E-Card Market Size, Share, Growth, and Industry Analysis, By Type (Birthday Cards, Holiday Cards and Thank You Cards), By Application (Personal Use, Corporate Greetings, Marketing Campaigns and Online Celebrations), and Regional Insights and Forecast to 2033

•   
•   
  

  Request a Free sample to learn more about this report

    

E-CARD MARKET OVERVIEW

The global E-Card Market size was USD 4.63 billion in 2023 and is projected to touch USD 8.83 billion by 2033, exhibiting a CAGR of 7.44% during the forecast period.

The e-card market has been the preeminent digital alternative to conventional greeting cards, fueled by the surging trend of virtual correspondence. With increasing internet penetration and usage of smartphones, customers across all segments like the ease and urgency of electronic greetings. E-cards not only cut costs but are also an eco-friendly option, slashing paper consumption and carbon emissions. They facilitate instant delivery and are viewable or sharable from different platforms like email, messaging programs, or social networks. E-cards have been largely made customizable due to advancements in technology, enabling users to incorporate multimedia components like images, videos, and music. Individuals and organizations are using e-cards for personal, promotional, and celebratory purposes. With more digital lifestyles, the use of e-cards is increasing all over the world. With ongoing innovation, the e-card market is poised for sustained growth.

COVID-19 IMPACT

COVID-19 Accelerated Digital Greeting Card Market Growth Through Virtual Adoption

The global COVID-19 pandemic has been unprecedented and staggering, with the market experiencing higher-than-anticipated demand across all regions compared to pre-pandemic levels. The sudden market growth reflected by the rise in CAGR is attributable to the market’s growth and demand returning to pre-pandemic levels.

The pandemic of COVID-19 was a strong catalyst in the development of the digital greeting card market. With face-to-face interactions being limited and supply chains getting rattled, e-cards emerged as an easy and secure substitute for physical cards. People started using them more and more for birthdays, celebrations, and milestones, while businesses used them for professional relationships. During their most critical lockdown periods, most platforms saw their highest levels of downloads and usage. Virtual parties were the in thing, and e-cards played an important part in the trend, providing a fast and personalized way of contact. Corporate greetings, e-invitations, and thank-you cards saw more usage in work-from-home scenarios. Social media allowed it to be seen much more widely, and its shareability on most platforms. All in all, the pandemic not only sensitized individuals but also mainstreamed the use of digital greetings, giving a tangible foundation for long-term expansion post-COVID.

LATEST TRENDS

AI Personalization and Interactivity Drive E-Card Market Growth Globally

The e-card industry is rapidly evolving with the incorporation of advanced technologies and emerging customer preferences. The most notable trend is the application of AI-facilitated personalization, through which platforms are able to recommend card format, messages, and even tone depending on the behavior of users. E-cards become more interactive—with animations, built-in audio and video, click-to-play links, and augmented reality features. Mobile-first design is the way to go, with apps providing natural design, personalization, and sharing. Green design also gains popularity, with businesses providing carbon-free cards or collaborations with environmental groups. Integration of voice messages is also gaining traction for personal and business users seeking more human interaction. Group-signed cards and web collaboration on congratulatory messages are on the rise in practice for family or group celebrations. Localized content and local themes are also facilitating easier expansion of platforms to other international markets. All these trends are altering the process by which e-cards end up being designed, delivered, and consumed.

•   
•   
  

  Request a Free sample to learn more about this report

    

E-CARD MARKET SEGMENTATION

By Type

Based on Type, the global market can be categorized into Birthday Cards, Holiday Cards and Thank You Cards

• Birthday Cards: Birthday e-cards are the most uniformly in-demand category, an indication of the prevalence of birthday celebrations. Their form and function have evolved, with them now being able to provide interactive animation, personalized audio messages, and customized messages. Websites provide personalization features enabling the adding of names, images, or video greetings, further creating emotional value. Special date reminders, such as social media integration, further enhance user convenience. Birthday e-cards are employed by organizations to communicate with employees and customers, providing a personal touch to organizational culture. With growing digital interconnectivity, particularly among the younger population, birthday e-cards are also now fully in tune. Automatic greeting sending can be programmed by most websites. This category is still one of the significant revenue sources for e-card businesses.

