If you know Meijer Photo, the midwestern superstore chain, this photo service will be familiar to you. Like many of the best photo card providers, this one thrives on wedding announcements, save the date cards and Christmas cards. Depending on the card you may have to order in packs of twelve, which was the case with the card we tested, although for more personal cards such as one for a Valentine or someone’s Birthday you can opt to order one.
In our price testing, we looked at 5x7, folded cards with three photos and no added extras on each of our tests for consistency. When ordering a pack of 12, the total came out to $22.44, making the cost just $1.87 per card - one of the cheapest services we’ve reviewed. A pack of 96 cards cost $163.44, with shipping for this hefty order coming to only $9.50. The cheapest site we tested by a long way, and what’s more, prices include taxes. Delivery options feature 7-10 day shipping, 2-3 day shipping for slightly more and, if you’re in a hurry, you can even order overnight shipping. Just remember that Meijer will still need time to process your order before shipping it out.
We also considered Meijer for our best photo books list, and while it's better for prints, you can get some decent albums from here too.
Meijer Photo review: Quality and services
- No logo
- Good quality envelopes
- Limited cardstock
The design we chose only allowed us to print on 115 lb premium cardstock. The premium cardstock is pretty thick and less likely to get bent before reaching its destination. The print color turned out beautifully, keeping true to the photos we submitted. Since the card was printed on cardstock the images were a little grainy, but nothing more than what’s expected. Our testers noted that the fine text in the middle of the card was hard to read and didn’t print very well. There is nothing on the backside of the card. Unlike services such as Simply to Impress and Mixbook, you also won’t find a Meijer logo anywhere to distract from your photos.
The envelopes we received with our cards were much better than average. The paper has a nice texture to it and it’s thicker than most of the other envelopes we received. Like all of the other services, this one warns you during the creation process if your photo isn’t high enough resolution to print. There were no foil finish options, no address books and no envelope color options. You’ll have to mail these cards out yourself once you receive them.
Meijer Photo review: Product options and creation
- Good search options
- Less stylish templates
- Easy-to-use editor
When looking for a card, we were able to search by price, theme, holiday, occasion, the number of photos you want to use and the trim type and size, which made it easy to find the kind of card we were looking for. The variety of holiday cards on offer was lacking in comparison to other sites. There were no cards for Kwanzaa, Chinese New Year or Rosh Hashanah, but the bases of Valentine’s Day and Birthday cards are covered. It’s worth noting that, with fully customizable text, you can always edit a template for a different holiday to suit your specific needs. The selection of templates lacked the stylish touches we saw on sites such as Zazzle and Paper Source, but for a budget option we still liked the large variety and ability to customize the cards on offer.
The photo editor makes it easy to insert your photos and move them around, and notifies you if the quality is poor to ensure your cards are professional-looking. There’s the option to change the layout, theme and background and add text boxes with a variety of fonts and colors. You can also add clipart and a variety of frames to make your photos stand out. Overall we think these editing options get the balance right, giving you the chance to add a personal touch to your card without being overwhelming.
Meijer Photo review: Help and support
- Available instore
- Live help option
Meijer Photo is a great option for anyone living near a brick and mortar store, which means if you live nearby you can go in-store and speak to a customer assistant face-to-face. The website has a ‘live help’ option 8am-10pm and there’s a phone number and email address you can also contact.
Should you order from Meijer Photo?
Meijer photo is a great budget option if you’re willing to compromise on style. We like the options for customization and affordable shipping fees. The cards we ordered weren’t the highest quality, but you get good value for the price you pay for a Meijer photo card. A great no-frills option for those looking for affordable photo cards, with the added bonus of being able to print their cards in-store.
