Christmas Cards Cheaper Than Minted: 2026 Prices Compared
Every flat photo card and holiday postcard we priced from Minted, Shutterfly, Simply to Impress, Paper Culture, Basic Invite and Vistaprint costs more than ShipNote once the stamp is on it, on 50 cards and on 100. ShipNote is $1.99 a card on 10 or more: a photo postcard printed, stamped with First-Class postage and mailed to each person on your list. Minted's first standard 5x7 photo card comes to $3.30 a card on 50.
We read every price on each company's own site on October 18, 2026, at list price, with no codes or sales applied. ShipNote is our product, and this page compares it with the services people price it against.
Which Christmas cards cost less than Minted?
ShipNote, at $1.99 a card all-in, and it mails them. Minted's first standard 5x7 photo card is $3.30 a card on 50 and $2.74 on 100 once you add an 82-cent stamp. Simply to Impress and Vistaprint come in under Minted's 5x7 but still above $1.99. Basic Invite and Shutterfly cost more than Minted at list price.
| Service and card | All-in per card, with postage | Mails it for you? | Card price before postage |
|---|---|---|---|
| ShipNote, 4x6 photo postcard | $1.99 on 50 · $1.99 on 100 | Yes, every order | Postage and mailing included |
| Vistaprint, 5x7 flat card, Premium Matte | $2.20 on 50 · $2.03 on 100 | No | $1.38 on 50, $1.21 on 100, plus an 82¢ stamp |
| Minted, 4.25x6 holiday postcard | $2.61 on 50 · $2.16 on 100 | Not stated for postcards | $1.96 on 50, $1.51 on 100, plus a 65¢ postcard stamp |
| Paper Culture, 6x4.3 holiday postcard | $2.81 on 50 · $2.41 on 100 | Not shown on the postcard page | $1.99 on 50, $1.59 on 100, plus an 82¢ stamp |
| Simply to Impress, 5x7 flat card | $2.75 on 50 · $2.56 on 100 | Offered; fee not shown on its site | $1.93 on 50, $1.74 on 100, plus an 82¢ stamp |
| Minted, 5x7 flat photo card | $3.30 on 50 · $2.74 on 100 | Only if Mail It For Me is offered | $2.48 on 50, $1.92 on 100, plus an 82¢ stamp |
| Paper Culture, 7x5.125 flat card | $3.26 on 50 · $2.86 on 100 | For $0.89 a card more | $2.44 on 50, $2.04 on 100, plus an 82¢ stamp |
| Basic Invite, 7x5 flat card | $3.36 on 50 · $2.94 on 100 | No | $2.54 on 50, $2.12 on 100, plus an 82¢ stamp |
| Shutterfly, 5x7 flat card | $4.15 on 50 · $3.70 on 100 | For $1.49 an envelope, postage included | $3.33 on 50, $2.88 on 100, plus an 82¢ stamp |
| Postable, photo card or postcard | $5.41 a photo card · $4.04 a postcard | Yes, as standard | $4.59 a photo card, $3.39 a postcard, plus the stamp; mailing included |
Every figure is the company's own list price on October 18, 2026, for the first standard-printed (not foil), rectangular 5x7 photo design on its Christmas card page, and the first postcard design where a company sells one, with no promo code or sitewide sale applied (most of these sites were running one that day). We added the stamp each card needs: an 82¢ Forever stamp for a card in an envelope, and for Paper Culture's postcard, which at 4.3 inches tall is over the USPS postcard limit of 4.25. A 65¢ postcard stamp covers Minted's 4.25x6 postcard, per Minted's own postage guide. Postable mails every card but adds the stamp to its per-card rate, per its FAQ; its holiday page showed only a 20%-off price at 50 and 100, so its figures are the list prices that discount comes from (it also listed 30 photo cards at $138). None of the other figures include shipping the cards to you.
How much do Minted Christmas cards cost with postage?
