- Ecards
- Pricing
-
Help
- Holiday Ecards
- How it Works
- Frequently Asked Questions
- About
Got a question? It may be listed in our FAQs below.
If not, give us a call at 1-647-931-9559 or visit our contact page!
Sometimes there is confusion about the difference between the email you send and the ecard itself. The email is what appears in the recipient's inbox and it has animated graphics with links to view the ecard. The ecard though, is actually a video file and cannot be played directly in most email clients, so it gets embedded into a simple webpage and hosted online (on a business website or content delivery network). When the recipient clicks the URL link in the ecard's EMAIL, it opens a browser to an online location where the ecard's VIDEO is viewed.
Read more on the difference between the email and the video.
The first thing you need to do to get started, is select a Design from within a Collection of our 5 Ecard Product types.
Watch this video to see how our ecard products work.
There are 3 aspects to sending an e-card. We can handle all of them for you.
First, we need the e-card itself (see our E-Card Products). Here is entire ecard production process from ordering our service to providing you with your ecard files.
Second, the e-card needs to be hosted online. The e-card is like a web page, you host it on your website just as easily as any other page. Here's an easy way to find out if you can host your own ecard.
Lastly, the e-card needs to be delivered. There are a few ways to send your ecard. If you use an email marketing service or a service that lets you send an email to a list of customers, you'll be able to use that! We include an animated and non-animated email graphics you can include in your email.
As many as you like! We have no limits on the number or recipients you can send your ecard to.
Generally, 70% of the project time is allocated to customer requirements - providing materials, feedback and reviews because there is often a chain of command that needs to be involved and that takes up project time. We can't control that on our end obviously. :) The quicker a customer can carry out those tasks, the quicker the project gets completed. Depending on how busy we are, we have turned around projects within 24-hours for highly attentive customers.
Here is a visual infographic of the timeline.
Here is our typical process cycle.
After we receive your project materials and payment, expect to receive a draft version of your e-card (the "initial prototype") in about 2 business days or less. If you require revisions, additional time may be added (1-2 business days). Get your project done quicker when you purchase a Fast-Lane Pass. If you have more urgent requirements, contact us. During times of high-volume, production timelines may change.
If you ordered any Optional E-Card Add-ons, additional time will be added and is dependent on which add-ons are ordered.
There is no set deadline. As the holidays approach, we get busier and busier. We will stop taking projects at some point to ensure we can deliver those orders we already have. In the past, this has happened as early as the last week in November. Typically, it's within the first 2 weeks of December.
No.
Included with your e-card, you’ll get a lovely animated and non-animated graphical versions (email graphics) of your e-card you can embed into your e-mails. Depending on the type of e-card you choose, you get 6 to 8 styles.
Be sure to review the FAQ for "What’s the difference between the ecard's email and ecard?".
Just like your company’s website, every website on the internet is hosted online in order to be accessed through a web browser. If you have a website, you can host your ecard. Just ask whoever is in charge of your website for assistance ahead of time.
A website can be many pages or a single page. Our ecards are single-page websites. Just like any other website, the ecard has a URL. When someone types it into a web browser or clicks it in an email, the web browser locates the ecard website and displays it.
After your e-card is hosted online, you send your recipients the URL (the link) to the full version of your e-card via email. When a recipient clicks the link, their default web browser opens and the full version of your e-card is displayed.
With all our e-cards, you’ll also get a lovely animated and non-animated graphical versions (email graphics) of your e-card you can insert right into your e-mails.
If you have an e-card delivery solution (e.g. a newsletter manager, email marketing software, or system where you can send mass emails from) you can use that to send out the link to view the e-card online.
Yes and no. For e-card types we offer, the template’s duration can usually be altered by making additional customizations. If this is something you require, we’ll first review your requirements before confirming. Customization to the duration is often subject to an additional fee.
Yes. As an add-on service, we can change the music in one template to the music in another template or you can provide your own music appropriately licensed for use with our e-cards. Since track lengths vary from template-to-template, music used in one template may not be available to another. If you are wondering about certain templates, ask us.
