Is American Greetings Free? Understanding Trials and Memberships
When you're looking to send an ecard, one of the first questions that comes to mind is often about cost. Many services offer a taste of their offerings for free, but understanding the full picture of trials, memberships, and what you get for your money can be tricky. Let's dive into American Greetings specifically, and then explore how it stacks up against other popular ecard platforms, including how you can send a card on InviteDrop.
American Greetings, a well-known name in the greeting card world, does offer a limited selection of free cards. However, for full access to their extensive catalog and premium features, a paid membership is required. They offer a 7-day free trial, allowing you to explore their premium content before committing. After the trial, membership costs $7.99 per month, $35.99 for a year, or $49.99 for two years. This membership unlocks their vast collection of over 4,000 cards and access to their Creatacard maker, which supports up to six photos or one video, typed or drawn signatures, and print-at-home options.
American Greetings vs. Blue Mountain: Two Sides of the Same Coin
It's worth noting that American Greetings and Blue Mountain are under the same ownership and offer very similar services and pricing. Both platforms provide an enormous catalog of over 4,000 cards each, making them strong contenders if sheer variety is your top priority. Like American Greetings, Blue Mountain also offers a 7-day free trial and a limited free-card selection, with membership costs mirroring American Greetings at $7.99 per month, $35.99 per year, or $49.99 for two years. Their Creatacard maker also supports up to six photos or one video, typed or drawn signatures, and print-at-home functionality. Neither service provides open/view notifications to senders, nor do they support group signing for cards.
Comparing with Other Ecard Services
Beyond American Greetings and Blue Mountain, the ecard landscape offers a range of options, each with its own strengths and pricing models.
Jacquie Lawson: Artful Animation
If you're seeking a unique and highly artistic ecard experience, Jacquie Lawson stands out. Their genuine strength lies in hand-drawn animated card "films," often around a minute long, accompanied by commissioned music. These are genuinely artful and serve as their real differentiator. Jacquie Lawson does not offer a free tier on the web. A membership costs $36 per year or $8 per month, providing unlimited sends. While their classic cards don't offer font, color, or photo customization, their newer Postbox line does support up to six photos or one video. It's worth being aware that some customers have reported complaints about auto-renewal practices. Jacquie Lawson also does not support group signing.
Hallmark eCards: The Brand You Trust
Hallmark, a household name in greeting cards, extends its brand into the digital realm with Hallmark eCards. Their primary strength is, of course, the trusted Hallmark brand itself, along with their paper-card mail service. With the free Crown Rewards program, you can send one free ecard per month. For unlimited sends, you'll need a Hallmark+ subscription, which costs $7.99 per month or $79.99 per year. Their digital cards do not feature an opening animation, and documented scheduling or open tracking features are not available. Group signing is also not an option with Hallmark eCards.
Evite, Punchbowl, and Paperless Post: Event-Focused and Coin-Based
Other services like Evite, Punchbowl, and Paperless Post often cater to different needs or utilize varied payment structures. Evite cards are priced at $1.99 per recipient, or you can opt for a cards subscription at $49.99 per year. Punchbowl offers subscription tiers ranging from $2.99 per month for 10 cards per month up to $5.99 per month for 500 cards per month. Paperless Post uses a pay-per-recipient "Coins" system, with packs starting at $12 for 25 coins.
Group-Card Services: Collaborative Messages
For occasions where multiple people need to sign a single card, dedicated group-card services are available. Platforms like GroupGreeting, Kudoboard, Thankbox, and SendWishOnline are established group-card platforms where a team or group adds messages to one card or board, creating a collaborative and memorable greeting.
InviteDrop: Animated Reveals, Group Signing, and Open Tracking
When considering your options, InviteDrop offers a unique combination of features that might align with your sending needs. InviteDrop allows for group-signed cards, meaning multiple people can add their messages to one card via a share link – a feature not available with Jacquie Lawson, Blue Mountain, American Greetings, or Hallmark. When your recipient opens an InviteDrop card, they experience an animated envelope reveal complete with a wax seal, before the card opens to show your personal message, up to two photos, and a signature.
InviteDrop also provides open tracking, so you can see when a recipient opens the card, and supports per-recipient personal messages and scheduled sending. Cards can be delivered by email, SMS text, or a shareable link, with no app download needed. You can also customize the envelope, liner, and stamp, and recipients can use emoji reactions and reply directly to the sender. InviteDrop is free for up to five recipients per card, making it a great option for smaller groups or individual sends.
Comparing the offerings, InviteDrop stands out for its combination of group signing, the engaging animated card reveal, open tracking, and being free for up to five recipients per card – a comprehensive set of features not found together in the other services mentioned. Whether you're sending a quick thank you or organizing a group message for a special occasion, there's a card service out there for you. Explore your options and send a card on InviteDrop today.
