FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

1. What is the Ordering Process?
2. What is the Satisfaction Guarantee?
3. How much do the cards cost?
4. How much do Return Address Labels and Gift Tags cost?
5. How much does the Bamboo Wall Art cost?
6. How long does it take for my cards to arrive?
7. What type of paper do you use?
8. What do you mean by eco-friendly?
9. What is the difference between Mail & Message and Send to Self Delivery?
10. How much does shipping & handling cost?
11. Do you ship internationally?
12. How is tax calculated?
13. What is “Cards that Care”?
14. I have more questions, how do I contact you?
15. Are your cards "Made in the USA"?

What is the Ordering Process?

1. Click “Personalize” to customize the card you love.
2. Login or Register (you must login to save your proof)
3. If you've approved your proof, you can continue to checkout. If you've requested edits, you can either wait to review your proof via email or you can continue and complete checkout. If you've requested edits, we will email you a digital proof in ~1 business day and wait for your approval before printing your cards.
4. When you checkout, decide whether your want to use our Send to Self option (we send you printed cards and blank envelopes) or our FREE Mail & Message option (we send your cards on your behalf and you have the option to include a personal message on each card - you pay only for the cost of the stamps)

Your cards will be printed within ~4 business days after payment and proof approval, usually sooner.

What is the Satisfaction Guarantee?

We take pride in the quality of our products and services and are committed to delivering a great experience. Your satisfaction is our #1 concern. If you are not happy with your order, we provide a 100% Customer Satisfaction Guarantee. We will refund your money.

Any refund will exclude the initial shipping & handling costs, but will include the cost of any return shipping, except under the following circumstances:

1. If you approve a proof that has missing information, typos, capitalization mistakes or the wrong information, we will not provide a refund. Therefore, it's very important to review your proof carefully prior to approval.
2. If the inherent problem is the photo you are using, we do our best to both advise you and to do minor photo editing, however, ultimately, the responsibility to provide a great photo rests with you. If you use a photo that we recommend against you using, and you use it anyways, we will not provide a refund.

If your order does not fall into either of the exceptions above, follow the steps outlined at http://www.paperculture.com/customer-satisfaction-guarantee.html within 14 days from the date of shipping or 7 days from the day you received your shipment (whichever is later), in order to receive your refund.

OK, here's the boring stuff the "suits" make us write, but the gist is we want you to have a great experience, but please don't game the system (though we really doubt you would). If you request a refund and receive it, you agree your acceptance of the refund constitutes your sole and exclusive remedy with respect to the order refunded. You also agree that any additional refund requests will be at the sole discretion of Paper Culture. You will have no right to use the products or services for which you received a refund and agree to return the products in their original condition prior to receiving your refund.

How much do the cards cost?

All of our cards (including thank you cards and stationery) follow the same pricing:

Pricing Examples:

1. You order 20 Standard Cards of Design 1. Cost = $2.29 per card * 20 Standard Cards = $45.80
2. You order 20 Standard Cards of Design 1 and 20 Standard Cards of Design 2. Each set of 20 Standard Cards is $45.80 ($2.29 per card)
3. You order 20 Large Cards of Design 1 and 20 Standard Cards of Design 2. The 20 Large Cards are $59.80 ($2.99 per card) and the 20 Standard Cards are $45.80 ($2.29 per card)

Envelopes are included with all purchases. With Standard Cards your envelopes are white. With Large Cards your envelopes are Kraft color. Your card purchase also includes:

1. 2 free digital proofs
2. A professional designer who will help you create your personalized card
3. Printing on premium 130lb 100% post-consumer recycled paper
4. Premium envelopes for every card, made from 100% post-consumer recycled paper
5. FREE Mail & Message service (if you choose) where we mail your cards for you. You pay only the cost of the stamp.
6. Free toll free and email support for any of your questions
7. 100% money back Satisfaction Guarantee

How much do Return Address Labels and Gift Tags cost?

