Christmas Cards: Buy Them, Print Them or Send Them Online?

Do you want to write a few cards by hand, send a family photo to several households, or have someone else handle the printing and posting?

Those are different jobs. A shop-bought postcard can suit a handwritten hello. Home printing can suit someone who already has the supplies. A batch of folded photo cards gives you an inside to write on, while a direct-send service removes the need to handle prints and stamps.

Choose the kind of card you want first. Then compare the cost and the work left for you. This guide uses a ten-recipient list in Norway to make those choices concrete, without assuming one method is best for everyone.

Written by Amora.Cards, one of the services below. The Norway cost snapshot was checked on 3 November 2026. The online service comparison was expanded on 10 November 2026. The ten-card example uses a sender in Norway and ten separate Norwegian recipients. Figures come from published prices.

Ten cards: the quick comparison

These aren't identical products. A shop postcard has an existing picture; a folded photo card has an inside and an envelope. Choose the kind of card you want before comparing its price.

For the self-posted examples, ten Norwegian stamps cost NOK 280 in total. The online photo-card print orders include delivery to you as well. The shop and paper examples assume you buy locally without a delivery charge; local stock and shelf prices need checking. Home printing is an incomplete total because ink depends on your printer.

The euro prices are what those services charge. The rounded NOK equivalents use Norges Bank's 2 November rate; your bank's conversion and fees may differ. The details and sources for each option follow.

1. Buy a postcard and write on it

This is worth considering if you want to send a proper handwritten hello and don't need your own photo on the front.

For a concrete retail reference, the National Library's shop lists single picture postcards at NOK 19. If you buy a card in person at that price, add a NOK 28 Norwegian stamp: NOK 47 for one, or NOK 470 for ten. That excludes travel and assumes the card fits the small-letter format. It's a retail-price example, not a verified quote from every local shop.

If you order cards online instead, add the shop's delivery charge. If you choose a folded greeting card, check whether the envelope is included.

Good fit: you enjoy writing by hand, find a design you like, and can pick up cards while you're out. A cheaper multipack can beat the single-card example above. Check the pack you actually find rather than assuming all shop-bought cards cost the same.

2. Print your photo cards at home

If you already have a suitable printer, this gives you control over the photo, layout and handwritten message. You can print a trial card before making the rest.

As one materials example, Clas Ohlson lists 50 sheets of Kodak matt 10 × 15 cm photo paper for NOK 169.90. Buy that pack locally and add ten Norwegian stamps, and you've spent NOK 449.90 before ink or other supplies. Forty sheets remain if ten prints use ten sheets without mistakes.

The paper used for ten successful prints is only about NOK 34. That's different from buying the whole pack. If you already have paper and ink, the extra money you spend today may be much less.

There isn't one honest ink price for everyone's printer. Cartridge printers and ink-tank printers have different running costs. Check paper compatibility, whether you can write on the reverse, and whether the result is suitable to post as a card. Add envelopes or card backing if you need them, plus test prints and any equipment you have to buy.

Good fit: you already own the equipment and supplies, enjoy making things, or want to add your own finishing touches. We can't call it the cheapest option without knowing your ink and materials costs.

3. Order photo cards, then post them yourself

This is the middle option: someone else prints your photo, but you receive the cards and handle the personal notes and posting.

Here are three examples from two printers:

CEWE's figures come from its selected postcard configuration, folded-card options and delivery price list. We used matt paper without a paid template or decorative finish.

FotoKnudsen's product page lists ten cards with white envelopes, a NOK 169 starting price and NOK 139 delivery. The folded option was selected when checked. Its available sizes include 10 × 15 cm and 13 × 19 cm; the final size and options can change the quote, so this row is a starting price, not a confirmed configuration total. No promotional code is applied in these examples.

Good fit: you want matching family photo cards, a folded card that stands up, or room to write extra notes by hand. The envelopes and inside writing space may be worth more to you than the lowest price.

For a bigger list, request the actual batch price. CEWE's selected flat-postcard printing price fell from NOK 17.80 each at ten to NOK 14.24 each at 50. That printing discount doesn't reduce the number of stamps you need.