Often, templates in our e-card styles are designed to sync animations and effects to specific points in the music, making the overall look and feel more unison or in-sync. While changing the music often works well, it can also yield the opposite as the new music’s tempo may be different from the original music and not ‘fit’ the visuals.
When changing the music, if the new music’s length is longer than required by the template, we fade out the music at the end.
Sometimes. Due to the limited amount of text lines and spacing available in our e-card templates, it makes it difficult to effectively combine multiple languages in the same e-card and still get your message across. Beyond the included customizable aspects of each e-card style we offer, we cannot further customize them to accommodate multiple languages in one e-card.
Some e-card styles work better than others for this. Our Illustrated E-Cards tend to be the most flexible for including multiple languages in a single e-card.
Multiple languages are best accommodated by purchasing an Additional Language Version. Translations for each language required would be provided by you. Unfortunately, we cannot provide translation services.
Yes. For each e-card you order, you will receive a lovely animated and non-animated graphical versions (email graphics) of your e-card you can embed into your e-mails. Depending on the type of e-card you choose, you get 6 to 8 styles.
Yes. With each ecard order, you will receive access to our Email Message Creator which allows you to create a lovely email message template with animated email graphics. You'll be able to use it with leading email marketing providers and email client providers (e.g. Outlook, Gmail).
Yes. Tests we've carried out playing our e-cards on iPhones and iPads running the latest version of iOS and older versions still popular were successful.
Yes. Most of our ecard product types are rebranded with your corporate colors to match your logo and website. If you have your own color scheme in mind, that's fine too! Aspects available to be rebranded with your colors may vary by e-card style and their templates.
The color of this background is automatically determined by the color scheme used when designing your e-card. Often, the HTML background color found on the client's website is used for their e-card's. You may request a custom color if you wish.
In most cases, yes! See this page to learn more about which ecard product types do and don't.
We support 123RF. The client may select any photo on the site for use in their e-card. The cost of licensing photos from 123RF is included in the price of the e-card when licensed through our own account. We cannot reimburse clients for any costs associated with licensing images via their own accounts.
The easiest method is to find the photos you would like on 123RF. Then, simply email your project manager the "Image ID" numbers of your selections.
Alternatively, you can sign up for an account on 123RF. Sign up is quick and easy. Once registered, you create a ‘Lightbox' (like a favorites or bookmarks folder) and add all of your desired photos to it. You then e-mail the ‘Lightbox' to us.
Yes. You can use any stock photography site you wish as long as you acquire the proper license for usage in an e-card.
Only photos from stock photography sites we support that are licensed by us are included in the price of the e-card.
Generally, No. Photos collected from the Internet cannot be used unless they have been properly licensed or the client has permission from the website or photographer they were taken from. Simply using images found on the web, without having permission, is illegal and therefore, we cannot permit their usage with our e-cards.
Photos should be provided to us in their original, high resolution format. The minimum resolution required is 72 DPI. The minimum dimensions are 2400 pixels on the photos shortest side. Any photo under these minimum requirements may look pixelated, blurry or low-quality when used in the e-card. While we’re very good at making photos look great and given the technical nature of digital photos, we cannot make low-quality photos look high-quality.
Yes. In this case, we would convert the color photos to black & white as required by the template. Alternatively, if you would like to keep your photos in color for a template that requires black & white, no problem! Just let us know.
Yes, but on some styles we recommend against it for the following:
If you decide to add text to your photos, please note the above. Additionally, we cannot add text to photos for you. You must provide them with the text already in place.
Unfortunately, we cannot alter the template in any way to accommodate the use of text on photos.
It's always best to let us know what you are looking to do first as we often come up with great solutions.
Yes. You can absolutely change the text within the limits of the template. You simply need to ensure each line of your text is around the same number of characters for corresponding lines of text appearing in the template. Of all our e-card styles, our Illustrated E-Cards have aspects that provide more flexibility with length of text. Once you order, we provide you with more detailed instructions to help craft the perfect message!
