The holidays are the time to reconnect with family and friends, and what better way to do that than with a personalized greeting card? All you need to do is choose your favorite design template, upload your favorite photo or photos, and create your card. From simple postcards to custom creations by independent artists, these are some of our favorite places to buy holiday cards online.
Prices and availability are subject to change.
39 cents and up from Walmart
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Shipping: Free for orders over $35; in-store pickup and 1-hour printing also available
Bulk Orders: Yes, up to 1,000 cards per order
Returns/Exchanges: Return to a Walmart store within 90 days or contact customer service online
Addressing/Mailing: Sender’s address printed on envelope flap (not available for same day)
Takeaway: If cost is your primary concern, it’s hard to beat Walmart for inexpensive holiday cards. A 4-by-6-inch photo card with a personal message and glossy or matte finish costs as little as 39 cents each, depending on how you choose to customize it, and may qualify for one-hour, in-store pickup. You’ll find plenty of paper finishes like matte and glossy, along with trim types from square to round to scalloped. Like their higher-priced competitors, some Walmart holiday cards can be printed on premium card stock or linen, and you can add a return address to the envelopes for no charge, but you can’t choose a custom typeface.
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62 cents and up from Simply To Impress
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Shipping: $8.75 flat rate; expedited delivery options also available
Bulk Orders: Yes, up to 1,000 cards per order
Returns/Exchanges: Return unused product within 30 days of receipt for replacement/refund
Addressing/Mailing: Yes, for an additional fee
Takeaway: With more than 1,900 holiday card options, Simply To Impress has the best selection among companies in our comparison. You’ll only find a couple common dimensions to choose from — 4 by 5.5 inches and 5 by 7 inches — but nearly every card option can be ordered as either a flat or foldover card, and you can choose seven die-cut edges from smooth to scalloped to hexagonal. In addition to matte and glossy finishes, photo cards also can be ordered with a pearlescent finish or on premium card stock. Envelopes are available in white or ivory, with or without a foil lining, and can be printed with the sender’s and recipient’s addresses, then mailed for an extra per-envelope fee.
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$1.99 and up from Walgreens
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Shipping: $1.49 and up; in-store pickup also available
Bulk Orders: No
Returns/Exchanges: Walgreens promises “100% guaranteed” customer satisfaction with orders
Addressing/Mailing: Yes, for an additional fee; not available for all card orders
Takeaway: If time is of the essence, Walgreens Photo is the place to go — though they're also one of the more expensive options. The store offers same-day pickup on some custom Christmas card orders, and the selection of well over 1,000 different card options is better than other companies like UPS and FedEx, which also offer this service. In addition to common postcard and foldover card dimensions, you’ll also find square cards and foil finish options (even 4-by-5-inch magnetic greeting cards). Photo cards can be ordered with glossy or matte finish, and most can be printed on standard or premium card stock, but not linen. Unlike Walmart, Walgreens will also let you customize the envelope addresses with a choice of typefaces and font colors. Select cards can also be mailed for a fee.
96 cents and up from Paper Source
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Shipping: Shipping rates vary based on order total, free on orders over $70; expedited delivery options also available
Bulk Orders: Yes, up to 400 cards
Returns/Exchanges: For custom orders, contact customer service within 10 calendar days of receipt.
Addressing/Mailing: Yes, with Paperless Post
Takeaway: Although none of the online greeting card sellers we reviewed offers unlimited free shipping, Paper Source comes close. All orders over $70 qualify for free standard shipping. Selection is okay — we counted over 500 custom photo cards and postcards, and you’ll find common dimensions like 5 by 7 inches and square cards, plus options like die-cut scalloped edges. What you won’t find are foldover greeting cards, however. And if you want envelopes addressed and mailed, you’ll have to use Paperless Post, a third-party service. If that’s important to you, you may just as well go directly to Paperless Post, which offers a better selection.
$1.39 and up from Paper Culture
Shipping: $8.99 flat rate per order; expedited delivery options also available
Bulk Orders: Yes, up to 1,000 online; larger quantities also available
Returns/Exchanges: Paper Culture promises a “100% Customer Satisfaction Guarantee,” with some exceptions
Addressing/Mailing: Yes, for an additional fee
Takeaway: This certified Green Business touts their eco bona fides by using sustainably sourced paper and other materials and funding tree-planting efforts at home and abroad. Their card selection is sizable, too, with more than 700 options, including postcards and 5-by-7-inch foldover cards, as well as less common dimensions like circular and square cards. Foil finish and die-cut, rounded edges are available for some cards, but you won’t find the dizzying array of options that Simply To Impress has. That said, Paper Culture’s site is super-easy to navigate, allowing you to filter card options by theme, design, even type style. Bonus: Unlike most competitors, Paper Culture offers free assistance with your card designs (because not everyone is a whiz with computers).
$1.30 and up from Minted
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Shipping: $3.95 and up for standard delivery; expedited options available
Bulk Orders: Yes, up to 5,000 cards
Returns/Exchanges: Minted promises “to make it right.” Customers must submit photos or other proof and contact customer service for resolution.
Addressing/Mailing: Free recipient addressing
Takeaway: Looking for something a little less ordinary? Minted offers limited-run and custom holiday cards produced by independent artists and designers, and they hold regular competitions to choose new works. You will pay a slight premium for this focus on craft, but it also means you’ll have unusual options other vendors don’t offer, such as letterpress printing, vellum overlays, multi-page “booklettes,” and custom foil-print cards using your child’s own hand-drawn illustration. Envelopes are also available with a number of color and lining options, and some cards are available on ultra-thick card stock. Similar to Paper Culture, Minted’s site makes it simple to filter options by design, theme, format, and more.