4. Have a service print and post the cards

Here you prepare the photo, message and recipient details. The service handles printing and mailing, so there isn't a parcel of cards to receive at home first.

MyPostcard's official price list includes VAT and shipping for these products. Its standard card is A6, while Amora uses a roughly 15.2 × 10.2 cm postcard. Finish and card stock differ; matching price doesn't mean matching product.

MyPostcard's listed standard postcard costs less than Amora's. If that product suits you and price is the deciding factor, it belongs on your shortlist. Amora's EUR 3.99 price includes printing and postage without a credit pack or subscription; it works in the browser.

How to choose between online postcard services

Start with the finished card. For an open photo postcard, compare the crop, the space for your message and the price for the address you want to use. If you want an envelope or a folded card, select that product before comparing totals. MyPostcard lists a folded card with envelope at EUR 4.29 and a postcard with envelope at EUR 4.49. Both prices include shipping and VAT. MyPostcard price list

All three providers offer a browser option. Amora offers guest checkout for an open photo postcard. MyPostcard also offers an app and a choice of card formats. TouchNote offers a collage layout for postcards and lets you pay at checkout or use credits. Its EU postcard page advertises EUR 3.69 for one card including postage. Confirm the total for your destination before relying on that figure, since the public listing is separate from a Norway checkout quote. Amora pricing · MyPostcard formats and access · TouchNote EU postcards · TouchNote payment options

When prepaid credits might make sense

TouchNote's help centre lists an annual membership from EUR 71.93 for 24 credits paid upfront. One credit sends one postcard. At that starting price, the cost per card you actually send depends on how much of the allowance you use.

The initial charge is EUR 71.93 in all three examples. The calculation divides it by the number sent and assumes you get the advertised starting price, use each redeemed credit for a standard photo postcard and pay no extras. Final pricing can vary with local taxes or offers. The provider says credits expire after a year and membership renews automatically unless cancelled. Compare the exact upfront and renewal charges with paying separately for the cards you expect to send. Membership prices · Credit terms · Renewal terms

For a one-off card or a small list, compare the total for paying as you go. For cards you send throughout the year, list the occasions you already plan to send for and see how many credits you would use. For a longer or private note, consider a folded card with an envelope or a letter, even if an open postcard costs less.

Before you decide, preview one photo and message and check what the service lets you reuse. A shared front photo is handy when each recipient gets their own note. If the service treats each card as a separate design, count the time to enter each address and check each preview. That is your hands-on time. Printing and postal transit start later and vary by service and destination.

Good fit: direct-send services suit someone who wants their own photo on a card without handling stamps or a batch of prints. Compare the actual card format and payment arrangement, as well as the price.

Sending abroad? Change the postage, not the whole comparison

Posten's small-letter price is NOK 28 within Norway and NOK 37 to Europe. If five of your ten cards go to Germany instead of Norway, add NOK 45 to each self-posted example. The selected Amora price stays EUR 3.99 per postcard including postage.

Check the finished mailing: the small-letter limit is 25 × 17.6 × 0.5 cm, up to 2 kg. A bulky envelope or decoration can move it into a more expensive band.

Which would we choose?

• Want to write a few cards by hand? Look at a local shop first. You might find exactly the picture or multipack you want.
• Already have a good printer and supplies? Try one home print. Check both the result and what you still need to buy.
• Want a matching set of folded family cards? Compare photo printers, including envelopes and delivery to your home.
• Want your photo mailed without handling the prints? Compare direct-send services. MyPostcard is cheaper in the standard-card example here; Amora offers a straightforward browser-based option.

Whichever you choose, allow time for printing and posting. A printer's delivery estimate to your home isn't an arrival date for the people on your Christmas list.

And if choosing the message is the part holding you up, our Christmas postcard message guide has complete examples you can adapt.

Notes on the prices

Prices include tax where the provider states it and exclude optional travel, bank fees and unselected extras. The NOK equivalents use Norges Bank's 2 November 2026 indicative rate, EUR 1 = NOK 10.3775, rounded for readability. No purchase or timed production test was made. Shop and home-print examples assume local purchase without a delivery charge; print-order examples include the delivery shown. Stock, sizes, promotions and checkout prices can change. Recheck before ordering; no Christmas arrival date is guaranteed.