Frequently Asked Questions
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If you have a query you may find the information you need here. If not, please do not hesitate to contact us

Choose a question:


Is everything on the site available to buy?
Sorry, no. We have 2 types of design on show. Portfolio and stock
As many customers want a design to be created for them, we need to show our design 'portfolio'
These show designs we have previously created as examples only and are not available to purchase from stock.
However, we may be able to create similar designs adapted for you under our Gold or Silver design services.

All the stock items available to buy online, usually from stock, have a 'buy' button.

I want to make my own cards - do you sell craft materials?
Yes we do! We now offer a range of pre-creased cards (including our unusual gatefold cards), envelopes, bows, flowers and other materials.
We also provide pre-cut paper inserts which fit our cards so you can write your own greetings card, invitation and order of service inserts. You can even run them through a printer for a professional and speedy result. See our Craft Stuff page for more details.

We plan to expand the ranges available over the coming months and if you need something we don't have - please ask - we may be able to get it for you.

If you need any advice or hit a snag while making your stationery - contact us for free advice.

How do I find what I want?
Visit the shop and choose a section or use the search facility to view a collection of portfolio and stock designs which match your search.

Do you send out samples?
Yes we do.

For Gold and Silver design service, some samples are included in the price. For Bronze, we make them up on demand and if you select your style, colour and send us your text we can usually make it up for you with all those included. Because of the time it takes to handmake one-off samples, we have to make a deposit charge of £5 but you can order as many as you like.

If you then decide to order, the cost of up to 3 samples will be fully refunded from your final payment on orders over £50. Click below to order samples.

For our card blanks and craft materials we cannot offer free samples, however you can order just a few to try before you buy in any quantity and postage is free on orders under £5. We also have a sample pack of 8 A6 cards, 4 gatefold cards and 3 inserts in all our main card colours.


How do I order or buy online?
Basically there are 2 ways.

Ordering ready made cards.
Simply go to the online shop and choose a section you are interested in or do a search for what you need, e.g. 'golden wedding'. Make your selection and press 'buy' you will be guided to the checkout or you can add further purchases to your basket.

If you find a product through the search facility and there is no 'buy' facility, then that item is 'design portfolio only' and not available from stock.
It may be available to order in quantity or as a special order - contact us with the image reference number and we will gladly advise you.

Ordering Wedding or bespoke stationery
There are 3 services for this. You just choose the service that suits your needs best. Go to how to order for full details, galleries and and order forms

Gold - Full personal design and print service at your disposal.
If you want something totally unique to you, or if you have very specific or unusual requirements this is the service for you. Gold gives you the opportunity to aim for the stars - almost anything is possible!

Silver - FREE yet flexible design and print service at your disposal.
If you like the style of Black Mouse cards, but want something specific to you then this is the service for you. Silver gives you the chance to have your own design adapted from the many luxurious styles and techniques used by Black Mouse.

Bronze - 'pre-designed and ready to order' service.
If you want something luxurious and hand made but don't have the time to spend developing a new design then this is the service for you. Black Mouse offer a range of beautiful designs ready to order. Some colours and styles options are available to adapt the design to your requirements and everything is still hand made to order especially for you. Currently restricted to wedding stationery and bespoke Christmas cards (suitable for corporate cards)

Do you have a catalogue?
As we are constantly adding new designs a catalogue would quickly be out of date. Because of this and to keep costs down, we do not produce a printed catalogue at present. We have a small brochure which is now available to download from the homepage and of course, full details are always available on the website..

Visiting the website will keep you up to date, but why not sign up for free as a Premier Member and we will you send occasional updates and member only offers. (you can cancel or renew at any time)

If you have any queries or concerns, please email webmaster@blackmouse.co.uk


The shop will only let me order so many of an item and I need more - why is this?
To avoid disappoinment, we try to make sure you can only order items that are actually available - so our database won't usually let you order more of an item than we currently have in stock. If you need more, just let us know and we'll get the extra items for you as soon as possible or advise you when new stock will be available.

Is payment secure?
We use Worldpay secure servers to ensure all payments are safe.
Should you telephone your card details, we guarantee that for your added security, your card details are not stored in any way by Black Mouse once the transaction via Worldpay is complete.

Credit and debit card payments can all be taken through the shop or for one-off payments online. We don't see your card details if you pay online.

Details from Worldpay:
Online transactions
Security is probably one of the most significant concerns for both the shopper and the retailer during an online transaction. In reality an online transaction is probably more secure than a card transaction in a shop or conducted over the telephone or by fax, as the information transmitted online is highly encrypted using complicated logarithm combinations.

The WorldPay payment system uses a combination of both established and innovative techniques to ensure the security and integrity of all sensitive data. Furthermore, our public web servers are certified by Thawte, a public Certificate Authority, ensuring that both the shopper and retailer can have confidence that nobody can impersonate WorldPay to obtain confidential information.

Transaction Encryption
The transfer of the purchase details from the retailers site to Worldpay are encapsulated using our own encrypted and digitally-signed protocol. This uses a combination of standard methods such as PGP, RSA and MD5 to ensure that the information passed is secure and tamper-proof. Security for the Shopper Any communication between the shopper and WorldPay is also encrypted to the maximum strength supported by the shopper's browser using TLS or 128 Bit SSL.

Shopper are also protected from fraudulent use of their card in a "card not present" environment, by their card issuers. The card issuers provides the right for shopper to dispute a transaction if the goods/services did not arrive or if the card was used fraudulently.

Data Storage
Data storage on WorldPay systems, and the communication between WorldPay and the worldwide banking networks, is regularly audited by the banking authorities to ensure a secure transaction environment. We also ensure that we stay up-to-date with the latest versions of any third-party code we use, and continually review our own proprietary code.

I've seen that member discounts are available - how do I get these?
When you sign up to our opt-in only mailing list, you will receive our newsletters.

We don't send a lot of emails as this is considered spam and can annoy people, so we only send out a few when we have something to tell you, such as new products, special reductions or other news about the website.

As a thank you for signing up, we usually include an email 'voucher' giving money off or discounts off certain products. The products this applies to have the "Membership Discount Available". tag. These are not always the same products, for example at Christmas we usually offer discounts on more of the Christmas products.

Because of the way the voucher generation software operates, we cannot send a voucher as soon as you sign up, but you will be included in the next newsletter which usually has a voucher attached. Sometimes the voucher can be used more than once too.

Of course, you can remove your email from the list at any time but vouchers still within date can be used even after you've removed your name - you will just not get any more newsletters. We never give your email address out to anyone else, not for any reason.