Despite the speed and convenience of sending a text message, nothing quite beats sending a traditional greeting card to let someone know you're thinking of them. But we haven't always got the time to trawl through the high street aisles, and sometimes, we leave it just a little too late and need the card to be delivered tomorrow, which is exactly where online card stores come into their own!
Whether you need a card for Mother's Day, Christmas, or a birthday, online card shops have you covered with plenty of design options for all occasions. With over 300 online card retailers in the UK, deciding which one to purchase from can be overwhelming, but don't worry! We've compiled a ranking of the 10 best brands, such as Moonpig and Funky Pigeon, as well as a couple of notable independent family-run businesses for you to choose from.
Quick List - Top Online Card Stores
Moonpig
Create Your Very Own Custom Made Personalised Photo Card for Something Truly Special
Tree Nation Range
Plant a Tree With Your Purchase With This Eco-Friendly Card That’s Perfect for Any Occasion
Cardology
Send a Beautiful Work of Art With This 3D Pop up Card Made From FSC Certified Card
thortful
Thousands of Exclusive Designs That You Won’t Find on the High Street
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Large online card stores like Funky Pigeon and Moonpig have thousands of different designs, and some even offer the opportunity to create your own fully customisable photo cards. They tend to have multiple shipping options and consistently offer excellent promotions.
The drawbacks to buying from a large company are often the lack of customer service and the quality of the card stock used, but depending on your priorities, this may not matter too much. There's also the amount of time it might take you to decide on a card since there are usually so many options!
An independent online retailer is a better choice if you're after bespoke, niche, and unusual greetings cards. Most have their own website but can also be found on e-commerce marketplaces like Etsy and Not On The High Street.
Their customisation options may not be as extensive as large online stores, but they can provide much more of a personal touch. You'll often find homemade cards filled with beautiful handwritten messages, hand-drawn illustrations and even one-of-a-kind pop-up cards.
Select an online store with a well-designed and easy-to-navigate website. A straightforward, clean layout will make browsing, choosing, customising, and buying your greetings card an enjoyable shopping experience.
A search bar is great for finding something specific, whilst toolbars need to be well-categorised by occasion and theme. If the company has a customisation tool, make sure the photo uploading is quick and straightforward. Many retailers also have a downloadable app, which is perfect for buying cards on the go.
This is a fabulous option if you have some great photos you want to share of times you have spent together. You can use these images with your own message, add an inside joke, or even write a poem to create a truly bespoke personal greeting card.
Moonpig is a great online retailer for this kind of project, whether you want something for a birthday, anniversary or a 'get well soon' moment. They have plenty of formats and styles to choose from, and the process is all done through their super easy-to-use website.
If you don't want to create the entire card, there are some great designs out there where you can just customise the front cover by adding their name or age. Scribbler has some great choices especially if you are looking to add a bit of humour!
Most of the large well-known online card retailers give you the option to write your own message on the inside. This is great for sending simple messages such as 'Happy Birthday' or 'Congratulations'; however, font and colour choices can be rather basic, generic and a little impersonal if you want to craft longer messages.
If you are looking to accompany your card with your own heartfelt sentiments, choose a company that will beautifully handwrite your message to create that real personal touch. Not sure what to write and need some inspiration? Online retailers like Hallmark have a library of messages for all occasions to help you out!
There will be times when you feel like a greetings card isn't quite enough, but you don't have time to shop for a present, or maybe you don't know the person that well and aren't sure what to get them. If that's the case, look for card companies that offer additional extras that you can add to the card order.
These could be things like a lovely box of chocolate truffles or a pretty bunch of flowers. Some even offer personalised items like keyrings or mugs that you can add a photo and message to as well. There are plenty of options if you want to add something extra!
Thinking of sending flowers for that special occasion too? Browse our 10 best letterbox flowers to help you find the perfect bouquet.
When ordering greetings cards, you need to consider the dates and delivery times to ensure it's received and opened in time. Most retailers offer a range of delivery options which we'll explain below.
For an eco-friendly option, look for companies that use certified FSC card stock, or recycled and recyclable cards. Many companies like Funky Pigeon have a range of cards whereby they will plant a tree for every card sold in that collection.
Many support national and local charities by donating a percentage of their profits or have a range of greeting cards that raise awareness and money for the nominated charity.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Moonpig Personalised Photo Upload Card | ![]() | Create Your Very Own Custom Made Personalised Photo Card for Something Truly Special | |
2 | Tree Nation Range Just for You Black and Gold Card | ![]() | Plant a Tree With Your Purchase With This Eco-Friendly Card That’s Perfect for Any Occasion | |
3 | Cardology 40th Birthday Tropical Pop Up Card | ![]() | Send a Beautiful Work of Art With This 3D Pop up Card Made From FSC Certified Card | |
4 | thortful Botanical Thank You Card | ![]() | Thousands of Exclusive Designs That You Won’t Find on the High Street | |
5 | The Curious Pancake Sending Hegdehugs Greetings Card | ![]() | Fun Illustrated Designs With Hand Written Messages for a Heartfelt, Unique Card | |
6 | Scribbler Spec-Taco-Lar Birthday Card | ![]() | The Best Online Card Store for Bright, Personalised and Humorous Cards | |
7 | EDSG Personalised New Baby Card Laser Paper Cut Greeting Cards | ![]() | Beautiful Cut Out Keepsake Greetings Card For Big Life Events | |
8 | Hallmark Thinking of You | ![]() | Customisable Cards With Inspirational Notes to Help You Convey Your Message | |
9 | Really Wild Cards and Second Nature David Attenborough Birthday Greeting Sound Card | ![]() | Alternative Cards From a Large Independent Online Retailer With Free Delivery | |
10 | CardBee Personalised Plantable Wedding Card And Plant A Tree | ![]() | A Simple But Elegant Eco-Friendly, Handmade Card That Keeps On Giving |
Due to its customisation tools, Moonpig is one of the best companies for creating unique personalised photo cards. With a wide range of delivery options, you can guarantee your card will be delivered on time, and you can choose to design your card from home or on the go using the Moonpig app.
