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Pro tip: Stop overpaying for business cards through big online shops
I used to order cards from Vistaprint every time and got sick of the hidden fees. Then I tried a local Edmonton printer (Alberta Print on 99 St) and paid $28 for 500 double-sided cards with better paper stock. Has anyone else found a local shop that beats the big guys?
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king.aaron3mo ago
That "hidden fees" bit really hit home. My buddy Jay, he runs a small landscaping company here in Calgary, ordered through one of those big sites last year and ended up paying like double what he expected because of shipping and some "setup fee" they tacked on at checkout. He was so annoyed he just printed a batch at the local print shop near his house, the one that's been there forever, and he got 250 cards for fifteen bucks or something crazy cheap. He said the quality was way better too, the paper was thicker and didn't feel like it was gonna fall apart in his wallet. I mean, sometimes the old school places just have better service and you don't have to deal with all that online checkout nonsense.
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the_oscar3mo ago
Your buddy Jay hit the nail on the head with that "double what he expected" bit. That's exactly why I started checking local shops first for any print job. The big sites lure you in with a low base price then bleed you dry with fees after you've already picked your design. I always ask the person at the counter if they have a flat rate for small batches too, saves a ton of headache. Have you tried asking the local shop if they do business card runs in bulk for a discount?
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the_oscar3mo ago
Wait, is your buddy Jay my secret twin or something? Because I did the exact same thing last year when I needed business cards for a networking event. I ordered from one of those big sites, got hit with a $12 "design fee" on top of shipping, and the cards showed up looking like they were printed on napkins. I ended up going to the little print shop two blocks from my house, the one that still has a bell on the door, and got 500 cards for like twenty bucks. The paper was so thick it felt like a mini piece of cardboard, and the guy even let me pick the font right there from a book. Honestly, I felt like a genius, but also kind of dumb for not doing it sooner.
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