Enveloupe: An API for snail mail (opens in new tab)

(enveloupe.com)

49 pointsdhaivatpandya9y ago42 comments

42 comments

Prompting users to enter payment information over unsecured HTTP...smart.

r1ch9y ago

Seriously! It's 2016, unless you rely on 3rd party resources that don't support HTTPS there's no reason why your site shouldn't be HTTPS only. Certificates are free and there's negligible performance overhead with modern CPUs.

lol7689y ago

Looks like it does support HTTPS but there's no redirect & HSTS in place to force use of the secure site which is odd.

daw___9y ago

Yep, although the form posts to a secure URL: https://api.stripe.com/v1/tokens

Gurrewe9y ago

Doesn't make it better tough, a MITM could change the action URL of the form.

2 more replies

ryanbertrand9y ago

Usually Stripe throws warnings into the console for using their JS lib while on a HTTP site.

ataylor329y ago

See http://www.troyhunt.com/2013/05/your-login-form-posts-to-htt...

nanis9y ago

There is Lob as well: https://lob.com/

dannysu9y ago

Lob is great. I've used them to mail postcards as well as letters before. They also recently started allowing you to use HTML for the design rather than PDFs.

ryanbertrand9y ago

Looks great. The only downside (like most companies) is HIPAA compliance only comes with the >$900/mo price points.

sjtgraham9y ago

That's customer segmentation 101.

godzillabrennus9y ago

I'm about to use them for a startup. Anything I should know? Tips and tricks welcome.

andrewjshults9y ago

(my opinions, not my employer's standard disclosure) Lob team has been great to work with - they've accommodated a lot of tweaks we've needed (custom paper, much higher levels of verification). They're good at API backwards compatibility, but they are pretty active on the development front, so it's worth keeping an eye on what changes are coming through on the SDK.

1 more reply

jc4p9y ago

I used Lob for a small side project, it was fantastic. We simply sent HTML to them, which worked out great since we didn't have to deal with any real typesetting and got to design letters with HTML/CSS.

shravvmehtaa9y ago

Hey, Lob employee here! Feel free to email me at shrav@lob.com. I'd be happy to give you any tips or tricks!

brianbreslin9y ago

Wasn't there a company that started doing Instagram postcard mailing, and eventually offered the API as well they were using?

turley9y ago

My side project, OttoPost[1] does Instagram postcard mailing. It's currently using Lob's API (which has been great). There are several others too, though.

[1] https://www.ottopost.com

scott_hardy9y ago

I made a little side project that I use to send postcards to my grandma: https://github.com/scott113341/post

It sends the requests to the Lob API directly, so you there's no price markup! $0.70 for a 4"x6" postcard and $1.50 for a 6"x11".

yarone9y ago

Years ago there was postful: http://postful.com/

And postal methods: http://www.postalmethods.com/

harryzhang9y ago

http://repostage.com/

These guys are doing this, as I believe are many others.

cripblip9y ago

Nice! As a heavy user of postagram .. (#1 grandson.. Check) An iOS app that makes this appear in the print options please then I can..: login to a central site afterwards and choose the content I want to print -> snail mail it to destination

Additionally you could Offer printers to local stores, I could print to my bodega/gas station/Amazon parcel drop/staples etc (Pickup the job via qr code displayed on phone/Apple Pay) for things I need now

dhaivatpandyaOP9y ago

For some reason, the https redirect broke - working on fixing it. Rest assured, https://enveloupe.com/api/new works perfectly.

Kinnard9y ago

Looks cool! This should totally exist and be independent of any given country's postal system. Perhaps prepend a "SHOW HN: "

zeeshanm9y ago

If I were you I'd put link to API docs in top navigation. If you are targeting to devs, that's the first thing they look for.

lemieux9y ago

Payment info over HTTP? Ehhh, no thanks.

modoc9y ago

I'm looking for something like that that's the best fit for singleton mailings. I want to send one letter at a time. The pricing here isn't unreasonable for that ($1.09), but it seems geared for bulk mailings? Any suggestions?

1812Overture9y ago

Plenty of printing companies have APIs already (and much lower prices).

jgalt2129y ago

Can you list a few?

1812Overture9y ago

I've using Printing 4 Less. They've got one, and they're not exactly a big fish. I'd imagine most of these would: http://www.piworld.com/article/the-2015-printing-impressions...

