I would make people sign up before starting the process, but marketing probably sees higher CTR since most people might not abandon the process after taking the trouble to create the card.

A great example of good customer service here folks.

I’m one of the engineers that worked on the eCards site. I think your experience results from a usability issue with the eCards site that we’re working on (as we don’t want to disappoint our patrons). We do try to delineate between FREE and Premium cards on the main selection page by presenting a FREE logo on cards that you can send without signing up for a trial. In addition, when you go to customize your card, we’ve got a bright yellow bar that says “You’ve chosen a premium card! To send this card and access all premium cards and features, activate your free trial now.” But, I think since most people are accustomed to ignoring items that look like banner ads, this additional information on how the site works ends up getting overlooked. Then when you try sending the card, you get the popup about signing up for a trial.

So, in a nutshell, I’m sorry you were disappointed after spending time to create a really cool looking card. We are working on the usability issue with the site that our patrons don’t realize that certain cards are free and others require signing up for the free trial.

–Trevor