Digital thank you card: woman using her phone while walking

There are plenty of reasons you’d want to send a digital thank you card. Sometimes you want to express your gratitude as quickly as possible, but a text would be too casual. Maybe you don’t have the recipient’s address, just their email. Perhaps you’re going through a tough time and want to express your thanks in the simplest way.

Whatever the reason, digital thank you greeting cards are thoughtful, efficient, and convenient. This guide covers everything from etiquette, tone, and timing to templates you can use if you’re stuck on wording. We’ve also highlighted beautiful digital cards you can send in just a few taps. You’re one step closer to checking “Send thank you cards” off your to-do list!

When to Send a Digital Thank You Card

It’s never wrong to send a thank you note! It doesn’t just have to be a special occasion. It’s an act of kindness that goes a long way to make someone feel appreciated. You can never say thank you enough to loved ones, colleagues, family, workplace associates, friends of friends, and more.

Send a digital thank you card after:

  • Getting a gift, like at a baby shower, bridal shower, wedding, graduation, or your child’s birthday
  • Receiving a card, like a birthday card from a friend or a group card from coworkers
  • Being a houseguest
  • Attending a party or event that someone else organized
  • Hosting an event involving vendors you hired
  • A job interview
  • A significant work event involving a client or coworker
  • The end of the school year for a teacher who your child was impacted by
  • Anything else that makes you feel thankful!

When It’s Okay Not to Send a Thank You

If you’re dealing with a death, caring for a new baby, or are seriously sick, it’s okay to skip the thank you. When you’re grieving, postpartum, or hospitalized, no one is expecting a thank you note for their flowers or cards. Focus on taking care of yourself.

Digital thank you cards do make this easier, so it’s not wrong to send one by any means. However, don’t feel too much social pressure in these scenarios!

Timeline for Sending Digital Thank You Cards

Digital thank you card: woman happily using her phone at home

Send a thank you note as soon as you can. With digital cards, there’s no need to handwrite each one, address envelopes, and attach stamps. You can send them off, even to a large recipient list, in just a few clicks. Plus, your recipient gets your card immediately!

With that in mind, here are the etiquette rules for sending thank you cards:

Am I Too Late?

We get this FAQ all the time! The “better late than never” rule applies to any thank you card scenario. If life got in the way and it feels too late now, send it anyway. A belated thank you is better than none at all! 

You can include a note like, “I know this was months ago, but I still wanted to thank you for your generous gift card. I bought a cozy pair of slippers and I’ve been wearing them nonstop and thinking of you every time I put them on!”

What to Say in a Thank You Card: Templates to Use

Digital thank you card: close up of a woman's hands using a laptop

The general structure for a virtual thank you card is as follows:

  • Greeting
  • Acknowledgement of gift, note, service, event, etc. (1 sentence)
  • A thought on why it was meaningful (1 sentence)
  • A note about them or the future: a desire to see them soon, well wishes for their family, etc. (1 sentence)
  • Repeat thanks
  • Sign off

Stuck on how to say thank you? Here are some templates to turn into personalized thank you cards for your specific situation.

Shower Thank You Card

Shannon,

Thank you so much for generously gifting us the stand mixer! We’ve been baking up a storm to deal with wedding planning stress, and this will make our kitchen experiments so much easier. It’s been on our wishlist forever! It was such a delight to see you at the shower. We can’t wait to see you and Violet at the wedding (and hopefully before!).

Love, Heather

Wedding Thank You Card

Melissa!

I can’t thank you enough for contributing to our honeymoon fund. We just got back a few days ago and we were able to splurge on a room upgrade thanks to your gift! We could see the Eiffel Tower from our window — it was a memory we’ll cherish forever. I hope you and the girls are enjoying the last month of summer. Give them a big hug from their Auntie Rachel and their new uncle Gio!

— Rachel

Interview Thank You Card

Hello Jackie,

Thank you so much for taking the time to get to know me at our interview yesterday. I was so energized hearing about your vision for Spark Digital — it’s clear that you and your team are so passionate about the work you do. I hope I get to join in and show you what I can do on the sales team. 

I look forward to hearing from you, and I hope you get to take that trip to Portugal soon — don’t forget the food tour we discussed!

Best,

Joy

Vendor Thank You Card

April!

Wow, I am so grateful that we picked you as our wedding photographer. You made Stella and me feel so at ease on our big day with your jokes, your calm demeanor, and your eye for every detail. We felt able to truly soak in all the love and joy. We got so excited over the previews you sent over — Stella had tears in her eyes! Your work is so beautiful, and we can’t wait to see the whole album. Thank you, thank you, thank you for being a part of our wedding!

Love, Stella and Mikayla

5 Digital Thank You Card Designs You Can Send Right Now

Ready to say “thank you”? Send these online thank you cards in just a few clicks. Our electronic thank you card templates make it easier than ever to express your gratitude.

1. Vintage Stickers Card

Digital thank you card: Vintage Stickers Card

Design: Signature Greenvelope

How cute is this sticker card? It looks like you plastered the front with on-trend, aesthetically pleasing stickers yourself. The variety of fonts, textures, and designs adds to the DIY vibe. There are six cool color schemes to choose from, so you can make this card your own.

2. Blooming with Gratitude Card

Blooming with Gratitude Card

Design: Signature Greenvelope

This flowery card would be spot-on for a wedding vendor or colleague. It features a watercolor illustration of a delivery truck overflowing with flowers. The truck says “Blossoming With Gratitude” and “Delivering Joy & Thanks To You” in delicate handwriting. A truckload of thanks is coming their way!

3. Multilingual Thanks Card

Multilingual Thanks Card

Design: Signature Greenvelope

Express your gratitude in six different ways with this multilingual thank you card. The playful card features the phrase “thank you” in six languages. It comes in pastels, neon, or neutral — take your pick.

4. Striped Thanks Card

Striped Thanks Card

Design: Signature Greenvelope

We are obsessed with the wavy die-cut border on this striped thank you card. The elegant gold foil and vertical soft blue stripes make this card stand out in someone’s inbox. It reads, “Just wanted to tell you thank you for all that you do!” 

5. Education Doodles Card

Education Doodles Card

Design: Signature Greenvelope

Send this illustrated thank you to an educator you’re grateful for, like your child’s teacher. Educators deserve the world, and a digital thank you card for a teacher is a small but meaningful gesture. This playful design features school-themed doodles and the message, “Thank you so much for all that you do!”

A Little Gratitude Goes a Long Way

We hope this guide empowers you to send out a digital thank you card to someone who needs to hear it. Online thank you cards are easier when you have a platform like Greenvelope, where you can import a list of recipients, automatically verify email addresses to prevent bouncebacks, and send cards via text message, email, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, or a shareable link. Explore all of our thank you card designs to find a design you love.