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No. They point their phone camera at the QR code printed on the card, which opens a web page, and then hold the phone over the photo. Everything runs in the browser — there is nothing to download, and nothing to sign up for.

Any reasonably current iPhone or Android phone with a camera and a browser. On iPhone, use Safari; on Android, use Chrome — those browsers handle camera permissions most reliably. An in-app browser (the one inside a messenger) sometimes blocks camera access; if the screen stays black, open the link in the full browser instead.

The printed photo itself is the trigger. We compile that image into a tracking target when the card is created, so when the camera recognises it the video plays in place, aligned to the paper. Move the card and the video moves with it.

No — the video is streamed, so the phone needs a connection the first time it plays. Weak signal shows a loading state rather than failing outright.

One year from the day the order is placed. We will contact you before it lapses, and it can be extended — a card should not go dark because a year passed.

No, but it is faster. Every template is a real, finished layout you can replace entirely — the photos, the text, the colours, the fonts. Starting blank is one click away in the builder.

Anything your phone shot. Short works best — most people watch between five and twenty seconds. Vertical or horizontal both work; the AR layer matches whatever shape the photo on the card is.

Yes. Each photo on the card can hide its own video, so a folded card can carry a whole sequence of moments. The AR fee grows with the number of moments — see the ladder on the pricing page.

The printed card is locked once it goes to the printer, because at that point it is a physical object in a queue. Before that, edit as much as you like — the builder saves as you go.

Yes. Order the digital PDF and print it wherever you like. Keep the photo sharp and unglossy where possible — a heavily reflective finish under harsh light makes the camera work harder.

Flat postcards at 4.25 × 5.5″, 5 × 7″ and 6 × 4″, and folded cards at 4.25 × 5.5″, A5 and A4. Sizes differ between formats because they are produced by different partners on their own real stock.

Depends on the size. The US-inch sizes offer dull, matte, McCoy and Finch stock; the ISO sizes offer a gloss or matte finish. The choice appears in checkout with its own price, because paper genuinely changes the cost.

Folded cards produced by Prodigi include an envelope. Flat postcards are sent as postcards.

Only the QR code and a small line pointing at virar.io, because without them the recipient has no way in to the AR layer. The parcel itself is unbranded — nothing on the outside says VirAR, and nothing says the printer's name either.

By card, through Stripe, on the last step of the order. We never see or store your card number — it goes straight to Stripe.

US dollars. If your card is in another currency your bank converts at its own rate.

At checkout, before anything is printed. Nothing goes to the print partner until the payment has been confirmed.

A card carrying your own photos and video is made specifically for you, so it is not returnable simply because you changed your mind. If it arrives damaged, misprinted, or the AR layer does not work, that is ours to fix — write to us and we will reprint or refund it.

Anyone holding the card, because the QR code on it is the key — that is the whole point of the product. The link is not listed or searchable anywhere, but treat a card the way you would treat a printed photo: whoever has it can look at it.

No. Your uploads are used to build and serve your card, and nothing else. We do not train anything on them, and we do not use them in our own materials — there is no checkbox that signs your photos over, and uploading a card grants nothing of the sort.

Email us from the address the order was placed with and we will delete the draft, the uploads and the AR scene. See the privacy policy for what that covers and how long it takes.