What is "postcardware"

n. (context computing English) A software product whose author requests as payment a postcard from the user's hometown.

Postcardware, also called just cardware, is a style of software distribution similar to shareware, distributed by the author on the condition that users send the author a postcard.

A variation of cardware, Emailware, uses the same approach but requires the user to send the author an email. Postcardware, like other "novelty" software distribution terms, is often not strictly enforced.

Cardware is similar to beerware.