Yes. You would need to provide us with the name of the font you would like to use. If we do not have it, you would provide it to us. If you don’t have it yourself, we may be able to purchase it. The costs to purchase fonts are not included in the price of the e-card. While problems with changing the font rarely arise, please note that not every font may work with our e-cards and font changes to certain aspects of some e-cards may not be possible.
Sometimes. Due to the limited amount of text lines and spacing available in our e-card templates, it makes it difficult to effectively combine multiple languages in the same e-card and still get your message across. Beyond the included customizable aspects of each e-card style we offer, we cannot further customize them to accommodate multiple languages in one e-card.
Some e-card styles work better than others for this. Our Illustrated E-Cards tend to be the most flexible for including multiple languages in a single e-card.
Multiple languages are best accommodated by purchasing an Additional Language Version. Translations for each language required would be provided by you. Unfortunately, we cannot provide translation services.
Yes. As an add-on service, we can change the music in one template to the music in another template or you can provide your own music appropriately licensed for use with our e-cards. Since track lengths vary from template-to-template, music used in one template may not be available to another. If you are wondering about certain templates, ask us.
Often, templates in our e-card styles are designed to sync animations and effects to specific points in the music, making the overall look and feel more unison or in-sync. While changing the music often works well, it can also yield the opposite as the new music’s tempo may be different from the original music and not ‘fit’ the visuals.
When changing the music, if the new music’s length is longer than required by the template, we fade out the music at the end.
Yes. The music in any template can be muted at no extra cost. We don’t recommend this because we feel music is an integral part of the experience the e-card works to create.
Yes. While most of our templates are holiday themed, we change the text, images, colors and branding for each client. With that, you may notice that many of our templates with just changed images and text actually become quite generic and suitable for a number of occasions.
Additionally, snowflakes in most of our templates can be changed to stars or other objects. Sometimes, clients ask us to replace them with their logo icon.
We also offer automated Birthday greetings and Work Anniversary greetings.
Ask us about your requirements.
Yes. Staff signatures can be accommodated using a Signatures E-Card Insert and appears at the end of your e-card.
Yes and no. For the e-card types we offer, the template’s duration can usually be altered by making additional customizations. If this is something you require, we’ll first review your requirements before confirming. Customization to the duration is subject to an additional fee.
Generally, yes. The falling snow, stars and leaves effect used in a number of our e-card templates can be turned off. For a small number of our templates, this effect may be used more as a foundation for the design rather than an additive effect. In these cases, we may not be able to turn them off. If you are wondering about certain templates, ask us.
Usually, yes. If a template has snowflakes, they can be replaced with stars or leaves. Additionally, if you have some other object in mind (e.g. your logo), we may be able to accommodate that customization for an additional fee. It doesn’t hurt to ask us!
Yes. Two (2) rounds of revisions are included with the price of the e-card. Revisions beyond two rounds are rare. Here is the cost for revisions.
Revisions to initial prototype (a.k.a. first draft):
No additional cost.
Revisions to final prototype (a.k.a. second/final draft):
No additional cost.
Revisions to final version:
Any revisions may (or may not) be subject to an additional revision round fee equal to 25% of the ecard product price you paid.
Re-licensed Ecards:
No revisions are permitted to re-licensed ecards. The only exceptions to this are any text or images displaying the incorrect year or if paying an additional revision round fee equal to 25% of the current ecard product price.
Only revisions to the customizable aspect of the e-card style you ordered can be made. Examples could be: swapping of images; changing the size of the logo; editing of text; and/or changing of colors.
Yes. You can either: supply your own photos; choose photos from a stock photography site we support; use the photos that appear in the template; or a combination of the previous. If you would like to use the beautiful placeholder photos currently in the template, you can do that too!
Yes, but we err on the side of caution for the following:
While we have seen good results, if you decide to use staff photos, please note the above. Additionally, try to use photos with no more than 3 people in each. For e-cards that show more than one image at once, try for no more than a total of 4 to 5 people on-screen at one time.
