Just in time to send digital seasons' greetings, several top sites switch to subscription service for increasingly popular cards.

Slackers and tightwads accustomed to sending free, last-minute holiday e-cards may find the equivalent of coal in their in-box this year: Several major greeting card sites now charge for their wares. AmericanGreetings.com and recent acquisition BlueMountain.com, the two most popular e-card sites on the Web, now charge for access to their holiday selection and other specialty e-cards. The introductory offer: $11.95 for a year of access that lets you send an unlimited number of cards, as well as providing an address book and a reminder service. The company continues to offer other types of e-cards--such as "thinking of you" messages, free of charge. A dollar a month isn't exactly pricey. Still, it's likely to rub some users--accustomed to free stuff--the wrong way, even in this, the jolliest of seasons. Tops among alternate e-card sites are FlowGo and Hallmark.com, each of which has found ways to make money from their e-card offerings without charging subscription fees. At Hallmark the e-cards remain free, but the company hopes you'll stick around and buy some traditional cards or a gift certificate through its online store, says Kathi Mishek, a Hallmark spokesperson.