TeMPOraL9y ago

Looks interesting, though I must ask - where exactly is the API? Or are we to hook up directly to the HTML form endpoint?

matmann20019y ago

You should link to the landing page.

TamDenholm9y ago

I'd like to see the same service for the UK.

jdietrich9y ago

Here you go:

http://www.docmail.co.uk/api/ https://developers.clicksend.com/ https://www.stannp.com/

shravvmehtaa9y ago

Lob employee here. We are running beta services in the UK, please email support@lob.com for more information!

TamDenholm9y ago

brilliant, i didnt know this. Thanks

greysteil9y ago

You can use Lob in the UK. We (GoCardless) do, and have had a good experience.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

42 comments

whitehat2k99y ago

Prompting users to enter payment information over unsecured HTTP...smart.

r1ch9y ago

lol7689y ago

Looks like it does support HTTPS but there's no redirect & HSTS in place to force use of the secure site which is odd.

daw___9y ago

Yep, although the form posts to a secure URL: https://api.stripe.com/v1/tokens

Gurrewe9y ago

Doesn't make it better tough, a MITM could change the action URL of the form.

2 more replies

ryanbertrand9y ago

Usually Stripe throws warnings into the console for using their JS lib while on a HTTP site.

ataylor329y ago

See http://www.troyhunt.com/2013/05/your-login-form-posts-to-htt...

nanis9y ago

There is Lob as well: https://lob.com/

dannysu9y ago

Lob is great. I've used them to mail postcards as well as letters before. They also recently started allowing you to use HTML for the design rather than PDFs.

ryanbertrand9y ago

Looks great. The only downside (like most companies) is HIPAA compliance only comes with the >$900/mo price points.

sjtgraham9y ago

That's customer segmentation 101.

godzillabrennus9y ago

I'm about to use them for a startup. Anything I should know? Tips and tricks welcome.

andrewjshults9y ago

1 more reply

jc4p9y ago

shravvmehtaa9y ago

Hey, Lob employee here! Feel free to email me at shrav@lob.com. I'd be happy to give you any tips or tricks!

brianbreslin9y ago

Wasn't there a company that started doing Instagram postcard mailing, and eventually offered the API as well they were using?

turley9y ago

My side project, OttoPost[1] does Instagram postcard mailing. It's currently using Lob's API (which has been great). There are several others too, though.

[1] https://www.ottopost.com

scott_hardy9y ago

I made a little side project that I use to send postcards to my grandma: https://github.com/scott113341/post

It sends the requests to the Lob API directly, so you there's no price markup! $0.70 for a 4"x6" postcard and $1.50 for a 6"x11".

yarone9y ago

Years ago there was postful: http://postful.com/

And postal methods: http://www.postalmethods.com/

harryzhang9y ago

http://repostage.com/

These guys are doing this, as I believe are many others.

cripblip9y ago

dhaivatpandyaOP9y ago

For some reason, the https redirect broke - working on fixing it. Rest assured, https://enveloupe.com/api/new works perfectly.

Kinnard9y ago

Looks cool! This should totally exist and be independent of any given country's postal system. Perhaps prepend a "SHOW HN: "

zeeshanm9y ago

If I were you I'd put link to API docs in top navigation. If you are targeting to devs, that's the first thing they look for.

lemieux9y ago

Payment info over HTTP? Ehhh, no thanks.

modoc9y ago

1812Overture9y ago

Plenty of printing companies have APIs already (and much lower prices).

jgalt2129y ago

Can you list a few?

1812Overture9y ago

I've using Printing 4 Less. They've got one, and they're not exactly a big fish. I'd imagine most of these would: http://www.piworld.com/article/the-2015-printing-impressions...

TeMPOraL9y ago

Looks interesting, though I must ask - where exactly is the API? Or are we to hook up directly to the HTML form endpoint?

matmann20019y ago

You should link to the landing page.

TamDenholm9y ago

I'd like to see the same service for the UK.

jdietrich9y ago

Here you go:

http://www.docmail.co.uk/api/ https://developers.clicksend.com/ https://www.stannp.com/

shravvmehtaa9y ago

Lob employee here. We are running beta services in the UK, please email support@lob.com for more information!

TamDenholm9y ago

brilliant, i didnt know this. Thanks

greysteil9y ago

You can use Lob in the UK. We (GoCardless) do, and have had a good experience.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse