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Use Facebook to send a postcard (yes, a postcard)

Many of us don't send postcards anymore. Between text messaging and Facebook, if we want someone to know we're having a good time or wished they were there, it's covered. Still, just as Instagram is hugely popular for the retro look it gives to photos, sending postcards via Facebook (which is in the process of acquiring Instagram) may turn out to be more than a novel notion.Facebook is testing a n
Sample of the front of a postcard from Touchnote, which is running a free promotion now on Facebook.
Sample of the front of a postcard from Touchnote, which is running a free promotion now on Facebook.Touchnote / Today

Many of us don't send postcards anymore. Between text messaging and Facebook, if we want someone to know we're having a good time or wished they were there, it's covered. Still, just as Instagram is hugely popular for the retro look it gives to photos, sending postcards via Facebook (which is in the process of acquiring Instagram) may turn out to be more than a novel notion.

Facebook is testing a new “Mail A Postcard” feature that lets users pick one of their photos and have Facebook send it to a friend as a postcard. No final price has been set yet, a spokeperson said. But one that's being bandied about is 99 cents. The social network is doing that in partnership with Sincerely, which makes Postagram. That program lets you send your Instagram photos as a postcard.

A sample of the front of the Facebook postcard, now being tested.
A sample of the front of the Facebook postcard, now being tested.Facebook / Today
Here's how the back of the Facebook postcard would look.
Here's how the back of the Facebook postcard would look.Facebook / Today

There's also a Facebook app called Touchnote that has a Olympics-related promotion going, sponsored by Samsung, that will let you send free postcards through Sept. 9 (the end of the Paralympics).

The card "will have a small amount of Samsung branding on them," says Touchnote, and if you don't want that, you can pay the regular cost of $1.49 per postcard.

With Touchnote, you don't have to know the address of your Facebook friend — which is good, because most of us probably don't know the addresses of a lot of our Facebook "friends."

"We've had over 750,000 cards ordered since the offer began just before the Olympic games started," Touchnote founder Raam Thakrar said in an email to TODAY.com.

Here's how the back of a regular Touchnote postcard looks.
Here's how the back of a regular Touchnote postcard looks.Touchnote / Today

The London-based company's app is also available as a stand-alone app for the iPhone, iPad and Android phones and tablets. But the free postcard offer is only valid via Facebook.

Touchnote will find the recipient's address for you, and promises it won't share your address or personal details with the recipient. While that gets privacy props, it seems a little odd considering you're taking the time and trouble to send a postcard to a friend. Oh, but that's right — it is a Facebook friend.

— Via TechCrunch

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