We don't typically alter the template in any way to make it more "staff photo" friendly. If you wish to use photos of staff, we recommend you first have a look at our Staff Photo E-Cards.
Yes. For an extra fee, we can add additional text and/or photo slides. There is no charge to remove slides.
Yes. We can add captions to the photos. There may be an extra fee associated with this.
Yes. Have a look at the Short Version option for our Illustrated E-Cards.
We recommend staff photos be taken by a professional photographer and with the use of a green (or blue) screen. Professional use of a green screen allows us to replace the background of your photos with the photo background graphics used by your e-card. You may also provide your staff photos without the use of a green screen, however we will use the photos as is and not include the template’s native photo background.
When you purchase the 'Lite' version of a Staff Photo E-Card, we do not include the template's native photo background graphics in your staff photos. Your staff photos do not require the use of a green screen. In fact, it's better to not use a green screen when purchasing a 'Lite' version.
Yes. For an additional fee, we can change the pop-up card animation. The fee is determined by the complexity fo the changes required. Otherwise, the pop-up card animation remains the same from template-to-template.
Yes. Tests we've carried out playing our e-cards on iPhones and iPads running the latest version of iOS and older versions still popular were successful.
Yes. Our e-cards are deployed in HTML5 which allows them to work on both desktop and mobile devices using modern web browsers and many older ones too.
Our e-cards work on mobile devices and desktop computers. Here are the browsers we've successfully tested our e-cards on:
Based on differences between browsers, platforms, hardware, networks providers and local device settings, quality, performance and compatibility may vary by recipient. Last updated 2022-09-09.
Our e-cards work with many older browsers and older operating systems not listed above. However, moving forward, we may discontinue supporting them due to their increasing scarcity in the market.
No. Our e-cards use HTML5 Video. Modern web browsers (and older ones too) support HTML5 video. Check our detailed compatibility list for specific browser support.
Our e-cards are video based and we deliver the HTML5 video format – mp4. In addition to this files, we deliver typical webpage files - html, js, css and other common formats you find in a website structure.
Just like your company’s website, every website on the internet is hosted online in order to be accessed through a web browser. If you have a website, you can host your ecard. Just ask whoever is in charge of your website for assistance ahead of time.
A website can be many pages or a single page. Our ecards are single-page websites. Just like any other website, the ecard has a URL. When someone types it into a web browser or clicks it in an email, the web browser locates the ecard website and displays it.
Yes.
Yes. At the end of your project, we’ll provide the files you need. Please note that we do not provide high-level technical support hosting our e-cards being hosted outside our own servers, but will happily speak with your IT person and attempt to debug any technical issues you may be experiencing.
We cannot upload files or login to your website server on your behalf due to legal, liability and privacy concerns.
If you are having trouble hosting your e-card, have a look at the list of tips for troubleshooting on our website.
Yes.
We add your e-card to our high-speed, cloud-based, robust, global content delivery network. Once added, we provide you with a web address (i.e. the “E-Card URL”). The E-Card URL is what you and your recipients would use to view your e-card.
Once the occasion the e-card was intended for has passed, e-card hosting is no longer needed. At that point, e-cards are removed from our servers to free-up resources. E-Card hosting typically remains active for 4-weeks after the occasion the e-card was intended for.
Temporary E-Card Hosting typically remains active for 4-weeks after the occasion the e-card was intended for. For non-holiday e-cards (e.g. birthdays, appreciations, employee recognition, anniversaries, retirement, etc), hosting remains active for 1-year.
The e-card can only remain online for one (1) year, starting from the date we completed your project and your e-card files were provided to you.
Yes. To do this, you'll simply need to add a CNAME record to your domain's DNS that resolves to the URL where we are hosting your ecard.
After your e-card is hosted online, you send your recipients the URL (the link) to the full version of your e-card via email. When a recipient clicks the link, their default web browser opens and the full version of your e-card is displayed.
With all our e-cards, you’ll also get a lovely animated and non-animated graphical versions (email graphics) of your e-card you can insert right into your e-mails.
