transfer of contacts

It will be helpful to know what macOS version you are using.

However, with current Macs and iPhones the sync and data transfer functions can take place using the Finder on the Mac. Connect your iPhone to the Mac with its charging cable and then open a new Finder window. You'll find the iPhone listed in the sidebar. Select it and then you can setup your sync options.

Please see this link for guidance: Sync contacts and calendars onto your Mac and iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support

An alternative to manually syncing your device to your Mac would be to sync via iCloud Drive. Set up the Mac and the iPhone with the same Apple ID and password and enable iCloud on each.

Guidance for that can be found here: Set up iCloud Drive on all your devices - Apple Support