8 × 2 1/8 in.
- 90 × 55 mm is 3.543 × 2.165 in.
- 91 × 55 mm is 3.583 × 2.165 in.
Set the document to the exact trim size of the card you are ordering, not the nearest round number, or the printer may scale the artwork to fit.
Business card size in mm
Metric printers quote card sizes in millimeters, and the European figure is 85 × 55 mm. The US card is 88.9 × 50.8 mm, so it is 3.9 mm longer and 4.2 mm less tall than the European one.
The other metric formats are 85.60 × 53.98 mm for the credit card format, 90 × 50 mm, 90 × 54 mm, 90 × 55 mm and 91 × 55 mm. MOO's UK guidelines list its own card at 84 × 55 mm trim, a millimeter shorter than the usual European figure, so use the trim size from your printer's template.
Business card size in cm
Some design tools ask for centimeters. Divide the millimeter figure by ten:
- US and Canada: 8.89 × 5.08 cm
- Western Europe and UK: 8.5 × 5.5 cm
- Credit card format: 8.56 × 5.40 cm (5.398 cm unrounded)
- Japan: 9.1 × 5.5 cm
- Eastern Europe: 9 × 5 cm
A 2 mm bleed is 0.2 cm, and a 0.125 in bleed is 0.3175 cm.
Business card size in pixels
Pixels have no physical size until a resolution is chosen. Print work is set up at 300 dpi or higher: Vistaprint's file guide asks for 300 dpi minimum at printed size, and MOO's guidelines ask for photographs at 300 dpi or higher. The arithmetic is the inch size multiplied by the resolution:
- Width: 3.5 in × 300 = 1050 px
- Height: 2 in × 300 = 600 px
- With Vistaprint's 0.125 in bleed: 3.75 in × 300 = 1125 px, and 2.25 in × 300 = 675 px
- With MOO's US bleed: 3.66 in × 300 = 1098 px, and 2.16 in × 300 = 648 px
For a metric card, convert to inches first. An 85 × 55 mm card is 3.346 × 2.165 in, so 3.346 × 300 = 1004 px and 2.165 × 300 = 650 px.
| Card | Trim at 300 dpi | Trim at 600 dpi | On screen at 96 px per inch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 × 2 in | 1050 × 600 | 2100 × 1200 | 336 × 192 |
| 85 × 55 mm | 1004 × 650 | 2008 × 1299 | 321 × 208 |
| 85.60 × 53.98 mm | 1011 × 638 | 2022 × 1275 | 324 × 204 |
| 91 × 55 mm | 1075 × 650 | 2150 × 1299 | 344 × 208 |
The screen column is for mockups and web pages. The W3C CSS Values specification fixes one CSS inch at 96 CSS pixels, so 336 × 192 px is the CSS size of a 3.5 × 2 in card; how large it looks depends on the display.
European business card size
Across most of Western Europe the usual card is 85 × 55 mm. The Wikipedia table lists it for Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and others, and Jukebox describes 85 × 55 mm as the standard in Europe and most international markets.
Europe is not uniform, though. Denmark, Norway and Sweden are listed at 90 × 55 mm, and Finland, Estonia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and much of Eastern Europe at 90 × 50 mm. The 85 × 55 mm card has a 1.545 aspect ratio, so a layout designed for 3.5 × 2 in will not scale onto it without reflowing the text.
UK business card size
The common card in the UK is 85 × 55 mm, the same as most of Western Europe, and it is the figure a UK printer is most likely to quote as its default.
MOO's UK design guidelines list its MOO card at 84 × 55 mm trim, with an 88 × 59 mm bleed area and an 80 × 51 mm safe area. That is 2 mm of bleed on every side and a 2 mm margin inside the cut. Take the bleed figure from your own printer's template.
Business card bleed and safe area
Bleed is the extra artwork beyond the cut. Printers state different amounts, so this table quotes each one's own guidelines page for its standard card.
| Printer page | Trim | Bleed area | Safe area | Bleed per side |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOO US design guidelines, Standard | 3.50 × 2.0 in | 3.66 × 2.16 in | 3.34 × 1.84 in | 0.08 in |
| MOO UK design guidelines, MOO card | 84 × 55 mm | 88 × 59 mm | 80 × 51 mm | 2 mm |
| Vistaprint file prep guide, standard | 3.5 × 2 in | 3.75 × 2.25 in | 3.25 × 1.75 in | 0.125 in |
MOO's template adds 0.08 in around its US Standard card, with the safe area the same distance inside the trim. Vistaprint's guide uses 0.125 in for both, so a file built for one is the wrong size for the other.