If you have an e-card delivery solution (e.g. a newsletter manager, email marketing software, or system where you can send mass emails from) you can use that to send out the link to view the e-card online.
No. We do not provide ecard sendng services. Our customers send through their own systems.
Yes. Here are some other providers.
All of these third-party providers have extensive help documentation and support for customers using their services. Sometimes, the free trial accounts may be enough for you to send your e-card to your entire list! Please note that we cannot provide support for using these third-party services.
As many as you like! We have no limits on the number or recipients you can send your ecard to.
Yes. For each e-card you order, you will receive a lovely animated and non-animated graphical versions (email graphics) of your e-card you can embed into your e-mails. Depending on the type of e-card you choose, you get 6 to 8 styles.
Yes. With each ecard order, you will receive access to our Email Message Creator which allows you to create a lovely email message template with animated email graphics. You'll be able to use it with leading email marketing providers and email client providers (e.g. Outlook, Gmail).
When you order an ecard from us, you’ll get access to our Email Message Creator. The responsive design HTML emails created from this tool automatically make email graphics clickable that link to your e-card!
If you are using a traditional email client (e.g. Outlook, Apple Mail, Hotmail, AOL, Gmail, Yahoo Mail, Thunderbird, etc.) to send your e-card, the process for inserting an image and linking it to your e-card is to simply insert it into your email body; select it; then add a link to it. While this sounds easy, we can appreciate that the location of the tools to do this varies with each email client. When we seek information for this, we usually have great success searching the web for the latest how-to videos on this topic.
Here’s the collection of links we use to locate resources of how to insert images and make them clickable for specific email clients: Outlook.com, Outlook, AOL Mail, Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Apple Mail, Windows Live Desktop, Thunderbird, Lotus Notes.
Sometimes there is confusion about the difference between the email you send and the ecard itself. The email is what appears in the recipient's inbox and it has animated graphics with links to view the ecard. The ecard though, is actually a video file and cannot be played directly in most email clients, so it gets embedded into a simple webpage and hosted online (on a business website or content delivery network). When the recipient clicks the URL link in the ecard's EMAIL, it opens a browser to an online location where the ecard's VIDEO is viewed.
Read more on the difference between the email and the video.
Included with your e-card, you’ll get a lovely animated and non-animated graphical versions (email graphics) of your e-card you can embed into your e-mails. Depending on the type of e-card you choose, you get 6 to 8 styles.
Be sure to review the FAQ for "What’s the difference between the ecard's email and video?".
No.
Simply, choose a template from any of our available e-card collections, then either click the "Order" button below it; let us know the name of it by email; or give us a call. E-Card template names are displayed above each sample and in grey.
For each e-card style we offer, they generally include the same items, but differ slightly due to the variances in their own unique design characteristics and customizable aspects. To review what’s included for each, view the “What’s Included?” section of each e-card product page.
Generally, 70% of the project time is allocated to customer requirements - providing materials, feedback and reviews because there is often a chain of command that needs to be involved and that takes up project time. We can't control that on our end obviously. :) The quicker a customer can carry out those tasks, the quicker the project gets completed. Depending on how busy we are, we have turned around projects within 24-hours for highly attentive customers.
Here is a visual inforgraphic of the timeline.
Here is our typical process cycle.
After we receive your project materials and payment, expect to receive a draft version of your e-card (the "initial prototype") in about 3 business days. If you require revisions, additional time may be added (1-3 days). Get your project done quicker when you purchase a Fast-Lane Pass. If you have more urgent requirements, contact us. During times of high-volume, production timelines may change.
If you ordered any Essential E-Card Add-ons and/or Optional E-Card Add-ons, additional time will be added and is dependent on which add-ons are ordered.
There is no set deadline. As the holidays approach, we get busier and busier. We will stop taking projects at some point to ensure we can deliver those orders we already have. In the past, this has happened as early as the last week in November. Typically, it's within the first 2 weeks of December.
