Before too long, those holiday greeting cards will begin arriving — showcasing smiling faces and coordinated outfits from friends and family near and far.
If you haven’t started designing your holiday card yet, there’s still ample time. To help you narrow down which companies’ card selections suit you best, we compiled this roundup of holiday greeting card vendors and what you can expect to pay.
10 Places to Order Your Holiday Greeting Cards This Season
These card providers typically run promotions and discounts throughout the holiday period. So much so that you’ll rarely pay full price, whatever that might be.
To give you a clearer picture, we went through the ordering process for several of the most popular holiday card companies. We checked the cost to order 50 standard stock cards — nothing elaborate, just the basics.
Keep in mind, these prices reflect a random Tuesday in November. By the time you place your order, prices may have shifted. Still, these examples should offer a reasonable estimate of costs for each brand and show which ones tend to be budget-friendly versus higher-end.
When possible, we included shipping in the per-card cost but did not account for sales tax, since that varies widely.
With that out of the way, let’s dive in.
1. Shutterfly
Shutterfly has been a holiday card favorite for years, offering a broad assortment of quality cards that put your family front and center.
We ran a sample order for 50 5×7 cards at $2.15 apiece, one of the pricier options we spotted. That totals $107.50 and includes envelopes. There was a free-shipping promotion at checkout and Shutterfly frequently has sales, so let’s peg it at $107.50 for a 50-card order. Your final cost may be lower depending on available deals.
Cost per card:$2.15
2. Snapfish
Snapfish also presents a wide range of choices for personalized Christmas and holiday photo cards. Prices can begin around $1 per card and climb to about $3.70 for options like embossed gold-foil typography.
For our 50-card illustration, we selected a set of 20 standard 5×7 cards priced at $1 each. Because that design is sold in packs of 20, we had to buy 60 cards for a total of $60. Standard shipping on three sets was $11.49.
That places the total for 60 cards from Snapfish at $71.49.
Cost per card:$1.19
3. Minted
Minted offers numerous styles for Christmas and holiday cards. You can upload a photo and personalize a design, or choose from pre-made layouts. Religious and non-religious options are both available.
Minted’s holiday cards tend to be pricier, but they’re higher-end. For our sample we chose a basic non-foil 5×7 card (foil versions cost more). Fifty cards came to $114, or $2.28 each.
Shipping typically ranges from $3.95 to $9.95, bringing the total to roughly $120.
Cost per card:$2.40
4. Vistaprint
Vistaprint has pages of designs to showcase your family. Many designs start at $11.99 per 10 cards, and some holiday photo cards include embossed foil for an extra charge.
For a 50-card order on 5×7 standard stock, Vistaprint quoted $59.95. Standard eight-day shipping adds $11.99 for an order of that size.
That brings the Vistaprint order total to $71.94.
Cost per card:$1.44
5. Paper Culture
Like most companies we looked at, Paper Culture had holiday card discounts in November.
For our standard 5×7 50-card order, Paper Culture offers only premium stock cards. The cost came to $66 total, or $1.32 per card. They also list 4×6 cards at $1.20 each.
With a flat standard shipping fee of $8.99, our Paper Culture total reached $74.99.
Cost per card:$1.50
6. Zazzle
Zazzle carries a variety of designed and highly customizable Christmas card options.
We “ordered” 50 flat 5×7 cards at $1.22 each, totaling $61. Zazzle’s shipping information was limited, but based on other vendors we estimate shipping at $9–$12.
Including shipping, our Zazzle order would come in around $70 total.
Cost per card:$1.40
7. Etsy
Etsy is a great source for more traditional, artist-designed cards if you prefer not to use a family photo — though photo options exist there as well. Plus, purchases support independent creators.
That said, many Etsy card sets are smaller, which can raise the per-card cost. For instance, this 12-card snowy village set costs $18 per pack, which would come to about $72 for 48 cards.
The Etsy seller we looked at offers free shipping on orders over $35, so our total for Etsy cards was $72 flat.
Cost per card:$1.50
8. Papier
Papier carries a pleasant mix of pre-designed and customizable Christmas greeting cards suitable for family photos.
Many of Papier’s sets range from $18 to $24 for 10–12 cards. We picked the Bold and Bright Border flat holiday card set, which starts at $22 for 10 cards. Prices fall as quantities rise. Our total came to $90 for 50 cards.
With shipping at $4.99, the final cost for 50 5×7 cards from Papier was $94.99.
Cost per card:$1.90
9. Artifact Uprising
Artifact Uprising also offers a number of customizable holiday photo card layouts.
As with other companies, ordering more lowers the per-card price. Most 50-card orders land near $2 per card. For our sample we chose a Minimal Greeting Holiday Card, which totaled $100 for 50 5×7 cards.
Artifact Uprising doesn’t provide an explicit shipping estimate, but we’d expect the final tally to be around $110 including shipping.
Cost per card:$2.20
10. Amazon
If you want something straightforward without a family photo, Amazon carries many no-frills options.
This simple “Happy Holidays” pack includes 40 cards with envelopes for just $12.14. Doubling up would still cost under $25 — significantly less than most other choices. Of course, these are plain holiday cards without your family’s photo.
Cost per card:30 cents
5 Ways to Trim Costs on Holiday Greeting Cards
We’ve shown that you can find 50 non-photo Christmas cards for under $30 and 50 photo Christmas cards for well over $100. Plenty of options fall in between.
If you want to save a bit more, here are some practical tips.
1. Watch for Promotions
Promotions. Many of these companies frequently offer discounts. Our examples were snapshots in time. By the time you read this, those offers may be better or worse. The takeaway is to visit multiple sites and compare prices to find what fits your budget. If you’re waiting for a deeper discount, sign up for email alerts.
2. Choose E-Cards
There’s nothing wrong with sending holiday greetings via email. Digital cards are often charming, and many providers offer them at no cost. Sites like American Greetings, Blue Mountain and PunchBowl provide numerous free e-card options for the holidays.
3. Shrink Your List
Do you need to mail 50 cards? Maybe 25 will be sufficient. Consider trimming your list to the most important people or those you rarely see. You may pay more per card, but your overall spend will fall.
4. Deliver in Person When You Can
Skip shipping costs by hand-delivering cards when possible. Leave a card on a coworker’s desk, drop one in a neighbor’s mailbox, or ring the doorbell and hand it over with a smile.
5. Buy Early
Planning ahead can save money next year. Start comparing prices early in the fall for the following season. If you don’t need to include a current family photo, consider ordering right after Christmas when retailers discount holiday items.
Alex Morgan is a senior writer for Savinly.
