Services to mail greeting cards for me that I can sign?
February 7, 2020 10:45 AM Subscribe
Sending thank-you notes or sending my mom a card on Valentine's Day are nice things to do. But going to the store, picking out a card, signing it, and then getting a stamp or going to the post office? No thanks. There has to be a better way... right?
I've heard of Felt, which is an app where you can sign with your finger on your phone, because it was on Shark Tank, but I notice it's a subscription and it also seems a little buggy. When I've googled for alternatives, it doesn't seem like there is a way for me to sign it or write anything myself.
In my ideal scenario, I could sign it the way I do an Adobe PDF document with a photo of my signature or a scan of what I want to write. I find signing or writing on a screen doesn't match my actual handwriting. That said, I'd do something that uses my phone's touchscreen if that's all that's available. In my ideal scenario, I can pay per card rather than subscribe to anything too.
I am not interested in anything where somewhere hand-writes or signs my card for me. That just seems weird, and my mom would know it's not my own handwriting. And it seems there are plenty of services where you don't sign the card, but I am specifically looking for a service where I can sign it myself. And I am not looking for e-cards or digital cards - I want actual, physical cards that will be mailed on my behalf. Thanks!
I've heard of Felt, which is an app where you can sign with your finger on your phone, because it was on Shark Tank, but I notice it's a subscription and it also seems a little buggy. When I've googled for alternatives, it doesn't seem like there is a way for me to sign it or write anything myself.
In my ideal scenario, I could sign it the way I do an Adobe PDF document with a photo of my signature or a scan of what I want to write. I find signing or writing on a screen doesn't match my actual handwriting. That said, I'd do something that uses my phone's touchscreen if that's all that's available. In my ideal scenario, I can pay per card rather than subscribe to anything too.
I am not interested in anything where somewhere hand-writes or signs my card for me. That just seems weird, and my mom would know it's not my own handwriting. And it seems there are plenty of services where you don't sign the card, but I am specifically looking for a service where I can sign it myself. And I am not looking for e-cards or digital cards - I want actual, physical cards that will be mailed on my behalf. Thanks!
What about a photo greeting card? You could take something like this Shutterfly valentine with space for two images, upload an image for one box and a picture of your signature for the other box, and have it shipped directly to your mom.
posted by yarntheory at 10:57 AM on February 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by yarntheory at 10:57 AM on February 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
If you got cards and stamps mailed to your dwelling from the Internet, would it be easy enough to get them into the mail? (My mother would be uncanny-valley’ed by a printed image of my signature. Your Mother May Vary.)
posted by clew at 11:14 AM on February 7, 2020 [6 favorites]
posted by clew at 11:14 AM on February 7, 2020 [6 favorites]
(Yeah, mass-generated cards with your signature auto-affixed may not have quite the effect you're hoping they will. The only time I get those are distasteful corporate holiday cards. Obviously there are reasons a person might need to use such a service (e.g., disabilities that interfere with writing), but for many people, that might well read as "doing the absolute minimum to meet a begrudged obligation.")
posted by praemunire at 11:32 AM on February 7, 2020 [13 favorites]
posted by praemunire at 11:32 AM on February 7, 2020 [13 favorites]
would it be easy enough to get them into the mail?
Everywhere I have lived in the US you can put properly stamped and addressed mail in your mailbox and your letter carrier will take it for you the next time they come.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:34 AM on February 7, 2020 [4 favorites]
Everywhere I have lived in the US you can put properly stamped and addressed mail in your mailbox and your letter carrier will take it for you the next time they come.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:34 AM on February 7, 2020 [4 favorites]
Everywhere I have lived in the US you can put properly stamped and addressed mail in your mailbox and your letter carrier will take it for you the next time they come.
This has not applied to several of the apartment and condo complexes I have lived in. Your Mailcarrier May Vary.
posted by sacrifix at 11:41 AM on February 7, 2020 [10 favorites]
This has not applied to several of the apartment and condo complexes I have lived in. Your Mailcarrier May Vary.
posted by sacrifix at 11:41 AM on February 7, 2020 [10 favorites]
As much as I love this idea in theory, I too have yet to see it executed meaningfully and it just doesn't have the effect on my recipients that I desire. Which I get. It's not about the card itself, it's about the visible effort put into it.