We make the process easy for our Clients. After you place your order, one of our friendly and dedicated project managers will be assigned to your project. We'll send along an informational e-mail that outlines the process in detail. We include a checklist containing a list of Client materials we require to start your e-card. We outline specific details like: logos and file types we accept; options for images; the number of images we require; the orientation of images (landscape and/or portrait); a template for the e-card's 'warm wishes' text, and more. Each year, our Clients continue to comment on how surprisingly easy they find the process.
We'll stop taking projects once we reach production capacity to ensure we can fill current orders in time for the holidays. Unfortunately, this will happen at any time and without notice. If you are considering ordering one of our e-cards and it's getting close to the holidays, we encourage you to select a template, and then place your order today!
We accept company checks and credit card payments via Stripe.
If you require an alternate payment method, please contact us.
Our e-cards do not expire. However, you are only permitted to use the e-card for 1-year. The 1-year term starts on the day we deliver your e-card to you (or on the date we send it for you). If you want to extend the term, you can re-license your e-card for another 1-year term. The re-licensing fee is equal to 50% of the current price for your e-card.
There are 2 reasons for this.
1. It can take up to two weeks for a check to arrive in Canada from the United States. During that time there can be exchange rate fluctuations. Typically you build in a buffer in order to account for these fluctuations.
2. Most banks including ours don't offer exchange rates equal to what Google or other conversion tools say at that moment. They have different rates for different items. For us, if we deposit a check in United States dollars into a Canadian bank account, it's a different exchange rate than what's posted in Google or online. If we deposit United States cash into our Canadian account the exchange rate is different again. If we get a wire transfer in United States dollars into our account there's a different exchange rate yet again. In these instances, none of the exchange rates favor us in any way.
To get the best exchange rate, we recommend clients pay online in Canadian dollars by selecting Canada as their country and using the Canadian dollar amount on the invoice. When you do that, your credit card company will give you the best exchange rate for that day. In the end, we will get the exact CAD amount we require and the client will get the best USD to CAD exchange rate for the day.
An Additional Language Version is a copy of your completed e-card where the text is changed into another language. Clients often order them if they have, for example, they operate in different countries and/or their client base has large portions where their native tongue is not English. The result is multiple copies of the same e-card where only the language of the text is changed.
Generally, all templates from our e-card styles can accommodate Additional Language Versions. However, with some symbol languages (e.g. Mandarin, Japanese, etc) may not work well with a small number of templates due to the way the text animations are designed and/or space available for text. If you are wondering about certain templates, ask us.
Translations for each language required would be provided by you. Unfortunately, we cannot provide translation services.
An Additional Version is a copy of your completed e-card where only the logo, colors, and/or text can be changed. Clients often order them if they have, for example, two or more divisions in their company that they would like to send an e-card from, but don’t want to order a new e-card for each. Instead, they use their completed e-card and make an additional version of it where only the logo, colors and/or text is changed.
An Additional Image Version is a copy of your completed e-card where only the images are changed. Clients often order them if they have, for example, two or more divisions in their company where their customers are located in geographic locations with different climates – some in warm southern regions, others in cool northern regions. Winter type imagery gets changed to imagery more reflective of warmer climates, resulting two of the same e-card, but each using different images.
An E-Card Insert is a slide or graphic that appears at the end of the e-card. This insert is like a blank canvas that allows the client to add additional content that may not fit in the e-card itself. We have a series of E-Card Inserts on our add-ons page, designed for the uses we most commonly get requests for.
Yes. The pricing for a custom E-Card Insert is usually the same price as E-Card Inserts listed on our add-ons page. However, availability and/or pricing may vary depending on your requirements. Tell us what you're thinking and we'll let you know.
The e-card files must be hosted online (i.e. on the Internet) and played through a web browser to work. If the e-card is opened locally (offline) from your computer, there will be features that may not work properly.
These rare occurrences are not issues related to the e-card itself. These are usually the result of an issue being experienced somewhere between the device viewing and the server hosting your e-card. Possible causes include, but are not limited to:
If you are having trouble hosting your e-card, have a look at the list of tips for troubleshooting we have on our website.
