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Article 12 min read

42 customer thank you card ideas to show your appreciation

Show your customers how much their business means to you with our thank you note samples and email templates.

By Hannah Wren, Staff Writer

Last updated February 23, 2024

The gist:

  • Email, package inserts, and direct mail are great channels for sending customers thank you notes.
  • Keep the note short and sweet, but also personal. Don’t include include obvious product promotions.
  • Send your thank you note as soon as possible.

Showing your customers how much you value their business with digital thank you notes and direct mail can go a long way. After all, customer appreciation is key to customer retention and satisfaction.

Keep reading to learn how to write a professional customer thank you note from start to finish, and get some tips for wowing your customers in the process. If you’d like to jump ahead, click through our table of contents and explore thank you note examples.

“Thank you for your purchase” messages

Send a nice thank you message to show customers your appreciation and educate them on how to make the most of your product or service. It’s easy to attach a brief message when you email an order confirmation to your customers.

1. Thank you for shopping with us! Each order means the world to us, and we’re so happy you chose our small business today. Please submit your feedback here [hyperlink] if you have any feedback about your purchase.

2. Hey there, [Customer Name]! It looks like you recently ordered a new [Product Name]. We wanted to thank you for shopping with [Company Name] and to offer you [number] percent cash back when you share your review here: [link]

3. Thanks so much for shopping with [Company Name]! Check back in on [date] to see our latest release.

4. Thank you for shopping with [Company Name]! Here are some resources you can review for help getting started with [Product Name].

“Thank you for your loyalty” messages

When your customers stick around for a while, let them know how much you appreciate their loyalty with a quick thank you note. Believe us—showing that you care will go a long way toward boosting retention and satisfaction.

5. It’s been a wild ride this past year, and it’s been a pleasure to help your team achieve [state business goals]. We’re so happy to hear that you’ve decided to renew and that we get to work with your team for another year.

6. Thank you for another year with [Company Name]. We’re so happy that you’ve decided to continue your business with us. Our team is honored that we were able to help you achieve [list achievements], and we couldn’t be more excited to continue this journey with you.

7. Thank you for your continued support, [Customer Name]. It has been our pleasure to work closely with you and your team to [describe a goal or project]. Here’s to another year of collaboration! We’re excited to see what the future holds.

“Thank you for your feedback” messages

Honest feedback is key to progress, so thank customers when they take the time to leave a review for your business. Even negative reviews can offer crucial insights, allowing you to improve your products and grow your company.

8. Thank you for sharing your valuable feedback!

9. Thanks for sharing your feedback with us! We look forward to implementing your suggestions.

10. Thanks for sharing your experience with us!

11. We appreciate you bringing [re-state issue] to our attention! Our team is actively working on a solution.

Email template: Replying to positive feedback

12. Hi [Customer Name],

We’re so happy you had a great experience with [product]. Our team works hard to create top-of-the-line solutions, and we’re ecstatic to hear that our product has been a good fit for your company.

To show our appreciation for your continued business, here is a [deal, discount, or freebie].

Thank you,
[Agent Name]

Email template: Replying to negative feedback

13. Hi [Customer Name],

I’m sorry to hear about [re-state the customer’s problem]. Are you available at one of the following times on [date] to meet with one of our representatives?

  • [Time]
  • [Time]
  • [Time]

We’d be happy to help you troubleshoot and discuss alternative solutions.

Talk to you soon,
[Agent Name]

14. Hey [Customer Name],

We’re sorry that you are dissatisfied with your purchase.

To make this right, we’d like to offer you a full refund, and we will email you a shipping label so you can return the product free of charge.

If you’d like to discuss other possible solutions, feel free to reach out to one of our support representatives. Our customer service hours are [list hours of operation].

Regards,
[Agent Name]

“Thank you for your collaboration” messages

Collaborations are great for creating successful sales enablement and content marketing materials, especially for B2B businesses. If a client is willing to help you with a campaign, send them a thank you note as soon as possible.

15. Thank you for sharing your results with us for our latest [case study, customer story, or alternative content type]. It’s awesome to see the results your team has achieved using our product, and we look forward to our continued collaboration.

16. Collaboration with [positive adjective] businesses like yours makes our work worth doing. Thank you for your partnership. We’re excited to connect on more projects in the future.

17. Thank you for contributing to our [Campaign Name] campaign. Your thoughtful insights were invaluable to its success.

“Thank you for your email subscription” messages

Most people despise the constant barrage of ads in their email inboxes and tightly guard their email addresses. If they subscribe to your emails, consider it an opportunity to connect with them and sell your products. To show your appreciation, shoot them a message thanking them and telling them more about the (non-spammy) content they can expect from you.

18. Thank you for subscribing to our email newsletter—you’ll be happy you did! Stay tuned for insider insights, discounts, and more.

19. Thanks for your subscription! Keep an eye on your inbox for deals, updates, and company news.

“Thank you for your payment” messages

Let customers know that they’re a valued part of your organization and that you appreciate their timely payment. To add value, you can also offer them the option to set up auto-pay or other perks.

20. Thank you for your order! We appreciate your business, so here is a complimentary code for [number] percent off your next order.

21. Thanks for shopping with [Company Name]! We have received your payment. Please keep an eye on your email for shipping and tracking information.

22. Thank you for making your payment. Your next payment due date is [date].

23. Thank you for placing an order with [Company Name]! If you want to set up auto-pay so you never miss a payment, please click here: [add hyperlink].

