• Punchbowl

2021 CUSTOMER CHOICE AWARD

Punchbowl

Overview

Punchbowl has a rating of 3.1 stars from 872 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally satisfied with their purchases. Reviewers satisfied with Punchbowl most frequently mention birthday party, guest list, and customer service. Punchbowl ranks 1st among Event Planning sites.

Proactively asks for customer feedback

This company responds to reviews on average within 3 days

Positive reviews (last 12 months): 26.3%
Positive
5
Neutral
0
Negative
14
26
See all photos

What reviewers want you to know

Positive highlights

  • Beautiful invitations, easy management of the guest list and timely reminders all helped us plan a perfect party.
  • Planning my friend's surprise birthday party was a big undertaking - and this app came to save the day!
  • 2021 Customer Choice Winner

Critical highlights

No critical highlights yet

How would you rate Punchbowl?
Top Positive Review

“I love Punchbowl I”

Jasper M.
3/6/24

Great invitation choices; easy to customize, very user-friendly site. I was very pleased with how well the entire processed worked, from designing, to sending, to replies, and reminders. Recommend highly, will use again.

Top Critical Review

“Ripped off”

Alyssa C.
2/7/24

Punch bowl advertises as free, but they do not tell you that you need to pay a subscription. If you do the free trial, you can cancel, but you can't manage the invite that you just sent out. Which is the whole purpose of an Evite. So disappointed in the lack of transparency of the website and it taking advantage of users.

Reviews (872)

Rating

Timeframe

Other

Reviews that mention popular keywords

guest list (43) birthday party (54) customer service (40)
Thumbnail of user alyssac373
1 review
3 helpful votes
February 7th, 2024

Punch bowl advertises as free, but they do not tell you that you need to pay a subscription. If you do the free trial, you can cancel, but you can't manage the invite that you just sent out. Which is the whole purpose of an Evite. So disappointed in the lack of transparency of the website and it taking advantage of users.

Thumbnail of user sarahw420
Punchbowl M. – Punchbowl Rep

Hi Alyssa! You can use Punchbowl for free through our apps or when you start a free trial. Canceling your free trial will not affect the events in your account and your guests will still be able to RSVP. However, you will no longer be able to access your event from the Punchbowl website. To continue to track RSVPs and manage your event, download the free Punchbowl app for iOS or Android. Please reach out to help@punchbowl.com if there is anything else we can do to help! -Nicole in Marketing

Thumbnail of user dorothyt869
1 review
0 helpful votes
March 24th, 2024

(1) The ecards are boring and not very imaginative. (2) Compared to competitors, the cost of subscribing is high. (3) The subscription page deceptively displays the monthly breakdown of cost, but the only subscription term available is for a whole year. Cancelled online and going to try to get a refund within the 30-day trial period.

Thumbnail of user sarahw420
Punchbowl M. – Punchbowl Rep

Hi, I'm sorry to hear you didn't have a good experience. When signing up for a subscription or free trial, you are given the option to choose between a monthly subscription OR a yearly subscription. Both prices are provided for you to choose what best suits your needs.

We have a massive collection of online invitations and digital greeting cards which we are constantly updating! If there is a specific design you would like to see, please send us an email at help@punchbowl.com and we would be more than happy to help! We're always looking for ways to improve our collections and would love to hear your thoughts. -Nicole in Marketing

Thumbnail of user tammyl53
2 reviews
1 helpful vote
February 18th, 2024

Punchbowl advertises you can send free ecards with no membership but that is completely false. After you've gone through all of the steps of choosing and creating your card, entering the recipient and your contact info THEN a pop-up appears "your card can't be sent without signing up" (after they get your info of course). This is deceiving and misleading customers so they can just get your information. Their statement on their own site says "Personalize and send beautiful invitations and greeting cards for FREE with Punchbowl®." NOTHING at all about needing a trial or subscription. Be honest and let customers know up front where it can easily be seen that they must sign up before wasting our time. I get enough junk mail and spam texts already. I know customer's contact information are sold to marketing companies without the customer's permission. Your competitors display their subscription notice yet Punchbowl hides it. That is wrong.

