Video Christmas Cards: Send a Christmas Card That Plays
Video Christmas cards put your family's video inside a holiday greeting, so the people you love hear your voices instead of reading a signature. Send one as a digital e-card, a photo card with a QR code, a card with a built-in screen, or a group video from everyone, given as a book that plays.
A note before the list: we make Tribute, the group video maker. Tribute is a group video maker that turns messages from friends and family into one surprise video, and a Tribute group video, given in our Tribute Video Book, is one of the five options below. The others are formats you can find anywhere.
| Option | Best for | Typical price |
|---|---|---|
| Digital video e-card | A long list of friends and coworkers | $0 to $5 per card |
| Photo card with a QR code | Families who still mail cards | $1 to $4 per card |
| Printed card with a built-in screen | One or two people you want to wow | $15 to $40 per card |
| Tribute group video in a Tribute Video Book | Grandparents and family far away | $149 |
| Personal video message | Last-minute greetings | $0 |
What is a video Christmas card?
It's any Christmas card where the message is a video. Some live on a screen, like an e-card or a text. Others are physical: a printed card with a QR code that opens your clip, or a card or book with a screen inside that plays when it's opened.
The physical ones matter more than people expect. The Greeting Card Association counts some 1.3 billion Christmas cards bought each year, making them the top seasonal card. The same report found that consumers prefer a card over a text with the same message, and that 75% of people who send holiday cards do it because they know how good it feels to get one.
Why send a Christmas card that plays?
Because a voice carries more than a signature. Researchers writing in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General found that people who connected by voice felt closer than those who connected through text, with no extra awkwardness. A card that says "Love, the Garcias" is kind. A clip of the Garcia kids yelling "Merry Christmas, Grandma!" from the sledding hill is the one she shows her neighbors.
Picture your aunt in Arizona, who hasn't seen your kids since they were toddlers. A printed card tells her they've grown. A video Christmas card lets her hear your daughter's new laugh and your son's voice cracking on "Jingle Bells."
What are the ways to send a video Christmas card?
Each format trades cost against how long the card sticks around. Pick one for the wider list and something bigger for the people closest to you.
1. A digital video e-card
Upload a clip to an e-card site or app, add a holiday design and email or text the link. Most let you schedule delivery for Christmas morning, and our guide to virtual Christmas cards covers more digital options.
- Look for: a service that plays without making the recipient sign up or download anything.
- Price: $0 to about $5 per card, or a yearly plan.
Best for: Friends, coworkers and anyone on a long list.
Why it works: It's fast, cheap and reaches everyone on the same day.
2. A photo card with a QR code
Order your usual photo card and print a QR code on the back that opens your family's holiday video. Upload the clip to a private link first, and test the code from three different phones.
- Look for: a link that won't expire in January and a code printed at least an inch wide.
- Price: about $1 to $4 per card.
Best for: Families who send printed cards every year.
Why it works: It keeps the paper card people put on the fridge and adds a video for those who scan it.
3. A printed card with a built-in screen
Video greeting cards with a small screen inside play a clip when opened. They're charming and pricey, so they suit one or two people on your list.
- Look for: a card that charges by USB and holds the length of video you need.
- Price: about $15 to $40 per card.
Best for: A grandparent or godparent you want to surprise.
Why it works: There's no link to open, so it works for people who don't use smartphones.
4. A group video card in a Tribute Video Book (our pick, we make this)
This takes the built-in screen idea further. Instead of one clip from your household, the card holds a message from everyone: the cousins, the aunts, the neighbor who taught your kids to skate, each saying "Merry Christmas" in their own words.
A Tribute group video works by inviting everyone to record a short clip from their phone; Tribute compiles the clips, music and photos into one finished video. People record from any phone or computer, with no app needed. You can share the link on Christmas morning, or give it as a book that plays.
