At a time when communication comes in so many forms, handwritten notes and greeting cards may seem to be too much trouble. When we’re thinking of a friend, we can email, call, send a text message, use an ecard, or deliver a digital plant on Facebook. Maybe because of this, getting a greeting card that’s mailed the old fashioned way can be memorable. We put greeting cards on our mantles. We hang them in the doorway for the holidays. We tuck them away in drawers for safekeeping. Cards make us smile. Still, the average American only buys and sends about ten greeting cards each year. Why? Well, it takes time to find the right card, say the right words, and send it out. Cards are expensive, too. The average greeting card retails for $2.50.
There’s now an easier way to send cards. It’s called, appropriately enough, Send Out Cards, and it’s an online application that allows you to send paper greeting cards to friends and family – without getting a stamp or signing your name. Here’s how it works: users first choose a card from a selection online. Need a birthday card for your mother? No problem. Need a sympathy card for a coworker? There’s quite a selection. Need a congratulations card for a friend who just got a new horse? There’s actually a card online just for you. Once you’ve chosen your card, you can write (er, type) your message for the inside. There are surprisingly realistic looking handwriting fonts to choose from – and if you’d like your own script to be turned into a font, Send Out Cards can create one for you. Once you have your message, add the address of your recipients, select the date you’d like it to arrive (it can be ASAP or a date months in the future), and click send. You can even include a gift card if you want.
Practical Uses:
- Send a baby-specific congratulations card the moment you find out that your friend is pregnant
- Use the “campaign” feature to organize and send family holiday cards in one fell swoop
- On the first of the month, arrange to have a birthday card (along with a Barnes & Noble gift card) to arrive for your niece on the 29th.
- Send personalized cards thanking customers for their business
Insider Tips:
- If you use Send Out Cards regularly, you might consider having your own font created. Family and friends will probably have no idea that you didn’t write the card yourself
- Plan your holiday bundle of cards with plenty of time. Because of a high volume of requests, Send Out Cards has an early holiday deadline. The site says to have cards designed by December 7th, but I recommend having your order ready earlier
- If you plan to use the service to send cards for a marketing campaign, try the Wholesale Package to save money
- When entering new contacts, take the extra moment to fill out the anniversary and birthday fields. Send Out Cards can help you remember to send a card again next year
What we liked:
- The Picture Plus feature allows you to include your own digital photos on cards
- When a font of your handwriting is created, you can include up to four signatures (or variations of your signature)
- The cards you can choose from are regularly updated, with new designs to keep the selection varied
- It’s possible to pick a date in the future to mail the card, so you can prepare a month’s worth of cards in one sitting and still have them arrive at just the right time
- Even the most expensive Send Out Cards plans are a better deal than store-bought cards (most cards are only $1.00)
What we didn’t like:
- Because of the manner in which fonts are generated, personalized handwriting fonts cannot be done in cursive
- Send Out Card uses multi-level marketing for sales – while this doesn’t affect the function of the site at all, information about selling complicates the site’s FAQ and help sections
Alternatives:
Company Info:
Costs:
- If you use the “retail package,” your cost will be about $1.00/card
- For bulk packages, pricing can be as low as $0.62/card
- Postage is charged separately
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