Q: Is Business Card Scanning software free?
Customers who purchase a -BCS sku scanner will receive a license key for full use of the software. No additional purchase is necessary.
If you have previously purchased an Ambir scanner, the AmbirScan Business Card software allows a 10 card scan trial period. After the trial, a license must be purchased to continue use. Please click here to purchase the standalone software
Note: standalone software purchase only needed for customers with existing, non-BCS sku scanners.
Q: Does this software recognize foreign languages and/or handwritten notes?
No. AmbirScan Business Card Reading software only works in conjunction with English typeface characters.
Q: Does this software read text on both sides of the card?
No. The reading software is only available on the front-face of business cards.
Q: What versions of Outlook are supported?
AmbirScan Business Card Scanning is supported on the following local Outlook client versions:
- 2010
- 2013
- 2016
- 2019
Q: How do I scan to Outlook?
To scan to Outlook, complete the following steps:
- Select Business Card Profile F4 in AmbirScan.
- Insert the card into the scanner. The scanner will pull the card through automatically (Auto Scan must be turned on.)
- After a few seconds, you may see a message of how many scans are left in Trial mode. Click OK. (Enter the license key if you -BCS sku or standalone software purchased.)
- A separate window will populate displaying the card image and information taken from the card. Verify all information in the window and correct any errors.
- Click OK.
- A Windows notification in your system tray will alert you the contact has been created.
Q: I don’t have Outlook installed on my computer. Can I scan using the web version?
No, AmbirScan Business Card Reader does not scan to Outlook’s web version. You must have Outlook client installed on your computer.
Q: Can I scan to Google and/or online email contacts?
No, AmbirScan does not scan to any online contacts. You may import the .CSV file into Google to add your contacts manually.
Q: How do I backup my scanned contact information?
AmbirScan makes backing up your contacts easy by exporting the data to a Contacts.CSV file located in the C:\Users\Public\Documents\AmbirScan folder.
The Contacts.CSV file contains the following fields: Title, First Name, Last Name, Company, Address, Email, Phone, Cell, Fax, URL, and Notes.
Q: How do I turn off scanning to .CSV?
To turn off scanning to .CSV, select Advanced Settings in AmbirScan and deselect the Export to .CSV option.
Q: The software is not reading/entering wrong information in the fields.
AmbirScan software is designed to identify and read most commonly used data fields on business cards. However, there are times where data may not be displayed properly after scanning. Certain factors may cause minor errors in reading: layout of the card, language, font type and size, background color, and font color.
While the OCR technology has extremely high accuracy, there may be times characters are off. It’s important to review your contact information in the preview field prior to saving.
Q: Does AmbirScan recognize languages other than English?
AmbirScan OCR technology is only available for English language at time of this release.
Q: Does AmbirScan recognize handwritten text?
No. AmbirScan only recognizes typed text.
Q: Can I import my contacts into a third-party software?
Most applications allow for .CSV importing. Please check with your application for information on importing.
Click here for steps on importing to Outlook.
Q: I deleted the Business Card profile. How do I get it back?
To create the Business Card Reader profile again, complete the following steps:
- Open AmbirScan.
- Select Advanced Settings in the left menu bar.
- Select Create Outlook Contact and Export CSV file.
- Select Settings in the left menu bar.
- Make sure the following settings are selected:
- File Format: Searchable PDF
- Scan Type: Color
- DPI: 300
- Click the + under the Scan Profile drop down.
- Name the profile when prompted.
Q: How do I create a shared folder to distribute contacts in Outlook?
- Launch Microsoft Outlook on your desktop and select the Contacts tab.
- Under My Contacts, right click on the top folder and select New Folder from the drop down.

3. In the Create New Folder window, type in the desired folder name and click OK.

4. After the new contact folder is created, right click on the folder and select Share Contacts.

5. Type in the email address of the person(s) you want to share the contacts with. If you want the recipient(s) to have the ability to add, edit and delete items in this contact folder, check the appropriate box.

6. The recipient(s) will receive a sharing invitation in their Inbox. Instruct the recipient(s) to accept the share request by selecting the Open this Contacts Folder.

For more information, please refer to the Microsoft website: https://support.office.com/en-us/article/share-a-contacts-folder-with-others-ce5a40d1-bc9f-4f5d-a2aa-5ec388573821
Q: How to select the appropriate shared folder to send contacts to from AmbirScan Business Card?
- Make sure Microsoft Outlook and AmbirScan Business Card are both open on your computer.
- In AmbirScan, navigate to the Scan tab and select the profile you wish to share from the Scan Profile drop down. For standard business card contacts, select the Business Card F4 profile.
- Navigate to the Advanced Settings tab and click on the three dots icon next to Create Outlook Contact.

4. In the Select Folder window pop up, select the shared contacts folder you wish to send contacts to. If you still need to create a shared contacts folder, click here to find step by step instructions.

Q: How do I create a new profile in AmbirScan that always sends contacts to a specific shared contacts folder in Outlook?
- In AmbirScan, navigate to the Scan tab and select Business Card Profile F4 from the Scan Profile drop down.
- Navigate to the Advanced Settings tab and click on the 3 dots icon next to Create Outlook Contact.
- In the Select Folder window pop up, select the shared contacts folder you wish to send contacts to.
- Navigate to the Settings tab and click the plus icon located under Scan Profile.
- Enter in the profile name and click OK to create your new profile. Now, every time you select this new profile, AmbirScan will send contacts to the shared folder you selected. It will also assign the next open F function to this profile for easy profile selection.
Q: Can other people send contacts to the shared contact folder I created?
Unfortunately, because of how Microsoft has set up contact sharing, only the person who created the folder can send contacts to the folder. Sharing is one directional. However, there is not a limit to the amount of people you can share your folder with.
Q: Can multiple users on one computer use the same license?
Multiple users can use the same license on the same computer.
Q: Where is my .csv file?
The CSV file will go wherever you have your save path set in the settings section. By default the file location for the CSV file is C:\Users\Public\Documents\AmbirScan
Q: What is a CSV file?
A CSV file is type of file that can easily be opened with excel to view the data within the file or it can be imported into 3rd party applications like google contacts or Salesforce.