Tip for consumers:
Punchbowl is NOT free. You MUST subscribe to send anything and they don't tell you until after you provide your contact info.

Products used:
I canceled my order before submitting it

Thumbnail of user sarahw420
Punchbowl M. – Punchbowl Rep

Hi Tammy, thanks for reaching out. Punchbowl does not sell or share the email addresses or phone numbers of you or your recipients with anyone.

You can use Punchbowl for free through our iOS and Android apps OR when you start a free trial (just cancel anytime during the free trial period and you will not be charged). We also have a 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. Please reach out to help@punchbowl.com if there is anything we can do to help.

Thumbnail of user kristineg195
1 review
0 helpful votes
January 21st, 2024

I thoroughly read the Help Q and As to find out how to block a sender. It says underneath the invitation it should say, "Don't want invitations from this host? Remove yourself." And that you can click on it. This does NOT exist so I can't remove myself!

Thumbnail of user sarahw420
Punchbowl M. – Punchbowl Rep

Hello, thank you for reaching out! I'm sorry to hear that you ran into some trouble. To opt out of receiving digital invitations or cards that are sent by text message, reply "STOP" and you will be removed from any future messaging sent by text. To remove yourself from digital cards or invitations that are sent by email, simply click "Remove yourself" which will prevent you from receiving emails from any Punchbowl user moving forward. Please send an email to help@punchbowl.com if you have any additional questions. We're always here to help! -Nicole in Marketing

Thumbnail of user hhodzic.amila
1 review
0 helpful votes
May 4th, 2024

When you are setting up your account, be sure to read the fine print. $7.99/month after the free trial is expired actually means Punchbowl will charge your card the full YEARLY amount of $95.

Service
Value
Shipping
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Quality
Thumbnail of user sarahw420
Punchbowl M. – Punchbowl Rep

Hello! You saw this charge because you signed up for an annual membership, rather than monthly. For annual memberships, the charge for the full year of membership is issued at the start of the billing period instead of being charged month-to-month. You can also use Punchbowl completely for free-- either through our mobile apps as well as when you start a free trial. You can cancel anytime and we have a 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. Please reach out to help@punchbowl.com if you have any questions. - Nicole in Marketing

Thumbnail of user sunnyr59
1 review
1 helpful vote
January 16th, 2023

I needed to do online invites in a hurry. The site is easy to use, but you cannot activate unless you pay for a subscription. I attempted to use the subscription for a minimum amount, but it would not let me. I've cancelled the subscription now - but there is no refund for "unused time.'" Bummer. My fault really - but I wish there were more subscription options for a one time event.

Thumbnail of user jasperm107
6 reviews
4 helpful votes
March 6th, 2024

Great invitation choices; easy to customize, very user-friendly site. I was very pleased with how well the entire processed worked, from designing, to sending, to replies, and reminders. Recommend highly, will use again.

Service
Value
Shipping
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Thumbnail of user 2kandyland
1 review
0 helpful votes
March 15th, 2024

There's nothing special about this bar. They don't have a full bar as you would imagine. The food is basic and you pay the same amount if you were in a restaurant for the same money. Save your cash & go to the Northend

Thumbnail of user sarahw420
Punchbowl M. – Punchbowl Rep

Hello, you seem to have us confused with a different company! Punchbowl is the gold standard in online invitations and digital greeting cards. Check us out at www.punchbowl.com and start your free trial today!

Thumbnail of user deepeshs1
6 reviews
0 helpful votes
April 2nd, 2024

My wife and I have a party every year for our anniversary. The date is 26 December and just after Christmas, it is a great occasion for a celebration with friends. It has somehow become a tradition in our circle and everybody is looking forward to our celebration. Usually I take care of preparation and everything. However last year I had a really busy workflow, my wife did the same. However, we didn;t want to disappoint our friends, and also we wanted to keep it going, so we decided to ask for help from these guys. Their platform made the hardest part of the preparation go as smoothly as possible. Punchbowl delivers! Thanks!