• Holiday Cards: Holiday e-cards have a high usage rate during peak holiday seasons, like Christmas, Diwali, Eid, and Lunar New Year. Such cards are extensively used by individuals, families, and companies to send holiday greetings at once and in an environmentally friendly way. Animated graphics, holiday music, and culture-based artwork make them popular. Holiday e-cards are used by companies as a means of client and employee motivation, providing timely and cost-saving communication. That the message might be sent in large quantities without the cost of printing and postal delivery is a substantial advantage. As global diaspora populations keep increasing, e-cards ensure holiday traditions are held across the borders. Most providers have theme packs or bundles of several holidays already. This segment still experiences repeating patterns of demand every year.

• Thank You Cards: Thank You E-Cards are being used more and more for individual thankfulness and business recognition, and they provide official and authentic expression. They are sent by individuals after wedding, baby shower, or birthday events, and companies send them out for staff or customer appreciation. Instant messaging of thankfulness across platforms further adds to their utility. Most applications provide image or logo integration, so they can be used for branding and personalization. Platforms provide a large palette of tone-compatible templates that range from casual and friendly to business and formal. The web platform makes saving or reading back the message easy for the recipient. Thank you cards illustrate an emergent cultural trend towards politeness and emotional engagement in electronic messaging. As polite messaging gains popularity, this category is experiencing strong uptake.

By Application

Based on application, the global market can be categorized into Personal Use, Corporate Greetings, Marketing Campaigns and Online Celebrations

• Personal Use: Personal-use E-cards have the largest market share, with occasions such as anniversaries, birthdays, sympathy, and celebrations. People like the spontaneity and ease of digital greeting cards, which can be mailed at their discretion from anywhere. E-cards have the potential to get forwarded by email, WhatsApp, or social media, increasing their visibility and reach. Personalization by multimedia content increases the expressiveness of the cards. Functions like reminders, scheduling, and even view tracking are now present on platforms. Cost competitiveness and an incredible set of free substitutes make them affordable to every income level. As more people become digitally literate, this user segment keeps growing worldwide. Personal users fuel the organic development of this sector.

• Corporate Greetings: Corporate adoption of e-cards is increasing, particularly for intranet messaging and PR campaigns. Corporate cards are procured by businesses to onboard, honor milestone accomplishments, celebrate team achievements, or send holiday greetings. Custom branding designs such as logo positioning and company-oriented design contribute to corporate attraction. Automated systems allow HR departments and managers to mail and schedule cards in advance. Corporate greetings also promote organizational culture and gratitude and increase employee morale. With the increase in remote work and virtual events, cards are now communication necessities. Cost-efficiency and eco-friendliness make them appealing over traditional print options. The segment will gain from sustained corporate digitization initiatives.

• Marketing Campaigns: E-cards are now being used in a new, innovative way in digital marketing via the inclusion of an aspect of humanness in campaigns and brand messaging. Brands utilize them to send out during festivities, promotions, or new product launches to generate more customer engagement. They normally have built-in coupons, QR codes, or clickable calls to action, hence becoming interactive and traceable. Integrative analytics allow marketers to track campaign success through open rates, click-throughs, and conversion rates. Segmentation and personalization based on customer behavior or demographics are also feasible using e-cards. They are cheaper than printed campaigns, and this appeals to small and medium businesses. Since customer experience is a factor at the center of marketing, e-cards can be employed as an emotional connection technique. This new application space will expand as brands look for new channels of engagement.

• Online Celebrations: E-cards designed for online celebrations have gained popularity post-COVID, providing digital ways to mark occasions. These are party invitations in digital form, anniversary greetings, virtual wedding invitations, and baby showers. With links to events, countdown timers, and RSVP tracking integrated into cards, they facilitate better management of online events. Group signing possibilities enable a number of members to sign or add messages on one card. Platforms also offer theme kits, which are packs containing invitation, greeting, and thank-you cards for regular experiences. Webinars and Zoom parties have increased the demand for these solutions. These e-cards are mementos that members may retain or pass along. Personalization, convenience, and emotion-driven digital experiences are what drive this category.

MARKET DYNAMICS

Market dynamics include driving and restraining factors, opportunities and challenges stating the market conditions.