The Tribute Video Book is the book version: a hardcover with a 7-inch screen and built-in speakers that plays the moment the cover opens. With Concierge, a Tribute editor puts the video together, adds music and cleans up the sound, and you approve it before it ships in a gold-foil gift slipcase.
- Look for: 20 to 40 short clips with people talking, and a deadline for everyone a few days before you need the video.
- Price: $149 for Concierge with the Video Book. A Tribute video shared by link starts at $35.
- Time needed: open the invite 2 to 3 weeks ahead, and check the Christmas order dates on the Video Book page.
Best for: Grandparents, parents and family who live far away.
Why it works: Unlike a card that comes down in January, it stays on the shelf and plays every time it's opened. There's no Wi-Fi, app or account to set up, so grandparents who don't do tech can watch it.
👉 Get the Video Book for the family far away
5. A personal video message
Record a 30-second clip on your phone and send it by text on Christmas morning. It's the simplest video holiday card there is, and it's better than another "Merry Christmas!" in a group chat.
- Look for: good light, one person talking at a time and the recipient's name in the first line.
- Price: $0.
Best for: Last-minute greetings and people you forgot until December 24.
Why it works: It's personal, and you can send it in two minutes.
What should you put in a video Christmas card?
Keep it short and fill it with voices. These ideas work for every format:
- A year in 60 seconds: one clip per month, two seconds each, with a holiday song under it.
- The kids read the story: each child reads one page of a Christmas book.
- Bloopers: the outtakes from your family photo shoot. Funny video Christmas cards are the ones people forward.
- Thank-yous: a quick message to each person for something they did this year.
- The pet's update: narrated in a voice everyone in the family recognizes.
- A merry Christmas video card from everyone: each person says one line, ending with the youngest.
Newlyweds can use their first Christmas card to share the day: a 30-second clip from the reception, with a line from each of their parents. Stuck on the words? Our Christmas card messages for family have lines to borrow.
How do you make a group video Christmas card?
Start two to three weeks before Christmas, because collecting videos takes days. Here is how a Tribute video card comes together:
- Set it up. Pick the occasion, add a photo and write the invitation. It's free to start a draft.
- Invite everyone. Publish, then share the link by email, text or WhatsApp. People record or upload a video from any phone or computer.
- Put it together. Arrange the clips in the editor, or let a Concierge editor do it.
- Send it. Share the link on Christmas morning, or add the Video Book to give it as a book that plays.
Compared to a box of 50 cards, a book costs more per person, so send one to the people who will watch it most and the link to everyone else. Check the Christmas order dates on the Video Book page before you count on the book. For the rest of your list, see our Christmas gifts for mom and Christmas gifts for dad.
Frequently Asked Questions About Video Christmas Cards
Can you put a video in a Christmas card?
Yes. You can print a QR code that opens your video, buy a card with a small built-in screen, or send a video book that plays your clips when it's opened. Digital e-cards also carry video.
How long should a video Christmas card be?
For an e-card or text, aim for 30 to 90 seconds. A group video in a video book can run longer, but three to six minutes keeps everyone watching to the end.
Are video Christmas cards good for grandparents?
Yes, if they can play it without help. A card or book with a screen inside plays when it's opened, with no link, app or Wi-Fi needed.
How much does a video Christmas card cost?
Digital video cards cost from nothing to a few dollars, QR photo cards about $1 to $4 each and printed screen cards about $15 to $40. A Tribute group video starts at $35, and $149 adds a Tribute editor and the Video Book.
What is a video book?
A video book is a hardcover book with a screen inside that plays videos when you open it. The Tribute Video Book holds your group video and plays it with no app, Wi-Fi or setup.
Which video Christmas card will they keep?
Send e-cards and QR cards to the long list, and save the screen for the people who matter most. Unlike a paper card that goes into the recycling bin in January, a video book stays on the shelf and plays your family's voices whenever it's opened. Pick the clips, add one line from everyone, and let them hear you this Christmas. More ideas for the season live in our guide to Christmas ideas.
