RIH
App: Race it Home
Price: Free
Available on: iPhone, iPad and Android Phones
What is it?
Race it Home is a seriously cool app for travellers who love to send postcards home. Forget the hassle of trying to find a post office in a foreign country or worse, asking for a stamp in a different language, now you can send a proper postcard in a few taps on your smart phone or iPad.
Simply create an account with Race it Home and follow the instructions on from the ‘Send Card’ option which allows you to choose the size of the postcard you want to send (either A5 or A6) and whether you would like your postcard to be sent via express (1st class) or standard (2nd class) delivery. Take a photo on your device, upload it to your Race it Home account on the app, write a message (the app allows for 162 characters) to go on the postcard and click send.
It’s as easy as that and within minutes your postcard will be printed out in the Race it Home UK printing station and popped in the UK post. Your recipient will receive the postcard in days, not the traditional weeks as is the case sometimes when sending postcards from abroad. You can even select where in the world you are before sending the postcard.
Personal Travel Touches:
The great thing about this travel app is that you have the option to send a personalised postcard from front to back. Where you would usually send a touristy image of a famous landmark or a beach and blue sky, Race it Home allows YOU to take and select the photo that you want on the front of the postcard. Whether that is you and a group of friends lounging by the pool in Tenerife, a picture of you getting up close with the African wildlife or a shot of you with locals in a remote village in China, there is complete freedom when deciding which photo you want for your postcard. This also means that you can send multiple postcards with different personalised images to as many people as you like at the click of a button, of course, provided that you have internet access.
We Love:
When trying out the app I selected an A6 postcard to be sent home via 2nd class postage. However, I quickly realised that I had no holiday snaps on my iPhone and so selected an image of a bouquet of flowers that I had recently bought for my mum’s birthday. It occurred to me then that Race it Home, although predominantly a travel postcard app, is also great for sending postcards for special occasions such as birthdays, weddings and engagements (especially if you can’t make it to a loved one’s celebrations). On top of this, if you are stuck for time with party invitations, then postcard invites could be a good time-saving option.
I also found the interface of the app to be very user-friendly with clear instructions. The ‘edit address and message’ option is of course vital to the functioning of the app, however, it was nice to see the app go a step further in offering five different fonts for your message and also an option for ‘font size’ (small, medium or large) – truly allowing for personal choice. Addresses can also be pre-loaded onto your account via 'Address book' before heading off, saving even more time.
Downfall:
It would be great for more features to be added onto the app, such as being able to select more than one photo to be printed in a split screen effect on the front of the postcard. More font types and font colours as well as symbols such as emoticons would also be welcomed for the future development of the app.
Though the app is free, the postcards will cost you. However, this shouldn’t be
a real downfall because the pricing is simple. After choosing the size and postage options for your postcard, Race it Home charges ‘credits’ per card sent. So, you can send your postcard ‘pay as you go’ for £1.49 or buy credits beforehand - £1.49 buys you 100 credits, which will allow you to send one A6 postcard via standard delivery. The good thing about credits is that the more you purchase the cheaper they are and they never expire. You can pay through paypal or using a credit/debit card. So, if you know that you are going to want to send 10 postcards to friends and family then buying credits in advance would work well as the cheaper option for you.
Verdict:
With many Brits remaining faithful to the tradition of sending postcards, Race it Home offers the type of ease and convenience that traveller’s value. It’s simple, affordable and just as easy as posting a social network holiday update. Race it Home provides the chance to create a lasting memento for both tech-savvy holidaymakers and traditional postcard senders. A bright, fun and accessible travel app, Race it Home will help you avoid the age-old problem of postcards going astray or arriving weeks later.
For younger travellers, Facebook integration allows for easy access of photos from their profile, while sending a postcard takes just minutes and can be done from the comfort of their sun lounger. Perfect for every type of holiday and traveller, from sun-seekers, adventure-lovers, safari enthusiasts and culture vultures, Race it Home is a must-have travel app if you are looking to share your holiday experience or simply make those at home envy where you are. For its innovative yet simplistic service, Race it Home gets a travel-tastic 4/5.
Do you have the Race it Home app? Tell us what you think of the app in the comments below or tweet us @FemaleFirst_UK
Race it Home is available for download from the iTunes Store and Google Play.
FemaleFirst
Shabana Adam @Shabana_FAM