Postcard on the Run Lets Users See it, Share it, Smell it via USPS

Got an iPhone (or iPod touch) and a lot of friends and family? Then send them a real postcard of your next holiday, vacation or day trip with Postcard on the Run. Similar to Postagram and Apple Cards, this app lets users quickly create a real-life postcard and mail it from their iOS device.

Backed by Disney starlett Selena Gomez, Postcard on the Run is fairly well-designed plus it includes a couple of unique features not found in other apps, like scratch-n-smell scents, personalized signatures and an address finder.

When users want to send a postcard with Postcard on the Run, they simply follow four easy steps: choose (or take) a photo, insert a message, sign the postcard and select a recipient. Postcard on the Run takes care of the printing and mailing, typically within a few days. 

Users have several options for selecting photos: take a new photo, choose from the Photo Library, or connect and get photos from Facebook. Photos that do not meet the pre-determined image quality are scaled down for to preserve image quality. (Depending on the photos you take, this might happen a lot.) Nonetheless, you can create a semi-custom border to enhance the overall look of the card.

Messages are short – 200 characters permissible – and can be printed in any one of about a dozen different fonts. A more unique feature of Postcard on the Run is the ability to sign your own signature to the postcard with a touch of the finger.

In addition to being a fully-functional postcard creator, Postcard on the Run also features the Postal Gopher® a proprietary feature that will help find incomplete or missing addresses by contacting the recipient via text or email.

Optional features include adding a GPS location-based map and Smell Mail — a scratch-n-sniff coating with 11 different scents including Ocean Breeze, Suntan Lotion, Holiday Spice, Popcorn, Chocolate and Skunk. These are especially great options for vacation postcards, where a small map and the faint hint of coconut oil says "I'm never coming home again" so much better than "wish you were here." Smell Mail costs an additional $0.50.

To pay for your postcards, which cost an average of $0.99 to $1.69, Postcard on the Run uses major credit cards. Credit card information is managed by a third party, but though you don’t have to re-enter the info each time, it does not store the information on your device.

Postcard on the Run is a super-simple way to share memories with family and friends by making custom postcards. The process is convenient and can be done from anywhere and sent world-wide. (A WiFi connection is required for sending from an iPod Touch.) Postcard on the Run is a free app, but a major credit card is required to send a postcard.