The importance of showing customer appreciation

Your customer appreciation ideas should extend beyond standard customer support interactions. Your clients should feel valued at every touchpoint and know, without a doubt, that their business matters to you. Going the extra mile to thank your customers has many benefits:

The Zendesk Thank You Machine

Create a free thank you card and customize it to your heart’s content. If you’re not a natural when it comes to writing appreciation messages, you can follow the prompts for help creating a thoughtful client thank you note.

How to write a “Thank you for your business” note to a customer

Anatomy of a thank you note

Deciding what to write in a thank you card doesn’t have to be hard.

Start by identifying a standard for your brand cohesion and budget, and go from there. Begin by cementing a few thank-you strategies and formats for written notes. Then, you can determine which purchases, actions, or account characteristics warrant using each thank you.

When you plan to thank clients for their business, these are the steps you’ll want to follow:

3 ideas for sending thank you notes to customers

Now that you know how to write a thank you note to customers, you need to decide how to send it. Here are some ideas for you to try:

  1. Email

    Email is a great way to follow up quickly with the recipient and ensure that they receive the message. It’s also efficient because you can build a solid email list by requesting customer emails early in your working relationship, which you can then use to send thank you notes.

  2. Package inserts

    If you’re already shipping a customer’s order, you might as well take the opportunity to include a thank you note. You can also add goodies for a fun surprise; gifts like stickers and bookmarks are exciting for the customer and can boost brand recognition.

  3. Direct mail

    This is the perfect way to send buyers handwritten notes, and it will help you stand out because not many people send snail mail these days. To sweeten the deal, you can throw in company-branded swag. Your customers will love the freebie, and you’ll also get some free advertising when they show it off.

    Ultimately, you should send thank you notes to your customers using the channels they’re most comfortable with—even if that means picking up the phone or sending a DM to thank a customer who’s always on the go. Putting some extra thought into how you deliver a thank you message is another way of showing your appreciation and that you truly know the recipient.

Tips for saying thank you professionally

Dos and Donts of writing a thank you note

Writing thank you notes to show your appreciation is a time-honored tradition, but the display of gratitude does come with some etiquette rules. When writing a professional thank you message, be authentic and personable without sacrificing professional boundaries.

Before you get started, here are some of the dos and don’ts of writing a professional thank you note.

The dos

Here are some things you can do to write a thank you note that the recipient will appreciate:

  • Strike the right tone: Don’t hide behind a mask of professionalism. Keep things lighthearted and genuine to show your recipient that you mean what you’re saying.

  • Keep it short and sweet: You don’t have to write a novel to show appreciation—keep it brief.

  • Make it personal: Feel free to share anecdotes about your time working together or even an inside joke to humanize your note.

The don’ts

Here are some things you should avoid when writing or sending a thank you message:

  • Include obvious promotions: Say thank you without any ulterior motives. This is the time for showing gratitude, not upselling your business.

  • Wait too long: Send your thank you note as soon as possible, especially if you plan to mail it.

  • Be too casual: Don’t use slang or inappropriate pet names when thanking someone in your professional network.

Thank you note examples: Brands that are doing it right

Fist bump

Want to see how some popular brands are showing appreciation for their customers? Keep reading for a look into these real-world examples.

Spotify: Spotify Wrapped

Spotify Wrapped made waves in 2016 because Spotify formulated a completely original way of thanking customers for using the platform. It was such a widespread success that this tactic started popping up in other industries like retail and finance.

But why did it become an overnight success? Here’s our assessment.

Keys to success: Spotify found a new way to connect with customers and personalized its thank you messages by focusing on the user’s experience with the platform. The added component of shareability also created a buzz that everyone wanted to be a part of.

The company used this virtual method of appreciation to bring listeners back into the app, too. After closing out the year-wrapped video with a brief, “thanks for spending the year with us” message, Spotify kept users listening by creating playlists of their most listened-to songs and tracks they might have missed.

For a closer look at why the thank you works, let’s see how Spotify nailed the dos and don’ts.

  • Strike the right tone: Spotify often goes with a theme for entertainment (the theme for 2022 was “Into the genre-verse”), uses conversational language, and plays listeners’ favorite songs throughout the video.

  • Keep it short and sweet: The “Spotify Wrapped” video is just a few minutes long. Each slide uses concise text and contains a lot of attention-grabbing visuals to hold the viewer’s attention.

  • Make it personal: The entire video is about the user and their music interests.

  • No obvious promotions: There are no obvious promotions in the video besides Spotify’s branding. The playlists at the end seem like a natural and enjoyable next step.

  • Timely: The company spends a year collecting data and releases Spotify Wrapped at the same time each year.

Chewy: Pet portraits

Chewy was founded in June 2011 and continues to grow in popularity. From the start, the company has been dedicated to making shopping for your pet convenient. The support center is staffed by a team of pet owners with a customer-first mentality and a passion for helping fellow animal lovers. Now, Chewy is also showing its customers appreciation with complimentary pet portraits.

Keys to success: The online retailer goes above and beyond to commission custom pet portraits to surprise random customers and thank them for their business. They work with hundreds of painters nationwide to create the art, and recipients are typically quick to show them off on their social channels, further promoting the brand.

  • Strike the right tone: The thank you cards are handwritten, and they’re written in a friendly, casual tone.

  • Keep it short and sweet: The thank you card shares a brief sentiment, and the painting speaks for itself.

  • Make it personal: Chewy recreates photos of pets that shoppers uploaded to their Chewy accounts.

  • No obvious promotions: Other than signing the customer appreciation note, “The Chewy Family,” there are no promotions.

Thank your customers by providing outstanding customer service

While a handwritten note is a nice way to show gratitude, one of the best ways to show customers you care is by providing them with exceptional support. Train your agents on the best practices for connecting with customers, and ensure they have the needed customer service tools to provide fast and accurate solutions.

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