Only $3 Difference Between Free and Premium Business Cards

Everyone knows that Vistaprint offers free business cards.  It's can be a great deal if you're starting out or just need cards for something random.  However, I recently noticed an interesting price difference.  When you factor in the shipping costs, it's only a $3 difference between the "free" cards and the premium cards.

The 250 free cards are from a limited selection and cannot be completely customized.  When you order free business cards, the back will have an advertisement for Vistaprint.  You must also pay for shipping, which is approximately $7.09.

Recently, Vistaprint has been running a promotion for premium business cards.  $10 will get you 250 business cards, including the shipping.  Therefore, for an extra $3 you will get more designs, complete customization, blank back, and shipping.

If you are planning to order business cards, go through Shop at Home (6% back) or eBates (5% back) for an even better deal.

Get $95 to Vistaprint for $43 (Including Shipping) Or $70 for $17 (No Shipping)

Today on Groupon, you can get a $70 voucher to Vistaprint for only $17.

Shipping is not included in your voucher and the voucher cannot be used for shipping. Last time I bought a similar voucher the shipping reached about $19 for the $50 worth of products.

Here's the best way to take advantage of this deal. Spend an extra $25 ($75 total) on Vistaprint and your shipping will be free. That means for the $17 voucher and $25 for shipping ($43 total), you'll get $95 worth of products from Vistaprint. You can add all the free items and they will be included in this free shipping.

To find the deal, just change your city to Birmingham to find this deal. Remember, deals on social shopping sites are only around for a limited time and then change.

Expires Sep 26, 2012 Limit 1 per person, may buy 1 additional as a gift. Limit 1 per order. Cannot be combined with other offers or partner programs. Must redeem online at www.vistaprint.com/groupon17for70. Must use in 1 visit. Valid for all Vistaprint items. Shipping and sales tax not included.

Get $75 to Vistaprint for $35 (Including Shipping) Or $10 for $50 (No Shipping)

Today on Living Social, you can get a $50 voucher to Vistaprint for only $10. If you've never made a purchase on Living Social before, you'll get a $5 credit on your first deal which makes this only $5 for the $50 voucher.

Shipping is not included in your voucher and the voucher cannot be used for shipping. Last time I bought a similar voucher the shipping reached about $19 for the $50 worth of products.

Here's the best way to take advantage of this deal. Spend an extra $25 ($75 total) on Vistaprint and your shipping will be free. That means for the $10 voucher and $25 for shipping ($35 total), you'll get $75 worth of products from Vistaprint. You can add all the free items and they will be included in this free shipping.

To find the deal, just change your city to Minneapolis to find this deal. Remember, deals on social shopping sites are only around for a limited time and then change.

Limit one per person 
 • Limit one transaction per mailing address • Orders must be redeemed at www.vistaprint.com/livingsocial50 • Valid for 30% off list price of all products side-wide; if purchaser spends more than $25 beyond voucher value, purchaser will receive free 14-day shipping 
• Tax and shipping not included 
• Voucher cannot be combined with other discounts • Other conditions apply • PAID VALUE DOES NOT EXPIRE • PROMOTIONAL VALUE EXPIRES ON April 21, 2012

Why You Always Need to Check Shipping Prices When Looking at Deals

Like the new business cards I just ordered? A few weeks ago, I purchased a deal from Living Social which was $10 for $50 at Vistaprint. I had used referral credits (thanks everyone) so I didn't actually pay anything for the deal itself.

Prior to purchasing the deal, I spoke with someone from Vistaprint and she told me the deal didn't include shipping but that I could use it to pay for shipping so I thought I'd be able get stuff for completely free if I kept the purchase and shipping total under $50. Turns out she was incorrect in her information and Vistaprint's shipping is not always cheap.

I got my purchase as close to $50 without going over but the shipping for that purchase was going to be $19. That's when I noticed something on the top of the page. It stated that if I spent $25 over the value of my voucher, I'd get free shipping. I hadn't planned on purchasing $75 worth of merchandise but since I would already be spending $19 in shipping, an extra $6 for $25 worth of stuff seemed worth it.

I also discovered that I could add free items and have them included in that free shipping. I looked around the site and ended up getting lots of goodies, including stuff I can use for my students. For a total of $25.39 I got:

• 250 free business cards
• 2500 premium business cards
• 1 "Great Job!" blue ink stamp
• 1 "Keep It Up" blue ink stamp
• 25 checks
• 1 "Making Cents of It" pen

I did upgrade the free items to bring my total up, including changing the ink color of the free stamp and removing the Vistaprint logo from the business cards.  I tried a few different combinations of upgrades until I found the lowest price over $25.

The point of this post is to remind you all that a good deal can easily turn sour if you don't consider the final cost of a promotion. With online deals, check the cost of shipping. With in store and restaurant deals, make sure to see if the fine print mentions a minimum purchase.

Get $50 to Vistaprint for Only $10

Today on Living Social, you can get a $50 voucher to Vistaprint for only $10. If you've never made a purchase on Living Social before, you'll get a $5 credit on your first deal which makes this only $5 for the $50 voucher.

To find the deal, just change your city to Palm Beaches to find this deal. Remember, deals on social shopping sites are only around for a limited time and then change.