I get around this by having a giant assortment box of cards and some stamps delivered to me at the start of the year and then throwing it in whatever blue mailbox I happen to chance upon next. No special trips to the store or post office visits required ever.
posted by anderjen at 11:47 AM on February 7, 2020 [14 favorites]
I get around this by having a giant assortment box of cards and some stamps delivered to me at the start of the year and then throwing it in whatever blue mailbox I happen to chance upon next. No special trips to the store or post office visits required ever.
posted by anderjen at 11:47 AM on February 7, 2020 [14 favorites]
> sacrifix: This has not applied to several of the apartment and condo complexes I have lived in. Your Mailcarrier May Vary.
Ah, fair point. I've mostly lived in detached homes.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:58 AM on February 7, 2020
Ah, fair point. I've mostly lived in detached homes.
posted by Rock Steady at 11:58 AM on February 7, 2020
Plausible small business, maybe - on signup, you say which occasions you want to send cards for and pick a style, you get a box of cards with stamped addressed envelopes, reminders by text/email/calendar for each occasion.
Or on signup you get a box of cards, you sign them all and return them to the company, the company mails them on schedule.
posted by clew at 12:07 PM on February 7, 2020
Or on signup you get a box of cards, you sign them all and return them to the company, the company mails them on schedule.
posted by clew at 12:07 PM on February 7, 2020
Response by poster: I'm not really asking how to buy stamps, if people could just answer my question.
posted by AppleTurnover at 12:41 PM on February 7, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by AppleTurnover at 12:41 PM on February 7, 2020 [3 favorites]
I looked at Postable and it's really cool, but you can only customize the outside of your card. You need a service that could maybe take an uploaded .png of your message and signature and put it inside the card. They have a section where you can contact them about special requests (bottom right), but it seems like it's a feature they should consider adding in future. Maybe you could take a look on fiverr? There might be someone who does this or would be willing to.
posted by kitcat at 12:47 PM on February 7, 2020
posted by kitcat at 12:47 PM on February 7, 2020
Moonpig is a pay-per-card service which I think fulfills all your requirements. You can add a handwritten message by taking a photo of your message and uploading it. I've used this site myself in the UK and USA though not for a few years.
posted by boudicca at 1:08 PM on February 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by boudicca at 1:08 PM on February 7, 2020 [2 favorites]
You can send custom (photo or non-photo) cards, including signing them with your finger on the phone app, via Ink.
The cards are postcard style, not folded like a greeting card, but you can get them mailed in an envelope. You can often customize the front and can type a message on the back that will appear above your signature.
posted by bananacabana at 1:08 PM on February 7, 2020
The cards are postcard style, not folded like a greeting card, but you can get them mailed in an envelope. You can often customize the front and can type a message on the back that will appear above your signature.
posted by bananacabana at 1:08 PM on February 7, 2020
For $5 I think SignedCards does this. Not just signed but you can write notes on the inside etc.
posted by jessamyn at 5:04 PM on February 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by jessamyn at 5:04 PM on February 7, 2020 [1 favorite]
Sendoutcards.com might be close to what you're looking for...
posted by Wild_Eep at 6:27 PM on February 7, 2020
posted by Wild_Eep at 6:27 PM on February 7, 2020
I haven't found a good alternative myself. I, too, have the giant assortment box of cards. I set aside time at at the end of the month to prep the cards for the next month or two -- Batch processing makes it easier. Then I also set reminders in my phone to send them because I'm a little ADD.
I find the FTD site very easy to use for mom-type gifts and arrangements. You can set date reminders in there and it's just a couple of clicks to send an arrangement. They will hand-write a note on the included card, which I realize is not exactly what you want, but close.
posted by Ostara at 7:49 PM on February 7, 2020
I find the FTD site very easy to use for mom-type gifts and arrangements. You can set date reminders in there and it's just a couple of clicks to send an arrangement. They will hand-write a note on the included card, which I realize is not exactly what you want, but close.
posted by Ostara at 7:49 PM on February 7, 2020
www.greetingcarduniverse.com will mail the card to the recipient.
posted by james33 at 7:11 AM on February 9, 2020
posted by james33 at 7:11 AM on February 9, 2020
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You can do an upload to make your own card, so maybe you could use that function to write your own card?
posted by jraz at 10:55 AM on February 7, 2020