Quick answer
Four habits from 2020 and 2021 still shape greeting cards in 2026. People mail paper cards earlier than they did in 2019. "Thinking of you" and "miss you" messages sell outside holiday windows. QR codes that open a video sit on the back of many cards. Gift orders ship to the recipient, not to the sender. Mask art and elbow-bump jokes left most shelves by 2022.
What changed in 2020 and 2021
USPS reported service delays through late 2020 and early 2021. First-Class Mail ran behind targets for several months. Card senders reacted by mailing birthday and holiday cards 7 to 10 days ahead of the date.
Card makers added pandemic art. Hallmark and small studios printed characters in masks, spaced 6 feet apart, and holding video calls. Demand for "thinking of you" cards rose as in-person visits stopped.
Video calls replaced some visits. Pew Research Center tracked wide use of video calls for family contact in 2020 and 2021. Card companies answered with paper plus screen formats.
What carried into 2026
- Paper cards. The Greeting Card Association puts US card sales near 6.5 billion units a year. The number held through the pandemic years.
- Hybrid cards. A paper card with a QR code that opens a recorded message. Hallmark sells sets in this format.
- Off-holiday messages. Cards for "just because," "miss you," and "thank you" take shelf space that once belonged to holiday lines.
- Direct shipping. Buyers enter the recipient's address at checkout. Mugs, blankets, and gift cards ship the same way.
What did not carry
Mask illustrations, elbow-bump graphics, and "quarantine birthday" wording left mass retail. Toilet paper jokes did the same. Zoom-themed cards remain in small print runs from independent studios.
Numbers to know
US card sales sit near 6.5 billion units per year, per the Greeting Card Association. The average US household buys about 30 cards a year, from the same source. Independent shops report that custom photo cards and QR video cards take a larger share of orders than in 2019. Exact 2026 totals are not published yet.
How to choose in 2026
- Match the message to the moment. A "thinking of you" card fits a friend who is sick or far away.
- Mail early. Allow 7 to 10 days for USPS First-Class Mail.
- Use a QR card when the message needs a voice or a face.
- Ship the gift to the recipient's address. Add a note with the card.