Thumbnail of user ritah454
1 review
0 helpful votes
January 29th, 2024

Started with basic membership then had to upgrade to platinum since I exceeded # of guest invites to send out. With platinum membership it still did not allow me to remove ads, could not print a paper copy of guest list after invites were texted out, alot of guests did not receive 1st invite so I had to text and ask everyone and then resend again, set reminder to 7 days before event and no one received a text reminder including myself (added self as a guest to keep track), changed again to 6 days reminder and still nothing! Emailed punchbowl and they replied to me that I can send announcements to guests! Instead of just admitting their service is horrible and doesn't send out reminders as they have listed as an option!

Tip for consumers:
Was refunded for remaining unused membership fee.

Products used:
Online invitation service

Thumbnail of user sarahw420
Punchbowl M. – Punchbowl Rep

Hello, we're sorry to hear you ran into some trouble! With the Platinum tier subscription, your invitations are advertisement-free. Ads are automatically turned off if you upgrade your subscription before sending your invitation. If you have already sent your invitation, the options can be adjusted from the Manage Invitation page. Once there, click on the Invitation Options button on the right side of the page. From there, click on the Member Features tab and the Remove Advertising option will be located at the bottom of the list. Please note, advertisements can only be removed from accounts with an active membership. If you were to cancel your Platinum membership, your invitations would no longer be ad-free.

To review invitation recipients, we suggest double checking the "Unsent" list on the Add Guests screen to make sure you finished sending to the contacts you added. Similarly, we encourage double checking the settings for the Automatic Event Reminder have been turned on. Please reach out to help@punchbow.com and we would be more than happy to walk you through these features to ensure you don't run into any trouble again! - Nicole in Marketing

Thumbnail of user neils160
1 review
4 helpful votes
January 27th, 2023

Went to the website, found a nice card for my daughter, was willing to accept an ad in it, and I couldn't send it without joining. Worse, even if I was willing to pay for one month $4.99 as advertised, they would charge me for an entire year. Read about others experiences here--even if I could contest any charges after canceling on my cc, I decided that deception up front often indicates later deception and problems. Not worth trusting this company.

Tip for consumers:
Misleading right up front...don't fall for it.

Products used:
None

Thumbnail of user sarahw420
Punchbowl M. – Punchbowl Rep

Hi. Thanks for reaching out. You can use Punchbowl for free through our apps or when you start a free trial (just cancel anytime during the free trial period and you will not be charged). We also have a 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. Reach out to help@punchbowl.com if you have any questions! We want you to be happy! -Danny in Marketing

Thumbnail of user validf
1 review
4 helpful votes
June 19th, 2022

They'll let you get through making your entire card before the final step, when it asks you make an account. You make an account, and then realize it didn't save your card. So annoyingly, you'll go back to remake your entire card, and then the final step this time will be to start their free trial or buy a subscription package. Great!
I know this is not an uncommon business practice but I've just had enough of it. Only two stars because the site was designed well.
Also, looks like two of the subscription packages don't even remove advertising. You get to pay up and still get to have ads on your card. Wow. And looks like this site requires you to make an account as well, lol. Never had needed to do something out of spite just in spite of something else. Time for tempmail again

Thumbnail of user sarahw420
Punchbowl M. – Punchbowl Rep

Hello, thanks for reaching out. We're sorry to hear that you ran into some issues. Your card should have saved after you created an account. Can you send us a note at help@punchbowl.com with your account details so we can help troubleshoot this issue you mentioned? We'd like to help! - Danny in Marketing

Thumbnail of user mebshaw
1 review
0 helpful votes
April 27th, 2023

I use this company every year for a large event. Their platform helps me make a nice e-invitation and manage the large guest list responses, communicate with guests etc. Their customer service is friendly and quick when asking questions, changing membership types and status etc. Punchbowl packs a punch in a GOOD way! Thank you!

