Paperless Post Review: Is it Worth It? (2024)

Remember that rush of excitement you felt whenever a fancy envelope landed in your mailbox? Oh, the thrill of it! The “Who’s getting married?!” or “Whose birthday did I forget?!” moments. But as we’ve swirled into the digital age, our mailboxes have been, well, a tad empty. I mean, let’s be honest, who writes letters anymore? Crickets chirping. I personally have to remind myself to go to my mailbox. After all, if you sign up for paperless billing and get most of your magazines (remember those?!) online, the only thing coming in the mail is, well, mostly junk. That doesn’t mean I don’t LOVE a physical invitation for occasions such as weddings. It’s just that for more casual events, digital invites like those from Paperless Post are no longer considered taboo but actually preferred in some cases.

But truthfully, digital invitation platforms like Paperless Post, Evite, Greenvelope, and Punchbowl can be a little intimidating. Even for me, and I run a website. But once you get the hang of it, it’s fairly easy to understand. So, for those of you who adore the charm of a handwritten note, but also love the convenience of emails, keep reading!

How Does Paperless Post Work?

Paperless Post was founded in 2008 by siblings James and Alexa Hirschfeld when James was still an undergraduate at Harvard. The idea was inspired by their desire to modernize the traditional paper-invitation process for the digital age without sacrificing the charm and personal touch of physical cards. Based in New York City, today Paperless Post bridges the gap between traditional paper cards and online communication. It allows users to send virtual invitations, cards, and other stationery-like products over the internet, offering unique virtual alternatives to tangible invites and cards.

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Here is what Paperless Post currently offers:

• Digital Invitations, Cards and Flyers: Paperless Post specializes in stylish and customizable online invitations for events like birthdays, weddings, rehearsal dinner invites, anniversaries, and any kind of party. They also offer greeting cards for various occasions (like Christmas and Hanukkah), birthday cards, personalized thank you notes, as well as any professional events you might be hosting, such as a launch parties, galas, open houses, and more. Looking for something more casual? The newest option on Paperless Post are flyers. You can personalize the templates with dynamic media elements such as GIFs, animated text, or images. You can also share them with guests using a link that can be sent through email, SMS, or on social.

• Tangible Feel: Even though they are an online invitation maker, Paperless Post goes to great lengths to replicate the tactile experience of traditional stationery. Features like customizable envelopes, envelope liners, and stamps make digital cards feel almost like the real thing, which is one of my favorite features.
• Designer Collaborations: The platform is known for its collaborations with renowned designers, illustrators, and brands such as kate spade new york, Jonathan Adler, Kelly Wearstler, Monique Lhuillier, Rifle Paper Co., Paddington, Peter Rabbit, and dozens more.

More Features:

• Customization: You can personalize your chosen design by adjusting text, fonts, colors, and even adding personalized photos or logos if you’re a business. You can also upload your own design.
• RSVP Management: For event invitations, Paperless Post offers an RSVP tracking feature, allowing you to monitor responses from guests in real time.
• Link to a Registry and Add Other Wedding Info: Your Paperless Post essentially becomes a wedding website. Not only do they make it easy to link to any registry (simply add the registry name and url and you’re all set) but you can add accommodation info as well as other wedding weekend notes.
• Coin System: While there are free options available, some designs and features require users to buy virtual “coins,” which can be purchased on the platform. (More on their pricing below.)
• Eco-friendly: By promoting digital over paper, the platform appeals to environmentally-conscious users. The fact that you can send a beautiful “card” without the environmental cost of paper and postage is a draw for many.

Is Paperless Post free?

Paperless Post offers hundreds of free designs as well as upgraded premium designs. For instance if you’re looking to send a wedding invitation, they currently offer 57 free options (out of 846 designs). Need a kid’s birthday invite? They have 110 designs you can send for free (our of 1110). The one catch is the free ones are free UP TO 50 RECIPIENTS if you choose to have Paperless Post send them (you can send to an unlimited number of recipients via email, text message, or messaging apps and social media for free). Also, some of the more premium elements (like an enveloper liner) might still cost you a few coins per invite. You can see where the extra cost is coming in if you’re editing an invite in the upper right corner, and you can choose to eliminate what you wish.

Here’s how the coins work:

You send Paperless Post invites with credits called Coins. Each Premium element costs 1-2 Coins perinvite. You may add or remove Premium options. For instance the premium design I made above would cost 3 coins per invite. So if I was sending 60 invites, I would need 180 coins and would buy the 200 coins package for $35. Not bad at all!

• 25 Coins for $12($0.48 each)
• 100 Coins for $22($0.22 each)
• 200 Coins for $35($0.17 each)
• 400 Coins for $58($0.14 each)
• 1000 Coins for $115($0.12 each)

What is Better Than Paperless Post?

These days there are a handful of great options to use for digital invites. For weddings, several of the top wedding website platforms (such as Joy and Zola) offer free digital save the dates or invites so that is something you might want to consider. For birthdays and other events, Paperless Post competitors include Evite, one of the original digital invitation platforms that launched in 1998, and Greenvelope. Here are the difference between each, including pricing:

Expert Tips for Using Paperless Post

Decided Paperless Post is the best digital invitation platform for your event? I’ve been using Paperless Post for more than a decade, and these are my favorite tips:

1. First Impressions Matter: Before getting overwhelmed by the plethora of design choices, filter them out! Know the vibe you’re going for? Use the platform’s filter options to narrow down by occasion, style, or even color. It will save you time and help you get exactly what you want.
2. Be Smart with Coins: Paperless Post operates on a coin system. While many designs are free, the premium elements will cost you. Keep an eye out for coin packages or deals. And if you’re a regular user, bulk buying can save you some pretty pennies.
3. RSVP Heaven: Planning an event? Utilize the RSVP feature. You can track who’s coming, who’s “still thinking” (come on, Aunt Karen), and who can’t make it. Plus, if someone forgets to reply, a gentle nudge is just a click away.
4. Customize, Customize, Customize: Don’t just settle for the template text. Add your own flavor. Change fonts, colors, and layouts to let your personality shine through.
5. Stay Organized with the Guest List Feature: You can store emails, keep track of sent cards, and even remember birthdays and anniversaries. It’s like having a personal assistant for your social life.
6. Preview is Your BFF: Before you hit send, always preview. Check the card on different devices if you can. What looks fab on a desktop might need a tweak for mobile.
7. Get Social: Want to share the invite on social media or through a chat app? You can grab a shareable link to your card and spread the word!
8. Feedback Loop: After your event, get feedback! Ask your guests what they thought of the digital invite. It’ll give you ideas for next time and keep you on the cutting edge of e-vite chic.