How To Choose A Birthday Card They Will Actually Keep

How to choose a birthday card

The best birthday card is not the funniest one on the shelf - it is the one that sounds like your relationship with the person receiving it.

Work through tone, then age, then the practical checks below.

Birthday cards

Funny, warm and milestone birthday cards, all in stock.

You Old Bastard (Funny Birthday Card) You Old Bastard (Funny Birthday Card) £3.87 Sixty Looks Pretty Good On You (60th Birthday Card) Sixty Looks Pretty Good On You (60th Birthday Card) £3.87 Top Trumps 60th Birthday Card for Dad Top Trumps 60th Birthday Card for Dad £3.87 Fifty & Even More Fabulous Than Ever (50th Birthday Card) Fifty & Even More Fabulous Than Ever (50th Birthday Card) £3.87 Top Trumps 90th Birthday Card for Dad Top Trumps 90th Birthday Card for Dad £3.87 A colourful birthday card displaying the text 'Happy Birthday Bab' in a playful, modern font with a matching envelope. Happy Birthday Bab (Happy Birthday Card) (Multiple designs) £3.87

All birthday cards

Match the tone to the relationship

  • Close friend: funny works, and in-jokes work better.
  • Parent or grandparent: warm beats clever almost every time.
  • Partner: sentimental is safe; a running joke is safer still if you have one.
  • Colleague: cheerful and neutral - nothing about their age or their drinking.
  • Someone having a hard year: pick warm, not jokey.

Milestone ages

  • 18th and 21st: mark the number, keep the joke kind.
  • 30th and 40th: "over the hill" humour has aged badly - go celebratory.
  • 50th, 60th and beyond: numbered cards are appreciated, especially for a big party.
  • For any milestone, leave space - people write more on these.

Practical checks before you buy

  • Is there enough blank space for what you want to write?
  • Is it flat enough to post as a standard Letter?
  • Does the printed verse already say what you were going to say?
  • Would they show it to someone else, or hide it?

All birthday cards

Never miss the birthday again

Pop in the date and we'll email you a reminder two weeks before, with a link to the right cards. No spam, and you can unsubscribe in one click.

How to write it so it lands

  • Buy two cards for people you always end up buying late for.
  • Check the inside before you buy - the verse does half the work.
  • Write the card at the shop counter if you know you will forget.

Where to shop next

Frequently asked questions

Is a funny card ever the wrong call?

Yes - for a first birthday card to an in-law, for anyone going through a rough year, and for milestone ages people are sensitive about.

Blank inside or printed verse?

Blank if you have something to say, printed if you do not. A printed verse plus "love from" is better than a blank card with nothing in it.

How early should I buy it?

A week ahead for posting, a fortnight for anything going overseas.

Back to blog