Card Factory Deals

From the platonic and pun-tastic to the downright dirty, the Valentine's card market is a varied beast. It's not always possible to compare like-for-like, as each company has its own range, usually with a distinctive style of its own, like Scribbler's funny and rude designs. See below for our round-up of the cheapest cards and best codes we’ve found.

If you've got the free Honey browser extension you can find out if there are any discounts floating around cyberspace that can be applied to your card, bringing the cost down further. These codes can be fleeting and don't always specify an origin or end date, so we haven't listed any here unless it's a code that's come from the card company itself.

Important: With pressures on the postal service still ongoing, you'll need to take delivery times with a larger pinch of salt than usual. If you're planning on sending a card, do so as soon as possible to avoid falling foul of delays.

Some of Scribbler's basic cards (they have a large range of cards that can be personalised too)

Online or via app – personalised photo cards

All of the cards below give you the option to personalise them with your own photos and your own message inside – meaning you could send them straight to the recipient, rather than having to handwrite a message yourself before sending.

• Cards from £1.79 delivered at Card Factory*. There are basic cards for 99p but you'll need to pay £2.99 postage, whereas all personalised photo cards (priced from £1.79) include free UK first-class postage. You can't choose the date the card is delivered, so if you order in time for the free first-class delivery, your card will likely arrive a few days earlier than Valentine's Day.
  
  
• Cards from £2.36 at Getting Personal via Vouchercodes. The cheapest personalised photo card is £1.79 plus 75p postage (if you select 'second-class'), but if you enter GIFT10 at checkout (courtesy of Vouchercodes), you can get 10% off.
  
  
• Cards from £2.73 delivered at Snapfish. The cheapest personalised photo card is £2.49 (remember to check it's a folding card rather than a postcard) plus 99p postage, but you can get 30% off when you enter the sitewide code LOVE221 at checkout.
  
  
• Cards from £2.84 delivered via the FreePrints Cards app. Each month, members of the FreePrints Cards app can send a discounted personalised photo card for £2.84 delivered. You'll need to select the 'premium folded' option to get a traditional card, rather than a postcard. There's no subscription fee or commitment needed to use the FreePrints Cards app.
  
  

• 30% off cards at Funky Pigeon via Vouchercodes. Enter the code VCO30 at checkout. Personalised photo cards begin at £3.15 after code, including delivery.
  

Online – generic cards

• Cards from £3.98 delivered at Clintons. The cheapest option is a 99p card plus £2.99 standard delivery. You can’t personalise the message that goes inside the card, or add your own photos, so you’ll need to write in it yourself.

In store

Non-essential shops may be closed, but most supermarkets stock cards. In order to minimise trips outdoors, make sure to pick up a card as part of a planned groceries shop rather than making a special trip.

• Morrisons – cards from 25p. Find your nearest store.
  
• Asda – all cards 28p. Find your nearest store.
• Aldi – cards from 99p. Find your nearest store.
• Lidl – all cards 99p. Find your nearest store.
• Co-op – cards from £1. Find your nearest store.
• Sainsbury's – cards from £1. Find your nearest store.
   

Examples of the 99p cards available in store at Aldi

For an even cheaper option, you might like to send a personalised postcard for 85p via the FreePrints Cards app, rather than a proper folded card.

For a truly MoneySaving effort, you could always make your own card. If you ask us, frugality is sexy.

If your mum's the type who'd appreciate a custom-designed token this Mother's Day (Sun 22 Mar), we've sorted a deal for you. Just visit Card Factory* online and enter our Blagged code MUMMSE to get a personalised standard-size (A5) greetings card for £1.59 delivered (norm £2.69), until 6pm on Wed 18 Mar.

The offer works on photo cards too, and covers all the major celebratory events like anniversaries and birthdays - not just Mother's Day.

Important: If you're sending a card for Mother's Day, be aware that Royal Mail's official deadline for 2nd class post to arrive in time for 22 Mar is 6pm on Wed 18 Mar (the same time this code expires). It's always best to order as soon as you can just in case there are any postal issues, though.

Delivery is free. Make sure to select Card Factory’s ‘Saver’ option (Royal Mail 2nd class, 2-5 working days) to get the deal.

The deal's only valid on A5 (8.3in x 5.8in) or square cards, but you'll see that almost every personalised option is available in A5 size. If you want to create a personalised photo card, look for the camera icon beside the design.

Another thing to note - if you’re buying multiple cards, the discount and free delivery only apply to the first one – additional items will incur extra fees.

See our Photo Print Finder for more cheap photo deals.