Return Address Labels come in sets of 24 and cost $6.99 per set. Gift Tags come in sets of 12 and cost $6.99 per set. Shipping is FREE when purchased with any Send to Self order of cards. Shipping is $4.99 flat rate for any combination of 9 or fewer sets of address labels and/or gift tags. Shipping is $8.99 flat rate for any combination of 10 or more address labels and/or gift tags.

How much does the Bamboo Wall Art cost?

All Bamboo Wall Art is backed by our 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. All Bamboo Wall Art ships via UPS Standard Ground service and will arrive within 2 weeks of placing your order (usually sooner). At this time, 2 Day Air and Overnight are NOT available for Bamboo Wall Art.

How long does it take for my cards to arrive?

After you approve your proof and we receive your payment, your order will be printed within ~4 business days, usually sooner. After that, Mail & Message service cards will be sent out via First Class Mail. First Class Mail usually takes 1-5 days. With Standard Delivery, Send to Self cards are sent out by Ground shipping that usually takes 1-5 days. We offer guaranteed overnight shipping for $35.00 and 2-day shipping for $25.00, but it’s important to note that those guaranteed times are for shipping only. Your cards still have waiting time to get printed and 1 day to dry after printing. To upgrade to Expedited or Express shipping, select the shipping method on the billing page in checkout. Delivery estimates apply to shipments made to the continental United States only. Shipments to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico & other US territories usually take longer.

* Time estimates include up to 4 business days after approval & payment to print your cards, 1 business day for your cards to dry overnight, plus the time it takes to ship. First Class Mail & Ground shipping timelines are not guaranteed. All times are business days and do not include weekends.

What type of paper do you use?

As part of Paper Culture's commitment to the environment, Paper Culture uses 100% post consumer recycled paper on our cards, envelopes and sticker products like our address labels and gift tags. Unlike some other companies, we don’t have an eco-friendly line… our entire catalog is eco-friendly. Even our packaging is recycled. For the paper geeks out there, we use FSC certified paper, generated with wind power. Our cards are produced on heavyweight 130lb paper. Compare this to “normal” cardstock which is usually 70-80lb and some of our “premium” competitors who feature 100lb-110lb paper. For a full comparison between Paper Culture and other services, please visit: http://www.paperculture.com/how-paper-culture-compares.html

What do you mean by eco-friendly?

When we say our cards are eco-friendly, we’re talking both about the paper and process. Here are some of the reasons:

• 100% Post Consumer Recycled Cards: most cards are printed on “virgin” fiber. Even those that are “recycled” usually contain low percentages of Post Consumer content. Our cards are all printed on 100% Post Consumer Recycled paper.
• Carbon Neutral: As a company, Paper Culture offsets its carbon footprint as a CarbonFree™ Partner of CarbonFund.org.
• FSC Certified: Our paper for both our cards and envelopes is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Paper Culture is also an FSC certified retailer (FSC-SECR-0203 ©1996 FSC)
• Wind Power Generated: well, this one is pretty simple – the paper was produced using wind power.
• For more details, please visit our eco education page.

What is the difference between Mail & Message and Send to Self Delivery?

For a full comparison, see our Delivery Options page at http://www.paperculture.com/delivery-options.html

Mail & Message delivery: We print the envelopes with both return and recipient addresses. We stamp and mail each card on your behalf. You even have the opportunity to include a personalized message on the back of every card. That message can be the same for everyone, unique for each person, unique for only some people or you can just leave it blank. The only extra cost is the actual cost of the stamps. You can also choose to order extra cards with blank envelopes that are sent to you with this option.

Send to Self delivery: We send you blank envelopes and printed cards. With Standard Delivery, Send to Self cards are sent out by Ground shipping that usually takes 1-5 days. We offer guaranteed overnight shipping for $35.00 and 2-day shipping for $25.00, but it’s important to note that those guaranteed times are for shipping only. Your cards still have waiting time to get printed and 1 business day to dry after printing. To upgrade to Expedited or Express shipping, select the shipping method on the billing page in checkout. Delivery estimates apply to shipments made to the continental United States only. Shipments to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico & other US territories usually take longer.

