Paper Source Review: Graduation Invitation Stores

Established in 1983 in Chicago, Paper Source has expanded to over 130 physical stores spanning 30 states, along with an online platform. Paper Source offers an impressive number of products, including calendars, stationery, gift wrap, party supplies, stamps, and greeting cards. Their mission revolves around helping you memorialize cherished memories and commemorate life's simple joys through their merchandise.

115 themes to choose from

Paper Source has 115 styles of "Graduation Party" announcements available. However, the company's filters are fairly limited to the size or number of photos. If you're worried about missing some of the options, you'll have to scroll through the entire page to see all potential invites. The designs across all products exude a modern aesthetic, featuring a balanced mix of photo-centric and photo-free styles, with unique colors, fonts, and fun border additions.

Beginner-friendly customization tool

Paper Source's customization tools for graduation invitations are rudimentary, but still better than some of its competitors. Currently, you can upload photos, add text boxes, and perform basic drag-and-drop maneuvers. You can also change the background colors and the shape of the final product without adding extra costs to the final purchase, which is a bonus. However, you are limited to certain layouts, and the drag and drop feature is only to move around images within the constraints of the photo windows. It's very beginner-friendly, but you're pretty limited on what ultimately can be changed.

Prices start at $44 for 20 invites

In terms of pricing, Paper Source does allow you to filter their products by cost, so it's easy to find the most and least expensive options for graduation invitations. The least expensive style is the Modern Square Graduation Announcement. This costs $44 for 20 invitations, which is the minimum requirement to purchase. The most expensive style is the Marble Graduation Party Invitation which costs $54.60 for 20 invitations.

30-day return policy

At Paper Source locations and their website, any purchase is eligible for a refund or return. If you purchased your invitations directly from Paper Source, you can receive a complete refund for the original purchase amount, along with any relevant taxes. The only catch is that your return must be unopened and the request needs to be completed within 30 days of your purchase date.

Free shipping over $60

One notable perk is free standard shipping for orders exceeding $60. You can also pay for rush production, available for $10, if you need your graduation invitations in a hurry. Paper Source promises expedited processing for rush production within one business day for orders placed before 1 pm CT.

Poor customer service tarnishes reputation

However, Paper Source's rating of "B-" from the Better Business Bureau reflects some issues with responsiveness to customer complaints. External reviews echo this sentiment, with only a 2.7-star average rating from Trustpilot. Reviews cover issues such as unreliable service, inadequate customer support, delivery discrepancies, and long wait times. Despite the promising free shipping service, Paper Source falls behind in customer service.

Needs to work on its customer service

Despite commendable efforts towards fast shipping and quality stationery, recent feedback and limited customization options have cast a shadow over Paper Source's reliability. For this reason, it fell to a less favorable position among preferred destinations for graduation announcements. Given these concerns, Paper Source earns a below-average rating in our review, matching the sentiments of reviewers on other third-party websites.

On the Paper Source website