Your long distance friends birthday is coming up and as usual youre relying on a digital card service to send something Its become routine Going in Stripe your friendship birthdays holidays special occasions you send these e cards because theyre convenient and reliable and free You pick a template type a message hit send and thats that

On this occasion you browse through the options until you find a template that seems nice enough a colorful design with balloons and confetti a simple Happy Birthday message that feels festive without being over the top You type in your usual birthday message Wishing you the best year yet Miss you and hope we can see each other soon and youre about to hit schedule when that familiar pang hits you

Its acceptable Its not bad Its certainly better than nothing and your friend will appreciate the gesture But it also feels impersonal like youre checking a box instead of sending something meaningful Youve been friends for years through college.