Thumbnail of user nonyab64
1 review
2 helpful votes
October 10th, 2023

Two years after I cancelled my subscription, they randomly charged me nearlt $60 and not in the month that would have been my renewal month. I emailed to get this corrected and they have said they will refund the money, but they also said in their response they have cancelled my subscription. Ya can't cancel something that doesn't exist. Wish I had never tried this company out. What a pain.

Service
Value
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Thumbnail of user sarahw420
Punchbowl M. – Punchbowl Rep

Hi - Thanks for reaching out. It sounds like you may have had two active accounts on our site. We have a 30 Day Money Back Guarantee - no questions asked! Please send us a note at help@punchbowl.com with your account details and we would be more than happy to help. We want you to be happy! - Nicole in Marketing

Thumbnail of user amyh1833
1 review
6 helpful votes
April 13th, 2022

They say you can cancel your membership within 7 days and you won't be charged. So I went ahead with sending my daughter's birthday invite. When I tried to cancel, it said I would no longer be able to manage the rsvp's. So I'm forced to keep the subscription until her party, which means paying for an entire year's membership. What a scam. I will never use Punchbowl again and I hope this review is a warning to everyone else.

Thumbnail of user sarahw420
Punchbowl M. – Punchbowl Rep

Hello, thanks for reaching out. If you cancel your membership before your event you can manage your RSVP's for free through our app! Additionally we have a 30-day money back guarantee, no questions asked. Please reach out to help@punchbowl.com if you have any questions. We want you to be happy.

Thumbnail of user sinemyisselek
1 review
1 helpful vote
September 9th, 2023

I used free trial for 7 days then I forgot to cancel it. I also thought if I forget I would be charged with only one month fee. However 8th day I saw that one year membership fee was taken from my credit card then I sent an email explaining the situation and to get a refund. They got back to me in an hour and send my refund at that time. Their support team was very fast and helpful.

Thank you,
Sinemyis

Thumbnail of user heatherp912
1 review
2 helpful votes
May 18th, 2022
Verified purchase

I'm not really sure why anyone would love this. I did the free trial and got charged (because I forgot, so that's my fault) $60 annual fee. I decided it would be fine since it had invitations and I could use it for other things. I cannot send out invitations without upgrading for EVEN MORE MONEY. What a joke. It's already digital, meaning it has no real material cost. $60 should be more than enough for what they're offering. I can't stand it. I would not recommend it to anyone.

Service
Value
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Quality
Thumbnail of user sarahw420
Punchbowl M. – Punchbowl Rep

Hi. Thanks for reaching out. We do offer two types of memberships, digital greetings cards and digital invitations. It sounds like you signed up for one of our digital greetings cards packages. If you upgrade to one of our digital invitations memberships you will get access to both invites AND cards. When upgrading you will only be charged the difference between the memberships not for an entirely new membership. Additionally, you can use Punchbowl for free through our apps. If you have any questions or concerns please reach out to help@punchbowl.com and we would be more than happy to help. We want you to be happy! - Danny in Marketing

Thumbnail of user whitneyc85
1 review
4 helpful votes
October 10th, 2019

I've used Punchbowl.com a few times to make invitations and I would have given it 5/5 stars at that point, but now that they've made it into a subscriptions service I'll be looking elsewhere. I have no desire to subscribe when I only send out an invite every once in a while... like 1-2 times a year - if that. Especially because they didn't tell me until I had already completely designed the invitation.

Thumbnail of user sarahw420
Punchbowl M. – Punchbowl Rep

Whitney - We hear you and we’re sorry you are upset. From time to time we experiment with different user interface and pricing. We would be happy to upgrade you for FREE. Send an email to help@punchbowl.com and mention Sitejabber in your note. You’ll hear back from us today. We want you to be happy. - Sarah in Marketing

Thumbnail of user bill.edgette
1 review
0 helpful votes
November 11th, 2023

I found the product very easy to use compared to its competitors
The customer service team was very responsive to my questions and very helpful.
Also, the cost seemed fair.
Good work team!

