GotFreeCards — User Manual
Site: https://cards.got-free-ecards.com Last updated: April 2026
Table of Contents
- Getting Started
- Browsing & Finding Cards
- Personalizing a Card
- Saving Your Work
- Printing a Card
- Sending an eCard
- Sharing a Card Link
- Receiving an eCard
- Rating Cards
- Premium Subscription
- Tips & Troubleshooting
1. Getting Started
Do I need an account?
No account is needed to browse, personalize, or print any card. You can do everything except save, send, and share without signing in.
An account is required to:
- Save personalizations so you can come back and edit them later
- Send eCards by email
- Share a card link with someone
- Rate cards
- Access Premium cards (requires a subscription)
Signing In
Click Sign In in the top-right corner of any page. You can sign in two ways:
- Google — click "Sign In with Google" and authenticate with your Google account. No password needed on our side; your account is created automatically on first sign-in.
- Email and password — click "Sign Up" to create an account with your email address, or "Sign In" if you already have one. You will need to verify your email address before signing in for the first time.
Signing Out
Click Sign Out in the top-right corner. All your saved cards stay safely in your account and will be there next time you sign in.
2. Browsing & Finding Cards
Home Page
The home page at /cards/ shows all active card categories — Birthday, Christmas, Thank You, and more. Each category displays a preview of up to 12 cards and a total card count.
- Click any card thumbnail to open that card in the editor.
- Click See all › next to a category name to view every card in that category.
Category Pages
Each category has its own page showing all cards in that group. Two tools help you narrow down exactly what you need:
Subcategory chips — appear across the top of the card grid. These let you filter by theme within a category (for example, within Birthday you might find chips for "Funny", "For Her", "Age 50", "Religious", etc.). Click a chip to show only those cards. Click it again or click All to reset.
Sort options — four ways to order the results:
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Latest | Shows the newest cards first |
| Top Rated | Cards with the highest average user rating appear first |
| Most Printed | Most popular cards by print count |
| Lucky 🎲 | Shuffles the order randomly — great for inspiration |
Subcategory filtering and sorting work together instantly with no page reload.
What to search for
If you have something specific in mind, try browsing by occasion. Good examples:
- Looking for a birthday card for a colleague? Try Birthday → Funny or Birthday → For Him / For Her.
- Need something heartfelt? Check Thank You or Sympathy.
- Seasonal cards are under their own categories: Christmas, Easter, Valentine's Day, etc.
3. Personalizing a Card
Click any card thumbnail to open the card editor. You do not need to be signed in to personalize.
Editor Layout
The editor is split into two panels side by side:
- Left panel — the card front. This is a fixed preview image of the card's artwork. You cannot edit the front.
- Right panel — the card inside. This is a live canvas where you type your message, add stickers, and arrange everything exactly as you want it.
Adding and Editing Text
- Click Add Text in the toolbar. A text box appears in the centre of the canvas.
- Double-click the text box to enter edit mode and type your message.
- Click outside the text box to deselect it and see how it looks.
You can have multiple text boxes — for example, one for a greeting and one for a signature.
Toolbar Controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Add Text | Inserts a new text box on the canvas |
| Stickers | Opens the sticker panel — click any sticker to add it to the canvas |
| Font | Changes the font of the currently selected text box |
| B | Toggles bold on selected text |
| I | Toggles italic on selected text |
| Size slider | Makes selected text larger or smaller |
| Color picker | Changes the color of selected text or a selected sticker |
Moving and Resizing Objects
- Move — click and drag any text box or sticker to reposition it.
- Resize — select an object and drag the corner handles to make it bigger or smaller.
- Rotate — drag the rotation handle (the circle above the selection box) to angle the object.
- Delete — select an object and press
DeleteorBackspaceon your keyboard. - Deselect — click on an empty part of the canvas.
Tips for a Great Card
- Keep your main message short — 2 to 4 lines reads best when printed.
- Use a contrasting font color if the card background is dark.
- Place your signature in the bottom-right corner for a natural feel.
- Stickers work well as decorative accents in corners or next to your text.
Premium Cards
Cards marked with a ★ Premium badge are only available to subscribers. If you click a premium card without a subscription you will see an upgrade prompt. See Section 10 for plan details.
4. Saving Your Work
Click Save in the action bar beneath the canvas. You must be signed in.
- Your personalization — all text, stickers, positions, fonts, and colors — is stored against your account.
- Each card has one save slot per account. Saving again overwrites the previous version.
