Business card sizes vary by region, but most fall within a tight cluster of dimensions. The differences are small enough to be a nuisance — a card that fits a US wallet may not slot into a European cardholder.

Standard sizes by region

RegionDimensions
US, Canada3.5 x 2 inches (89 x 51 mm)
Europe (most)85 x 55 mm
UK85 x 55 mm
Japan91 x 55 mm
Australia, New Zealand90 x 55 mm
China, Hong Kong90 x 54 mm

The European 85 x 55 mm size matches the ISO 7810 ID-1 credit-card standard and has the broadest international acceptance for that reason. The US 3.5 x 2 inch size pre-dates ISO 7810 and persists by sheer momentum — it remains the dominant standard wherever US printers and stock are common. Japan’s 91 x 55 mm size is treated formally; the card itself (meishi) is exchanged with two hands.

Business card sizes from the US, Europe, Japan and Australia overlaid to scale, showing how close they are in dimension
All five common regional sizes fall within roughly 6 mm of each other — small enough that any of them will fit in a wallet, large enough that mixing them in a cardholder shows.

Bleed and safe zones

Bleed is the extra area of artwork that extends past the cut line. The standard is 3 mm of bleed on all four sides — so a 3.5 x 2 inch card needs an artwork file of approximately 3.6 x 2.1 inches once bleed is added. The reason is mechanical: cutting machines have small tolerances, and without bleed, even a 0.5 mm misalignment leaves a white sliver at the edge.

The safe zone is the inverse: keep important content (text, logos) at least 3 mm inside the trim line. Anything closer risks being trimmed off. For dense layouts, 4-5 mm of safe margin is more comfortable.

Diagram of a printed card showing the 3 mm bleed area outside the cut line and the 3 mm safe zone inside it
Three zones to remember: bleed extends artwork 3 mm past the cut line; the cut line is the final card edge; the safe zone keeps text and logos 3 mm clear of the cut.

The standard rectangle dominates because it fits wallets and cardholders. Variants exist. Square cards (typically 55 x 55 mm or 65 x 65 mm) stand out at networking events but won’t slot into most cardholders. Slim cards (85 x 40 mm) read as design-forward but truncate the available content. Folded cards — printed flat at twice the size, then folded — double the available space but cost more and don’t sit cleanly in standard slots.

Sizes and Avery product codes

Avery’s business card sheets correspond to specific sizes:

  • 28371 — 3.5 x 2 inches, 10 cards per US Letter sheet, matte finish
  • 5371 — 3.5 x 2 inches, 10 cards per sheet, classic uncoated
  • 8869 — 3.5 x 2 inches, 10 cards per sheet, linen texture
  • 8870 — 3.5 x 2 inches, 10 cards per sheet, Clean Edge double-sided

All four are 3.5 x 2 US standard. For European 85 x 55 mm cards, Avery’s UK and EU ranges use different codes; Word’s template chooser picks the regional set automatically based on Office’s locale.

For design guidance once the dimensions are settled, see how to design a professional business card. For the full reference of Avery’s business card products and how to find their templates in Word, see the Avery business card sheets guide.