Service
Value
Thumbnail of user kirbyw26
1 review
4 helpful votes
March 16th, 2023
Verified purchase

Pre-Covid I used Punchbowl many times and was pleased. But post-Covid my CC and PW got into the hands of scammers. I received 4 fraudulent charges on my credit card. The scammers even had my password which was unique to Punchbowl. Check your CC statement! I don't know if they were hacked or were involved in the fraud but I will NEVER trust Punchbowl again.

Products used:
Paperless Post

Value
Quality
Thumbnail of user davidrambhajan
1 review
0 helpful votes
June 8th, 2023

Punchbowl is a great and affordable program with options for one off users as well as high end users. With so many applications out there I'm often concerned with support. Sometimes the pricing is sneaky and locks you into something you really didn't want. My experience with Punchbowl was great. Their support was quick and very helpful. I highly recommend their program and will be a regular user.

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Thumbnail of user milannaf
1 review
10 helpful votes
January 7th, 2023

It's honestly not hard. When I sell something, I don't say, "Here's something free" and then, when a customer tries to take it, basically hold them up to extort them for money. Well, Punchbowl has no such moral qualms about treating its customers terribly. They advertise - through THE ENTIRE process - that you can make and send free invites. That's what I searched for in the search engine! Then, AFTER you've put time and work into them, Punchbowl dangles your head in a toilet and rifles you for all your spare change. Despicable. If they believed in their business, they would say, up front, that they charge for their service.

In no real-world situation would this be allowed: can you imagine a restaurant pulling this stunt? A car wash? A movie theater? Nope, there would be immediate backlash.

Despicable.

Service
Value
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Thumbnail of user sarahw420
Punchbowl M. – Punchbowl Rep

Hi. Thanks for reaching out. You can use Punchbowl for free through our apps or when you start a free trial (just cancel anytime during the free trial period and you will not be charged). We also have a 30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. Reach out to help@punchbowl.com if you have any questions! We want you to be happy! -Danny in Marketing

Thumbnail of user patriciaw690
1 review
3 helpful votes
June 12th, 2020

Had an account from a year ago where you could send cards for free. Now it is subscription only and it looks as though cheapest option is $24 a year. Billed annually. I just wanted to send a mother's day card and spent thirty minutes on it when I discovered the new fee. I would have paid the $2 monthly but when I went to confirm it showed $24 for a yesr. Just be aware before you dive into card msking. It's not free. Nice cards though which made it doubly disappointing.

* Punchbowl attempted to help this customer through the Sitejabber Resolution Center, but the customer did not respond

Thumbnail of user sarahw420
Punchbowl M. – Punchbowl Rep

Hi Patricia. We hear you and we’re sorry you had a frustrating experience when you created your card. We tried to reach you via direct message to help resolve this. Please email us at help@punchbowl.com and mention you spoke with us here on Sitejabber. We would be happy upgrade your membership for free. We want you to be happy! - Meghan in Marketing

Thumbnail of user lorip519
1 review
0 helpful votes
January 5th, 2022
Verified purchase

I had an issue but the Customer Service was great and took care of things very quickly. I would recommend this Company!

Service
Value
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Thumbnail of user alanw90
1 review
6 helpful votes
September 4th, 2017

You think that you will get a valuable service for free. What you actually get is lured into investing time and energy creating something of importance to you (an invitation to an event) which you find out, at the end, cannot be sent unless you allow tacky ads to be included in the card. The alternative? Pay Punchbowl $85 dollars -- an extortion fee, lest you loose the work you have done and have to start over with another provider. They could explain up front the terms of the agreement and let people decide for themselves if they want the product for the price. That is what an honest company would do.

Thumbnail of user sarahw420
Punchbowl M. – Punchbowl Rep

We're sorry to hear you feel this way. While you do have the option to upgrade to a paid subscription to unlock all of our membership benefits (such as an ad-free experience), our platform is completely free. We do our best to make this clear. The cost you mentioned was for an annual membership. Monthly plans are also available.

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From the business

Punchbowl makes it easy to create and send beautiful, free online invitations and digital greeting cards from your phone, tablet or desktop.

Company Representative

Thumbnail of user sarahw420
Punchbowl M.
Typically responds within 3 days

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