- To return to a saved card, click My Cards in the header and then Edit on any tile.
My Cards Page
The My Cards page lists every card you have saved. From here you can:
- Edit — reopen a card in the editor to continue personalizing it.
- Print — go straight to the print preview without editing.
- Delete — remove a saved card permanently (you will be asked to confirm).
5. Printing a Card
Click Print or PDF in the action bar. You do not need to be signed in to print.
Choosing a Layout
| Layout | Paper orientation | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Big | Landscape (11 × 8.5 in) | Full-size cards — front on page 1, message on page 2. Fold in half once. |
| Small | Portrait (8.5 × 11 in) | Quarter-fold cards — 4 panels fit on one sheet. Inside panels are rotated so everything lines up when folded. |
Printing Options
- Download PDF — saves the card as a PDF file to your device. Good if you want to print later or send the file to a print shop.
- Print — opens your browser's print dialog immediately.
Getting the Best Print
- In the browser print dialog, set Scale to "Fit to page" (or 100% if your printer matches the paper size).
- Turn off Headers and footers to avoid printing the page URL across the card.
- For photo-quality results, use glossy or semi-gloss paper.
- Most home printers handle landscape layout fine — just make sure to select the correct orientation.
6. Sending an eCard
Click Send in the action bar. You must be signed in.
Filling in the Send Form
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| To | Enter up to 5 recipient email addresses, separated by commas |
| Your name | This appears in the email as the sender's name |
| Personal message | Optional extra note shown below the card in the recipient's email |
Click Send eCard. Each recipient gets their own email with a unique link to view your personalized card.
Delivery and Read Receipts
- Emails are normally delivered within a few minutes.
- You will receive a notification email when a recipient opens their card for the first time.
- If a delivery fails (invalid address, etc.) the system will retry automatically for up to 24 hours.
7. Sharing a Card Link
Click Share in the action bar. You must be signed in.
A unique shareable URL is generated for your personalized card. Copy it and share it anywhere — in a text message, on social media, or in a chat. The recipient does not need an account to view the card.
The link shows your exact personalization: your text, stickers, fonts, and layout — exactly as you designed it.
8. Receiving an eCard
When someone sends you a card you will receive an email with a View your card button. Click it to open the card in your browser.
Viewing the Card
The card opens showing only the front. Click the card to open it — the card rotates in 3D to reveal the inside panel with the sender's personal message.
From the card view you can:
- Print — print or download the card as a PDF to keep.
- Browse More Cards — explore the catalogue to find and send a card of your own.
You do not need an account to view a card someone sent you.
9. Rating Cards
Each card page shows a star rating widget below the canvas.
- Click a star (1 through 5) to rate the card.
- You must be signed in to rate.
- Your rating is saved. Clicking the same star again removes your rating.
- The displayed average and total number of ratings update immediately.
Ratings help surface the best cards in the Top Rated sort on category pages.
10. Premium Subscription
Plans
| Plan | Price | Billing |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $1.99 | Charged every month |
| Yearly | $9.99 | Charged once a year — saves ~58% vs monthly |
What You Get
- Access to all Premium (★) cards
- Ad-free browsing across the entire site
- Save up to 50 personalizations (vs. the standard limit for free users)
- Cancel at any time — no lock-in
How to Subscribe
- Click Upgrade on any premium card, or go directly to
/subscribe. - Choose the Monthly or Yearly plan.
- Click the PayPal button and complete payment. You can use a PayPal account or pay as a guest with a credit or debit card.
- You are redirected to a confirmation page. Premium access is active immediately — no waiting.
Cancelling
Log in to your PayPal account, find the subscription under Payments → Manage automatic payments, and cancel it there. Your Premium access stays active until the end of the period you already paid for.
11. Tips & Troubleshooting
The canvas looks blank after I add text
Click Add Text and make sure you double-click the text box to enter edit mode before typing. If the text color matches the canvas background it may appear invisible — try changing the color with the color picker.
My print has a white border I don't want
This is the browser adding margins. In the print dialog, set margins to None or Minimum.
I didn't receive the eCard email
Check your spam or junk folder. If it is not there, ask the sender to confirm they typed your email address correctly. Delivery can occasionally take up to 10 minutes.
I saved a card but can't find it
Make sure you are signed in to the same Google account you used when you saved it. Go to My Cards in the header to see all your saves.
A card is marked Premium but I have a subscription
Make sure you are signed in. If you just subscribed, try refreshing the page. If the issue persists, sign out and sign back in.
For technical issues or feedback, contact the site administrator.