Driving Factors

Digital Transformation and Ease Drives Growth

The digital trend across the world has contributed significantly to the development of the e-card market. E-cards provide an easy and instantaneous mode of communication without any delay compared to postal services. The widespread use of smartphones, mobile apps, and social media sites has made cards easily accessible and shareable. It is possible to send greetings anywhere and at any time with the ease of a few clicks. Reduction of printing and postal expenses renders e-cards cost-effective. Coupled with the global focus on sustainability, e-cards are part of greenness. Green and convenient, they render them appealing to individuals as well as organizations. Cloud storage and scheduling features help to make them useful in contemporary life.

Personalization and User Engagement Drives Growth

Personalization is a strong driver of e-card adoption, providing emotional value appealing to the recipient. New technologies offer a variety of tools to facilitate embedding images, names, music, audio recordings, and films. All these personalizations bring emotional touches and clarity to the message. Card propositions based on user behavior, events, and relationship types are offered by AI-based engines, adding interaction. Greetings are also used by firms to enhance client relations and employee well-being. Personalization turns e-cards into suitable cards for a broad range of celebrations, both formal and informal. Personalized content boosts open rates and social sharing. The engaging aspect of customized cards is transforming online interaction into an increasingly emotive experience.

Restraining Factor

Market Growth Is Limited by Digital Divide and Cultural Preferences

Although the market for e-cards is growing globally, it is patchy owing to slow internet availability in some developing and rural areas. Most people in these regions still do not have smartphones, reliable data connectivity, or even digital literacy to use E-Card platforms. Traditional greeting cards continue to hold sway in such settings, particularly where postal culture prevails. Such a technology divides limits coverage of E-Cards in nations with weak infrastructure or low literacy rates. Moreover, mistrust or cultural affinity for handwritten messages can deter take-up. Online greetings continue to be seen as impersonal by certain customers, particularly the elderly. While accessibility issues and differences in education continue unresolved, market potential in these settings will remain unexploited.

Market Growth Driven by Localized, Multilingual E-Card Services and Strategies

Opportunity

The E-Card Market Growth exponentially by embracing linguistic and cultural diversity with tailored services. Offering cards in local languages and notices about future nearby festivals or traditions helps platforms engage with new customers. Markets in Asia, Africa, and Latin America are gigantic in size as well as mobile-first consumers and hence offer immense growth potential. Localized content renders the brand more relevant and engaging, allowing platforms to develop a powerful brand affinity. Involvement with local creatives and influencers has the potential to enhance appeal and trustworthiness.

Easy-to-use design interfaces offered in local languages will be ideally positioned for international success. Seasonal holidays and culturally specific celebrations provide timely opportunities for multilingual growth. The approach may radically enhance platform applicability and membership in culturally vibrant markets.

Privacy Concerns Must Be Addressed to Ensure Sustained E-Card Market Growth

Challenge

Since digital platforms hold personal data like names, emails, events, and messages, privacy is a critical concern in the e-card market. Data breaches, phishing, and malware are serious cyber threats with dire ramifications for consumers and platforms. Firms are to adhere to global standards like GDPR, which is costly to smaller operators. Anxiety regarding unsolicited messaging, spam, and advertisement tracking will lead to users not trusting e-card apps.

Furthermore, users are also apprehensive about their personal and emotional information being stored and sold. Abuse of any information has the potential to lead to public outrage and loss of image. Secure encryption, secure servers, and open privacy policies are now the minimum required. Those problems need to be solved to retain user confidence and sustained market growth.

•   
•   
  Request a Free sample to learn more about this report

    

E-CARD MARKET REGIONAL INSIGHTS

• North America

North America's Market Growth Is Driven by Digital Adoption and Innovation

North America remains at the forefront of the e-card market because of widespread digital acceptance, high smartphone penetration, and strong online service affinity. The presence of heavily rooted players such as Hallmark and American Greetings has also spurred growth through product innovation and promotion. Consumers here are more likely to accept time-saving digital alternatives that minimize waste and provide customization. In the United States E-Card Market, virtual consumption and distant working have spurred extensive usage of e-cards as a time-saving option for business and personal messages. US customers are fast adopters of mobile apps and machine-generated content, propelling demand as well. Firms utilize e-cards extensively for client follow-up, employee incentives, and holiday greetings. Growing environmental awareness in the market continues to push consumers away from paper cards. North America