A few rules hold across these pages:
- Extend any background color or photo to the outer bleed line.
- Keep text, logos and QR codes inside the safe area.
- Leave crop marks off unless the printer asks for them. MOO says it adds them automatically.
- Keep text at 8 pt or higher and lines at 0.5 pt or thicker, as MOO's guidelines state.
- Use CMYK color and a vector PDF where the printer asks for them; Vistaprint's guide asks for CMYK, and MOO's asks for a vector PDF.
A card with a plain white background and nothing near the edge does not need bleed for the design to work, but supply the file at the template's size anyway so the printer does not resize it.
Japanese and Asian card sizes
Japan uses 91 × 55 mm, the longest of the common formats at 3.58 × 2.17 in. It is about 2 mm longer and 4 mm taller than a US card.
China, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore are listed at 90 × 54 mm. India appears under both 90 × 55 mm and 90 × 50 mm in the Wikipedia table, and Taiwan and Vietnam at 90 × 55 mm.
Credit card size cards (ID-1)
The ID-1 format in ISO/IEC 7810 is 85.60 × 53.98 mm, or 3 3/8 × 2 1/8 in, with rounded corners of about 3 mm radius. It is the size of most bank cards and ID cards. The Wikipedia business card table lists it as a card format used in Australia.
It is 0.6 mm longer and about 1 mm less tall than the European card. Plastic loyalty or gift cards that go through card readers should match the exact ID-1 figure.
Square, mini and other shapes
Printers offer shapes beyond the regional rectangles. MOO's US product page lists Square cards at 2.56 × 2.56 in, Mini cards at 2.75 × 1.1 in, and its own MOO size at 3.3 × 2.16 in. Jukebox lists square cards at 2.5 × 2.5 in and offers custom cards in any size.
Other shapes stand out on a counter but may not fit standard holders, so they suit gift tags and thank-you cards better than a card meant to be kept.
Where to order business cards
Many online printers take card orders and publish their own templates and specifications. As examples, in no particular order:
Each lists its sizes on its product page. Download the template for the exact size and paper you choose, because bleed and safe area differ between printers. headoffis does not print cards; the printers are named as examples, in no particular order.
Choosing a card size for a retail store
Start with the size your customers expect. A shop in the US should use 3.5 × 2 in; a shop in the UK or Western Europe should use 85 × 55 mm.
Next, match the card to anything else you print. headoffis shelf labels include a large label at 3.5 × 2 inches, the same footprint as a US card, so one holder size may serve both; test a sample before buying holders. Appointment, loyalty and referral cards are easiest to manage at the same size as your main card.
Then confirm the printer's numbers. Download its template, check the trim, bleed and safe area against this article, and order a small proof before a full run. For other printable store items, the free tools page has templates that run in a browser with no login.
Frequently asked questions
Is a business card the same size as a credit card?
No. A US card is 88.9 × 50.8 mm and a credit card is 85.60 × 53.98 mm, so the US card is longer but not as tall. The European 85 × 55 mm card is close to a credit card, within about 1 mm in each direction.
How much bleed does a business card need?
It depends on the printer. MOO's US template adds 0.08 in per side, its UK template adds 2 mm, and Vistaprint's guide adds 0.125 in. Use the figure in the template for the product you order.
What is the safe area on a business card?
The safe area is the zone inside the trim where text and logos should stay. On MOO's US Standard card it is 3.34 × 1.84 in, and on Vistaprint's standard card it is 3.25 × 1.75 in.
What size is a business card in Japan?
Japanese cards are usually 91 × 55 mm, which is 3.58 × 2.17 in. At 300 dpi that is 1075 × 650 px before bleed.
Can I print a US-sized card in Europe?
Yes, if the printer offers it as a size or a custom option; Jukebox, for example, lists custom cards in any size. It may not fit holders cut for 85 × 55 mm, so resizing to the local format is often simpler.
What is the aspect ratio of a business card?
A US card is 1.75 to 1 and an 85 × 55 mm card is about 1.55 to 1. Across the listed formats it runs from about 1.42 to 1.8.