$3.30 a card on 50 and $2.74 on 100, for Minted's first standard-printed 5x7 flat photo card ($124 for 50, $192 for 100) with an 82-cent stamp on each. Foil costs more: Minted's first foil-pressed 5x7 design was $156 for 50. Envelopes are included, and Minted prints your recipients' addresses on them for free.
Minted's holiday postcard is the cheapest Minted card we priced: $98 for 50 and $151 for 100, or $2.61 and $2.16 a card with a 65-cent stamp. Shapes add to the bill, too: the same 5x7 with a silhouette die-cut read $150.25 for 50. Minted's postage guide says square cards and wax seals need more postage than a Forever stamp.
So the real cost of 100 Minted photo cards, before shipping them to you, is $274, plus the time to stamp and post all 100. 100 ShipNote photo postcards are $199, stamped and mailed for you.
Minted vs Shutterfly: which is cheaper for Christmas cards?
Minted, at list price. Shutterfly's first 5x7 holiday card listed at $3.33 a card on 50 and $2.88 on 100, 85 to 96 cents a card more than Minted's first standard design. Shutterfly runs sitewide sales often, though, and one was running when we checked, so price both on the day you order.
The two differ in more than price:
- Mailing for you: Shutterfly's Mail for Me addresses, stamps and mails each card for $1.49 an envelope, postage included, in plain white envelopes, per Shutterfly's guide to ordering holiday cards in bulk. Minted's Mail It For Me is rolling out and appears at checkout only on some orders, with no published price. Our Minted post has the details, and our Shutterfly post walks through Mail for Me.
- Addresses on the envelope: Minted prints recipient addresses free. Shutterfly does too with its pre-lined or custom envelopes; its bulk-order guide lists $0.42 an envelope for address printing otherwise.
- Designs: Minted sells designs from independent artists, with foil-pressed options. Shutterfly also sells photo books, prints and gifts in the same cart.
With Mail for Me, 100 Shutterfly cards come to $4.37 a card at list price. That is the figure to compare with ShipNote's $1.99 when you want the cards mailed for you.
Which Christmas card services mail the cards for you?
ShipNote mails every order for $1.99 a card on 10 or more, postage included, which is at least $1.41 a card less, on 50 or 100 cards, than any other service we priced that mails for you. On 100 cards that is $141. Postable mails every card, Paper Culture and Shutterfly charge extra for it, and Minted offers it on some orders only.
| Service | Mailed for you, all-in per card on 100 | How it works |
|---|---|---|
| ShipNote | $1.99 | Every card, every order. Paste your list; each card is addressed, stamped with First-Class postage and mailed |
| Postable | $4.04 a postcard, $5.41 a photo card, with the stamp; $3.40 a postcard on 100 with prepaid credits (its calculator, September 30, 2026) | Every card, as standard |
| Paper Culture | $3.75 for its 7x5 card ($2.04 + $0.89 Mailed For You + an 82¢ stamp) | An add-on at checkout, plus postage |
| Shutterfly | $4.37 ($2.88 + $1.49 Mail for Me) | An add-on, plain white envelopes only |
| Minted | Not published | Only when Mail It For Me appears at checkout |
Simply to Impress also offers to stamp and mail, but its site doesn't show the fee. Vistaprint and Basic Invite ship the cards to you.
What does each price leave out?
The card price on most sites is only part of the bill. The rest is postage, shipping the box to you, and an evening of addressing, stamping and walking to the mailbox. Postage alone is $82 on 100 cards in envelopes.
- Postage. Except at ShipNote and with Shutterfly's Mail for Me, the stamp comes on top of the card price. A 5x7 card in an envelope takes one 82¢ Forever stamp. A square card or a wax seal pays more, because it can't run through USPS sorting machines. Our stamp calculator gives the figure for any size.
- Shipping to you. Standard shipping was $3.95 to $12.95 at Minted, $8.75 at Simply to Impress and $8.99 at Paper Culture (free over $125). ShipNote has none: the cards go from the printer to the mail.