Our Opinion: Not that you asked, but we really think you should consider our Mail & Message service. Not only do we do all the work for you at no extra cost (other than the stamp), but think about how easy it is to send cards for the next occasion. Once you provide us your addresses, you can just say, send to the same people I sent to last time, add or subtract a person or two, and in minutes you could do your entire mailing. Try doing that by hand!

How much does shipping & handling cost?

Mail & Message (see above) you pay the cost of the stamp. Currently first class stamps to the United States are $0.46 each. For all other countries, the cost is $1.10 each. There are no other handling charges. Cards sent via Mail & Message usually arrive within 4 business days of shipping.

Send to Self (see above) With Standard delivery, you pay a flat rate of $8.99 no matter how many cards you order. If you add Address Labels and/or Gift Tags to a Card order, there is no incremental shipping and handling charge. If you only order Address Labels and/or Gift Tags, for 9 sets or less, you will pay a flat rate of $4.99 with Standard Delivery. For 10 sets or more, you will pay $8.99. For Bamboo Wall Art there is an incremental charge of $8.99 for shipping and handling to any location in the continental United States. Standard Delivery Send to Self orders are sent via Ground Shipping (usually 1-5 days in transit). You also have the option to expedite delivery for $35.00 for next day shipping and $25.00 for 2 day shipping. To upgrade to Expedited or Express shipping, select the shipping method on the billing page in checkout. Upgrades to Expedited and Express shipping are not available for Bamboo Wall Art. Delivery estimates apply to shipments made to the continental United States only. Shipments to Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico & other US territories usually take longer.

Do you ship internationally?

Unfortunately, no – with a small exception.

We currently require a credit card issued in the United States and that has a current United States billing address. In addition, we can only ship Send to Self packages to the United States.

If you do have a US based credit card, we offer one international option: Mail & Message. We will mail your cards to any international address from the United States. You pay $1.10 for a stamp to any country outside the US and we will mail it on your behalf through the US Postal system. Mailing times will vary significantly by country, and we cannot provide any tracking, nor can we guarantee delivery for international addresses.

We do however ship to all United States addresses including military with APO and FPO addresses and US Territories.

We're sorry for any inconvenience. We do hope to offer a broader range of international services in the future.

How is tax calculated?

Unfortunately, there’s no simple answer to this question. Tax is calculated based on the location of the recipient of our product. We charge state, county and city taxes for all cities in California. The rates vary by city.

For Send to Self delivery, this is relatively easy. The location that determines the tax rate is the address where the Send to Self package is delivered.

For Full Service Delivery, the location that determines the tax rate is different for each card we send on your behalf. For example, if you have 100 Full Service Delivery cards that we send on your behalf. If 85 of those cards go to states other than California, there will be no tax charged for those 85 cards. For the remaining 15 cards, let’s assume that 10 go to San Francisco, where the state, county and city tax rate of 9.5% as of May 1, 2009 will be applied. Then let’s assume that the remaining 5 cards go to Burlingame, CA where the state, county and city tax rate of 9.25% as of May 1, 2009 will be applied. Yes, if you have a headache, we understand. We do too!

What is “Cards that Care”?

When we started Paper Culture, we wanted to build a business that we could be proud of, not just for the products we produce and the customers we serve, but also the for the way we operate our business. As part of that, from our first sale, we have donated a portion of all proceeds to charities that we believe best embody the spirit of Paper Culture and our community. Today, those Causes have missions that focus on kids, the environment, families and education. We find inspiration from you, our community, and we encourage you to submit your favorite Causes to us for consideration at causes@paperculture.com.

I have more questions, how do I contact you?

We would love to hear from you! Contact us Monday-Friday, 8am - 6pm PST at 877-77-CULTURE (877-772-8588) or via email at contact@paperculture.com (7 days a week).

Are your cards "Made in the USA"?

Absolutely. Our company is based in California and we do our production exclusively in the United States. In fact, beyond being "Made in the USA" we've taken a pledge to give back to do our part to make our homes a better place. As an example, through our Cards to Trees program, we plant a tree with every order placed in an effort to promote reforestation.