You spend on ads to win the order, on fabric and stitching to make the product, and on couriers to deliver it. Then the customer opens the parcel — and for most brands, nothing happens. No note, no reason to come back, no nudge to leave a review. That's a missed moment, and it's one of the cheapest to fix.

Packaging inserts — thank-you cards, care cards, discount and referral cards, stickers — cost very little but shape the unboxing experience that drives repeat orders and reviews for D2C brands. Here's the kit and how to use it.

The unboxing kit at a glance

Thank-you card
  • A warm, personal note
  • Turns a sale into a relationship
  • Founder's message + a next-order code
Care card
  • Friendly wash & care guidance
  • Protects the garment & your reviews
  • Better-designed than the sewn-in label
Discount / referral card
  • A direct reason to buy again
  • Or to refer a friend
  • The most measurable insert
Stickers & tissue
  • Branded seal on the tissue wrap
  • A logo sticker to keep
  • The finishing touch

The thank-you card: your cheapest retention tool

For an online brand, the parcel is the only physical touchpoint you have. A warm thank-you card — ideally a short founder's note, a discount for the next order, and a gentle request for a review — turns a one-off buyer into a repeat customer. It costs a rupee or two and lifts repeat purchase and reviews measurably.

Put one action on it. A card that says "thank you" is nice; a card that says "thank you — here's 10% off your next order, code WELCOME10" is a retention tool. Give the customer one clear, easy next step.

The care card vs the care label

These are two different things and both have a job:

Care card (insert)
  • Friendly, detailed, well-designed
  • Explains washing, drying, storing
  • Optional brand touch — kept or binned
Care label (sewn-in)
  • Permanent, compulsory
  • Wash symbols & fibre content
  • Stays with the garment for life

The card complements the label — it can't replace it. For exactly what the sewn-in label must legally carry, see our care label requirements guide.

Sizes & stock

9×5
Business-card (cm)
A6
Thank-you / care
A5
Fuller insert
300+
GSM stock

A6 on a thick 300 GSM+ stock is a great default — substantial in the hand without adding weight or cost. Match the stock to your brand: kraft for natural, textured for premium. The same stock rules as hang tags apply here.

Why inserts pay for themselves

  • Repeat orders — a discount insert gives a direct, measurable reason to buy again
  • Reviews — a QR to your review page lifts review volume, which lifts conversion
  • Referrals — a "share with a friend" card turns one buyer into two
  • Fewer returns — a clear care card reduces wash-damage complaints

At a rupee or two each, the maths is easy. Even a tiny uplift in repeat rate or reviews pays for the whole insert kit many times over. Inserts are among the highest-return branding spend a D2C brand has.

The short answer

Packaging inserts — a thank-you card, a care card, a discount or referral card and a branded sticker — shape the unboxing moment that drives repeat orders, reviews and referrals for D2C brands. Give the thank-you card one clear next step, use the care card to complement (not replace) the sewn-in label, and print on 300 GSM+ stock at A6 for a premium feel. At roughly ₹1–4 per card, the kit pays for itself on a tiny uplift in repeat rate. Send us your design and we'll sample the full insert set with your labels and tags.