Being one of the best-known online card stores, Moonpig has one of the most extensive selection in the UK, with thousands of designs, readymade or personalised in a variety of card sizes. So you'll be sure to find the perfect card for any occasion.
Printed on high-quality gloss card, this collection from the Tree-Nation range at Funky Pigeon is stylish and supports the environment - a tree is planted for every Tree-Nation card sold. You can also personalise your card with your own formatted message using the online editor and send it directly to the recipient or deliver it yourself.
Funky Pigeon is another major online card retailer that's easy to use, reasonably priced and has a fast delivery service. Again there is a huge selection of cards and ideas to choose from, along with fully customisable photo cards if you're after something unique.
This 3D pop-up offering from British based family business Cardology is not only a memorable birthday card, but it's a unique piece of art and a real keepsake too! Made from premium FSC certified card stock, they have a pop-up card to celebrate any occasion with themes that are sure to delight even the hardest to please.
Created using complicated paper-engineering techniques and carefully hand-assembled, the cards come with a blank notecard for your message. This company is also environmentally conscious, and charitable as 10% of Cardology's profits are donated to the Woodland Trust and Age UK.
thortful is the UK's first online greeting card marketplace built with a community of independent designers, artists and illustrators. One example is this colourful chocolate card by Christine Cuddihy - it's a wonderful way to say 'Thank You', especially since it comes with a bonus gift!
It's not the flashiest of websites, but it does have thousands of cards to choose from. There is also an online editor to personalise your card with a message and an app for choosing and sending on the go. Unfortunately, the cards with gifts can not be shipped internationally.
This cute hedgehog illustration by Jo Clarke is just one of the many fabulous and unusual card designs sold at The Curious Pancake, an indie greetings card store. The opportunity to have a personal handwritten message for an additional price makes for a truly considered and heartfelt card.
The website is clean and minimalist, making it easy to read, navigate and browse, and the buying process is straightforward, showing three sending options to be sent by your chosen Royal Mail service. A great way to support an independent business.
Looking for a card that will raise a smile and produce a giggle? Then Scribbler is the place to go! Out of all the other large online card stores, Scribbler probably has the most to offer in terms of humour, plus it has the option to personalise.
The newly built website is bright and colourful, thoughtfully laid out, and again, easy to navigate. Plus, the personalisation tools are simple and straightforward to use. Just be warned, you might end up wasting quite a bit of time laughing away as you scroll through the many choices!
Laser cut from excellent quality ivory card these bespoke elite cards are made to order. There are a number of designs to choose from which are then customised with the name and date and other required details. Great for major life milestones such as birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and christenings.
With plenty of 5 star reviews this card is straightforward to order and customise on Amazon with prompt delivery. The card comes with a high quality coloured paper inlay to write your message and an envelop to send it on or deliver in person.
If you are struggling to find the words to convey your message, Hallmark is the place to go. With a library of inspirational messages, you can adapt the wording to reflect and suit your needs. The refined 4 step 'online and select system' also makes choosing, customising, and buying the card nice and straightforward.
Hallmark is one of the oldest greetings card companies in the UK. The store provides cards for all occasions covering all themes and designs from the traditional to the trendy, along with fully customisable photo cards.
Love Kate's offers a bold selection of alternative greeting cards as well as some of the more traditional designs. This one from Second Nature’s ‘Politically Incorrect’ Range partnered with Really Wild Cards of David Attenborough is just one of many comical impersonating celebrity sound cards on offer at Love Kate's.
A large independent online store, Love Kate's website is bright and playful but straightforward to use, with easy navigation and a search bar to quickly find products. The buying process is simple and comes with free delivery.
This stunning handmade card is infused with seeds so that it can be planted into beautiful wildflowers, making for a truly special, memorable gift. Printed onto premium seeded paper, these homemade cards with a hand-drawn design can be personalised both inside and out with a handwritten message.
Card Bee is a small family run business with sustainability at the heart of its operations. All cards are produced at home, and they aim to ship your order within 24 hours of your purchase.
Written and researched by Amanda Norman
No. 1: Moonpig|Personalised Photo Upload Card
No. 2: Tree Nation Range|Just for You Black and Gold Card
No. 3: Cardology|40th Birthday Tropical Pop Up Card
No. 4: thortful|Botanical Thank You Card
No. 5: The Curious Pancake|Sending Hegdehugs Greetings Card
View Full RankingThe descriptions of each product are referenced from content available on manufacturer, brand, and e-commerce sites.
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