Office & remote-team Secret Santa

1. Invite people, without pressure

Ask who wants to take part before collecting names. Make opting out easy and avoid asking colleagues to explain why. Invite the organiser too: they join using the same group link and save their own personal link.

For a hybrid team, decide whether gifts will be exchanged in the office, delivered privately or sent digitally. Everyone should have a workable option, including people who cannot attend a live gathering.

2. Agree the budget and delivery rules

Choose an amount that feels comfortable for everyone, rather than treating a spending limit as a target to exceed. Secret Santa Post lets the organiser set a suggested budget and currency. There is no default amount: enter yours explicitly.

For colleagues in Singapore and abroad, agree whether postage counts towards the budget and how people should handle local-currency equivalents. The app shows the chosen currency; it does not convert amounts. Check delivery areas, customs costs and restrictions before buying. For e-gift cards, check that the recipient can redeem them in their country.

3. Work backwards from the gift swap

This is an example schedule, not a delivery guarantee. Add more time for international shipping or busy holiday periods.

1. Three to four weeks before: invite colleagues, agree the budget and choose the swap date.
2. Two to three weeks before: close sign-ups and draw names. Confirm exclusions before drawing if your group uses them.
3. Before the carrier's cutoff: send gifts using a delivery service that covers the recipient's location. Share shipping details privately, not in a public group description.
4. On swap day: open gifts together or let colleagues post a thank-you asynchronously.
5. After the swap: decide whether to reveal the Santas or keep the mystery.

4. Collect hints, not more personal data

Participants join with their name and email, without an account. Their introduction, likes, dislikes, allergies and short self-care quiz are optional. A few specific hints can help colleagues who do not know each other well choose a thoughtful gift.

Suggest workplace-appropriate gifts and respect dietary needs, alcohol preferences and other no-gos. Arrange delivery addresses directly with the organiser through a private channel; the app does not provide an address-collection or shipping service.

5. Keep personal links safe and the organiser surprised

After joining, each participant lands on a personal page. Ask them to bookmark or copy that link immediately. Names are drawn on the first visit to an invite, personal or organiser page after the deadline; the organiser can also draw early, closing sign-ups.

Participants return to their saved links to see their match and gift hints. Match emails are not sent automatically. The organiser can resend a lost link privately or open an individual reminder in their own email app.

The organiser can track who has opened their match without viewing the pairings. Do not open another participant's personal link: doing so spoils the surprise and records that match as viewed.

6. Handle changes and the optional final reveal

If someone drops out, tell the organiser promptly. After the draw, removing a participant hands their recipient to the person who was buying for them. That person's viewed status resets, so remind them to check their link again before buying. Removal is blocked when only two participants remain.

After gifts are swapped, the organiser may turn on Reveal all matches. Everyone's personal page then shows who their Santa was and the complete pairings. This is optional: leave it off for a permanent mystery, or hide the list again later. Remote colleagues can check the reveal in their own time.