Hallmark launches postage-paid Mother's Day cards

Card manufacturer Hallmark has launched a new line of postage-paid Mother’s Day cards in the United States. The Postage-Paid Greetings Card comes in a line of pre-paid cards unveiled in February as one way to make it simpler for consumers to use the mail.

Postage for the cards is paid by the card manufacturer, although costs are passed on with a premium price for the card. For the consumer, it means the cards can be simply signed, sealed and dropped in the mail rather than taking a separate trip to the Post Office for stamps.

The cards feature the US Postal Service Intelligent Mail barcode, which forms a vital part of the payment system. Postage costs for Hallmark are half up-front, with the rest payable when a card is scanned on its way through USPS processing facilities.

The First-Class Mail postage on the cards is treated like a “forever” stamp, meaning that once a card is purchased, it can be mailed regardless of whether USPS postal rates go up in the mean time.

Hallmark said today that it was launching 90 of the Postage-Paid Greetings cards specifically designed for Mother’s Day, to join more than 200 “everyday” and seasonal Postage-Paid Greetings cards already available.

Costs for the cards range from $2.69 to $3.99.

Molly Wigand, one of Hallmark’s card writers, said: “By offering Postage-Paid Greetings and other innovative cards, Hallmark is making it easier for consumers to celebrate these meaningful moments.”

Mother’s Day, held on May 8th this year in the United States, is the third biggest holiday in the US in terms of the number of cards sent, with around 139m cards sent each year.