Buying together should make a gift easier. Group gifts keep the suggestions, contributions and final order in one place, for family occasions and workplace farewells.
Someone suggests buying Dad a gift together. Everyone agrees. Then come the questions: what are we getting, how much are we spending, who has paid, and who is actually ordering it? The person who started the conversation can end up carrying all of it.
A colleague’s leaving gift has much the same problem, often with more people and less time. Good intentions are easy to collect. Turning them into one gift takes organising.
We built group gifts to give that organising a home.
One place for the shared decision
A group gift brings together the occasion, a target amount, a contribution deadline and a shortlist of ideas. Participants can suggest gifts and comment. One organiser makes the final choice and places the order.
That keeps a practical distinction clear: everyone can be involved, but someone is responsible for getting the gift bought. Joining the group does not make a payment, and it does not sign someone up for occasion reminders.
For Mum or Dad, it can be a place for siblings to agree on something together. For a colleague, choose the one-off leaving-gift occasion, so the farewell does not become an annual reminder.
The organiser should be able to see what is ready, without asking everyone again.
See how it works
Give the plan a home
Choose the person, name the group and set a target and deadline. These are example details, not a completed purchase.
- Choose the person and occasion
- Give the group a name
- Set the target and deadline
Set it up before you share it
- In Reminders, choose Start group gift, or use Plan group gift from the person’s page.
- Choose the person and occasion, then add the group name, date, target amount and contribution deadline. Allow for delivery and any extras in the target.
- Preview the invitation and share it with the people taking part. You share it yourself; keep the recipient out of the group if the gift is a surprise.
- Use the shared shortlist and comments to settle on a gift, then check the confirmed funds before placing the order.
A shortlist is a place to decide, rather than a reservation. The gift is not reserved until the order is confirmed, so the organiser still needs to check availability and the delivery date.
How the money works
Participants contribute by card through Stripe. Their cards are charged when they contribute, and only confirmed funds are available to spend. Fig & Bloom covers the processing fees, so the full contribution goes towards the gift.
The organiser can see contributors’ names and amounts. Contributors can see the group totals and their own payments. That gives the organiser the information needed to finish the purchase without making everyone’s individual contribution visible to the whole group.
Collection stops when the target is reached. If the final order costs more, the organiser needs to top up explicitly. A gift below the target is also possible, provided the available funds cover the whole order, including delivery and extras.
Unspent contributions can be withdrawn before checkout locks them. If the gift is cancelled or the purchase deadline is missed, contributions are refunded. Any unused money after the purchase is returned proportionally to the original payment methods. Refund processing takes time, so it is worth reading the terms shown in the contribution screen.
Keep the attention on the person receiving it
The useful result is one gift, chosen together, without the organiser rebuilding the plan from separate messages and bank transfers. Everyone can help decide what would suit Mum, Dad or the colleague they will miss. The shared page holds the practical details while you do that.
Start a group gift in Reminders. If choosing is the part your group finds hardest, read how a little hint makes a better gift.
