Both companies sell custom business holiday cards with your logo, and both will address and mail them for you. Here's how they differ, point by point: who they serve, minimum order, logo and personalization, mailing service, charity program, turnaround and product range.
Mailing 250 or more cards?
Request a sample kitWe'll send sample cards and an envelope addressed with a real Pilot G2 gel pen in blue ink.
Mailing fewer than 250?
Shop the catalogCustomize any card and you'll get your mailing price on the spot, from 100 cards.
Who they serve
Cards for Causes serves businesses sending holiday cards to clients and employees, and has designed, printed and mailed greeting cards since 2006. CardsDirect sells personalized greeting cards to businesses and individuals, and has "since 1998". Brookhollow "is part of CardsDirect, a business unit of Taylor Corporation", so its designs and services come from the same company.
Minimum order
Cards for Causes: 25 cards for catalog orders, and 100 recipients for mailing, in steps of 25. CardsDirect: varies by product. "Some items can be ordered as low as 1, while others must be ordered in preset increments such as 5, 8, 10, 25, 50, 100, or more".
Logo and personalization
Cards for Causes prints your logo and message inside, included in the card price, with envelopes included. CardsDirect includes your logo, text, signatures, photos and font changes at no additional charge on its digital-press designs (item numbers starting DP, DF or DD). On its converted designs (item numbers starting C), a one-color logo and an ink color change are included, and some upgrades cost extra. Envelopes are included.
Mailing service
Cards for Causes addresses every envelope with a real Pilot G2 gel pen in blue ink, then stuffs, stamps and mails the cards by the mail-by date you choose. Pricing runs from $1.75 per recipient for larger mailings on a digital design to $3.75 for a foil design at 100 recipients, before postage. Postage is USPS First-Class at cost.
CardsDirect prints recipient addresses in fonts, including "styles that look like high-quality calligraphy". With "Mail For Me", it also stuffs the cards, adds USPS stamps and mails them. With "Ship to Me", it addresses and stamps the envelopes and ships them to you. Addressing isn't available on every product. Mailing is charged per card on top of the card price, and "Postage is additional".
Charity program
Each year, we donate at least 10% of net proceeds from greeting card sales to charity. When you customize your card, you pick any IRS-recognized 501(c)(3).
CardsDirect's program is called "Cards for a Cause": "a portion of our proceeds from select designs will go to fund worthy causes".
Turnaround
Cards for Causes: catalog orders take 5 to 7 business days to produce from October through December, plus shipping. Mailings go out on the mail-by date you pick, at least 14 days out.
CardsDirect: "Most orders are printed in about 2 business days", and printing may take longer in busy seasons, plus 1 to 6 business days of shipping. Addressing services can add processing time. It doesn't offer rush printing.
Product range
Cards for Causes: more than 1,000 business holiday designs across Christmas, holiday, Thanksgiving and New Year cards, plus client birthday and thank-you card programs. CardsDirect: thousands of business Christmas designs, plus personal holiday cards, invitations, announcements and postcards.
Mailing 250 or more cards?
Request a sample kitWe'll send sample cards and an envelope addressed with a real Pilot G2 gel pen in blue ink.
Mailing fewer than 250?
Shop the catalogCustomize any card and you'll get your mailing price on the spot, from 100 cards.
