Vistaprint has evolved a lot over the years. While they first made their name with discount business cards, they now offer scores of custom-printed products for individuals and small businesses. Vistaprint also seems to have recently changed its marketing strategy since changing their name to Cimpress.
In fact, they’ve discontinued two of their most popular deals: 250 free business cards, and the 80% off promo code.
So, how do you get the best deal possible on your Vistaprint order? Don’t fret; Vistaprint now actually has better coupons than before, and they’re easier to use.
Tip: Vistaprint posts several featured deals on their site, and releases a number of promo codes each month. One or more of these may even be better than the 80-off promotion!
Here’s more about the old 80% off promotion, and how to get an even better deal:
Vistaprint Used to Offer a Promo Code for 80% Off
Vistaprint’s early strategy seems to have been to offer a shockingly large percentage discount on banner ads, including their popular 80% off promo code: VISTAPRINT80
Wow, 80% off! That sounds almost too good to be true! How could there be anything better than an 80% discount?
Well, let’s look at how the “80 off” promotion worked to understand why it was never really a great deal to begin with.
The 80% Off Code Was Mostly Click Bait, Anyway!
There’s no denying that the 80% off banners generated a lot of clicks. But was it really an eighty percent discount?
Not really.
That’s because the “80% off” was calculated based on the full retail price of specific lower-cost items, like business cards. Very few people ever actually paid this full retail price, so it’s unfair to say that the discount is based on what you would have paid without the promo code.
This strategy reminds me of the sales that our supermarket advertises.
Example: The everyday price for a bag of chips is about $3.79. However, during their “bogo sale,” they raise the price to $4.99. That means your not really saving $4.99 on the free bag, even if it is ultimately a good deal.
That was kind of the logic with the 80% off promo code, which was based on an unrealistically high initial price. Oh, and you had to pay for shipping, too.
Related Coupon: WSJ Digital & Print Subscription 80% Off
The 80% Off Promo Code Didn’t Work Towards Shipping
When companies offer a crazy discount like 80-90% off, they usually get their money back elsewhere. It’s true, and that’s the case with Vistaprint, too.
In this case, you had to pay the full shipping price, which was as much as $6 or more on business cards. I imagine that Vistaprint’s shipping cost was closer to $3, so they were making back some of those losses.
So, while you got a steep discount on popular products like business cards, you still had to pay the full, sometimes salty, price for shipping.
What’s Better Than 80% Off?
While the 80-off deal is no longer available, there are a number of great Vistaprint promotions every day.
Which one is best?
That depends on what product you’re buying, and how fast you need your order. New customers can get free shipping and a 20% discount ($50 minimum order), but there are also even better discounts available each week. To find today’s best deals, check out these two sources:
- Vistaprint deals of the week: 1-3 onsite specials each week on vistaprint.com
- Vistaprint coupons: Our list of the top 10 or so promotions, updated daily
So, in summary: even though Vistaprint no longer offers their popular 80 off codes, they do have a couple of other great deals that are just as good or better.
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