• Europe

Europe's E-Card Market Growth Thrives On Eco-Values and Innovation

Europe is a strong contributor to the worldwide E-Card Market Share, assisted by high digital literacy and strong environmental values. The UK, Germany, and France are among nations that have adopted digital cards as a new, green means of connecting. European consumers prefer uncomplicated, environmentally friendly, and emotionally resonating communications—attributes ideally suited to e-cards. Compliance with laws levied by GDPR to ensure the platforms maintain high levels of data protection to build user trust. European businesses apply e-cards for professional etiquette while being eco-friendly. Celebrations such as Christmas and Easter, holidays, and cultural celebrations lead demand on the continent. Multilingual services are especially crucial in executing cross-border communication on the continent. Europe's well-developed digital infrastructure and design-oriented consumer segment provide an excellent breeding ground for e-card innovation.

• Asia

Asia's Market Growth Is Driven by Digital Access and Personalization

Asia is coming into the growth spotlight as one of the fastest-growing regions for the e-card market due to urbanization, penetration of mobile internet, and a digitally engaged youth population. India, China, Indonesia, and the Philippines boast high rates of engagement, particularly during national holidays and nationwide celebrations. Websites providing local content in local languages have greater appeal among the masses. Asian users also demand innovation in design, multimedia use, and platform ease of use. Cultural values of family and tradition are the drivers of interest in personalized digital greetings. As the commercial world turned digital, e-cards have found growing use for business events and customer contact. Ease of access and low cost of digital greetings make them apt for masses that are vast and heterogeneous. Sustained mobile penetration across tier-2 and tier-3 cities creates staggering untapped potential in the market.

KEY INDUSTRY PLAYERS

Market Growth Driven by Innovation, Personalization, And Strategic Digital Partnerships

Leading industry players in the e-card market are reframing the industry with innovation, technological innovation, and strategic alliances. Hallmark, American Greetings, Blue Mountain, Someecards, and 123Greetings lead the charge with strong online infrastructures and large content bases. They provide AI-driven suggestions, simple customization, and diversity of card types—lighthearted to emotional. Most are founded on freemium platforms with free access and revenue from subscriptions, paid templates, or advertisement-supported content. Strategic partnerships with social media and messaging apps have boosted reach and usage. Business plans and white-labeling solutions also appeal to B2B consumers. These companies keep investing in localization, user experience, and personalization as a strategy to lead trends. Their capacity to incorporate technology into emotional storytelling positions them as industry leaders when it comes to digital greetings.

List Of Top E-Card Companies

• Moonpig (U.K.)
• Blue Mountain (U.S.)
• Jacquie Lawson (U.K.)
• American Greetings (U.S.)
• Hallmark (U.S.)

KEY INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT

September 2020: 123Greetings introduced a groundbreaking AI-driven personalization engine in September 2020, which transforms the way in which e-cards interact with users. The mechanism uses real-time data analysis to suggest greetings according to the relationship of the sender, emotional tone, and occasion. The outcome was a massive rise in card open rates and user satisfaction, with increasing numbers of users choosing auto-suggested cards. The innovation also caused sharing of cards to skyrocket on social media channels, boosting organic visibility. 123Greetings also added voice message embedding and instant language translation features, improving global usability. These features made the user experience more inclusive and emotionally richer. The company, therefore, rooted itself in a competitive market and established a new standard for user-centric design. The new innovation, aside from drawing new users, also raised retention and loyalty among the existing ones.

REPORT COVERAGE

The study encompasses a comprehensive SWOT analysis and provides insights into future developments within the market. It examines various factors that contribute to the growth of the market, exploring a wide range of market categories and potential applications that may impact its trajectory in the coming years. The analysis takes into account both current trends and historical turning points, providing a holistic understanding of the market's components and identifying potential areas for growth.

This research report examines the segmentation of the market by using both quantitative and qualitative methods to provide a thorough analysis that also evaluates the influence of strategic and financial perspectives on the market. Additionally, the report's regional assessments consider the dominant supply and demand forces that impact market growth. The competitive landscape is detailed meticulously, including shares of significant market competitors. The report incorporates unconventional research techniques, methodologies and key strategies tailored for the anticipated frame of time. Overall, it offers valuable and comprehensive insights into the market dynamics professionally and understandably.