- Addressing. Minted, Shutterfly and Vistaprint (with its printed-envelope upgrade) can print addresses on the envelopes, but each one needs your list typed or uploaded into its address book first. On ShipNote you paste the list from any spreadsheet, contacts export or old card list, and AI pulls out the names and addresses.
- Time. Stamping and sealing 100 envelopes is an evening. A ShipNote order is your photo, one message and your list, and every card is mailed the next business day.
How do you send Christmas cards through ShipNote?
Pick a holiday design, add your photo and one message, paste your address list, and pay $1.99 a card on 10 or more. Each card is printed, addressed, stamped with First-Class postage and mailed the next business day, and most arrive 4–7 business days later. To arrive by Christmas Eve, order by December 14, 2026.
- Choose a front. Start from our Christmas postcards: a full-bleed family photo, a greeting such as MERRY CHRISTMAS or HAPPY HOLIDAYS, and your family name. Christian families can pick a nativity or a scripture front from our religious Christmas cards.
- Write one message. Use
[RECIPIENT]and each card greets its own person by name. - Paste your list. Any spreadsheet works, or start from our free Christmas card list template. US addresses only. A row with no address is flagged before you pay, and you can send that person a link to fill in their own.
- Pick the day it mails. At checkout, tap "Choose a later mail date", then "On a date I choose", to hold every card until the first week of December, so you can order now and still have them land at the right moment.
A ShipNote card is a 4x6 postcard: your photo on the front, the message and address on the back, and no envelope. That is the trade for the price, and for a photo card it is a fair one, because the photo is the first thing your family sees at the mailbox.
Photo Christmas postcards, addressed from your list and mailed with First-Class postage.
When is Minted or Shutterfly the better buy?
When you want a card in an envelope that people keep. A folded or foil-pressed card, a letterpress design, a wax seal or a lined envelope is a different object from a postcard, and Minted, Paper Culture and Shutterfly all make them. If that's the card you want, budget the stamp and an evening, or take the company's mailing add-on.
- A foil-pressed card for the mantel: Minted, or Paper Culture with Mailed For You.
- A folded card in an envelope, mailed for you: Shutterfly with Mail for Me, at $1.49 an envelope.
- A photo card to 50 or 100 households, mailed for you: ShipNote, at $1.99 a card.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest site for Christmas cards?
For cards that are printed, stamped and mailed for you, ShipNote at $1.99 a card on 10 or more was the lowest price we found. Photo counters at big-box stores sell cards for less, but you still buy stamps, address every card and mail them yourself.
What is cheaper than Minted for Christmas cards?
ShipNote, once the stamp is counted: $1.99 a photo Christmas postcard on 10 or more, printed, stamped and mailed for you. With an 82-cent stamp added, Minted's first standard 5x7 photo card came to $3.30 a card on 50 and $2.74 on 100 at list price on October 18, 2026, and its holiday postcard $2.61 and $2.16 with a 65-cent stamp.
Is Shutterfly cheaper than Minted?
Not at list price. On October 18, 2026, Shutterfly's first 5x7 holiday card listed at $3.33 a card on 50 and $2.88 on 100, against Minted's $2.48 and $1.92. Shutterfly runs sitewide sales often, so compare both on the day you order. Shutterfly will mail the cards for $1.49 an envelope.
How much does it cost to mail 100 Christmas cards?
In envelopes, $82 in stamps alone at the 82-cent Forever rate, plus the cards. On ShipNote, 100 photo postcards are $199 in total, with the printing, postage and mailing included, and nothing to address or stamp yourself.
Which Christmas card companies mail the cards for you?
ShipNote mails every order. Postable mails every card as standard, Shutterfly's Mail for Me charges $1.49 an envelope, Paper Culture's Mailed For You is $0.89 a card plus postage, and Minted's Mail It For Me appears at checkout only on some orders.
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