Group gifts and birthdays
Collect money for a group gift without anyone fronting it
Friends chip in to a Pot from the group chat, and family can pay in through a link without joining. Whoever buys the gift gets paid back once another friend OKs it, and what's left comes back to everyone.
- No app to download
- Free to start, join and spend
The problem
One friend buys the gift, then chases everyone for $40
It's a small amount from a lot of people, so it drags on: reminders, bank details, and the one who forgot. And the aunt who'd like to chip in isn't in your group chat.
What Pot does
- Friends chip in through one link in the group chat.
- Family and colleagues pay in through a pay-in link, without joining.
- Whoever buys the gift gets paid back with one OK.
- What's left comes back to the friends in the Pot.
What Pot doesn't do
- Send a group card or an e-card.
- Send a gift card, or pay a shop for you.
- Choose or buy the gift: one of you does that, then gets paid back.
How it works
How to collect money for a group gift with Pot
Five steps, from the idea in the chat to the gift and everyone's share back.
Step 1: Start a Pot for the gift
Give it a name that doesn't give it away, like Project Thirty, and set a suggested amount each, like $40. Leave the person getting the gift out of it.
Step 2: Share the link in the group chat
Each friend taps it, reads the rules and joins, then adds their $40. The Pot shows who has.
Step 3: Send family a pay-in link
Anyone with a pay-in link can put in $1 to $10,000 without joining the Pot. The link works for 14 days, and the money belongs to the whole group.
Step 4: Buy the gift, get paid back with one OK
Whoever buys it asks the Pot to pay them back. Over $100 and up to $300, that takes one OK from another friend who has put money in.
Step 5: Close the Pot and share back what's left
Small extras like a cake, up to $100, go through on their own. Afterwards, the group approves closing the Pot and the friends in it get back their share of what's left.
Wording to send
What to send in the group chat
Copy one of these, change the name and the amount, and paste your link where it says so.
To the friends chipping in
Hi all, we're getting [name] something special for their birthday. I've started a Pot for it: put in $40 if you can, more or less is fine. I'll buy the gift, the Pot pays me back once one of you OKs it, and whatever's left comes back to us. Join here: [Pot link]
To family or colleagues
Hi, a few of us are getting [name] a gift for their birthday. If you'd like to chip in, you can pay into our Pot with this link without joining it. It works for 14 days: [pay-in link]
Worked example
A 30th birthday gift, to the cent
Six friends each put in $40, and two of Nora's relatives paid in $60 through a pay-in link, under the rules every new Pot starts with. Here's every dollar in and out, and what everyone got back.
| What | Amount | In the Pot |
|---|---|---|
| Everyone puts in $40 | + $240.00 | $240.00 |
| 6 friends in the Pot | ||
| Ruth pays in by link | + $35.00 | $275.00 |
| Nora's aunt, not in the Pot | ||
| Theo pays in by link | + $25.00 | $300.00 |
| Nora's cousin, not in the Pot | ||
| The gift, bought by Ana | − $260.00 | $40.00 |
| Needs one OK: it's over $100, up to $300. Ben gave it. | ||
| The cake, by Mia | − $25.00 | $15.00 |
| Goes through on its own: it's under the $100 instant limit | ||
| Person | Put in | Gets back |
|---|---|---|
| Ana | $40.00 | $2.50 |
| Ben | $40.00 | $2.50 |
| Kofi | $40.00 | $2.50 |
| Mia | $40.00 | $2.50 |
| Raj | $40.00 | $2.50 |
| Zara | $40.00 | $2.50 |
| Total | $240.00 | $15.00 |
Rules that fit
The right rules for a group gift
A new Pot's rules already suit a gift. Here's what they mean for yours, and two settings worth knowing.
The gift itself: keep the defaults
Anyone can spend up to $100 at a time without asking. One OK from another member covers up to $300.
If the gift costs $300 or less, one friend's OK is all it takes to pay the buyer back. Anything bigger needs more than half the group.
Family wants in: make a pay-in link
Anyone with the link can pay in $1 to $10,000 at a time, for 14 days.
They don't join the Pot. Their money belongs to the whole group and can't be taken back, and anyone in the Pot can switch off money from outside.
A date to buy by: a goal, without all or nothing
Collect $300 by the party.
A goal shows everyone how close you are. Leave all or nothing off: until its goal is reached, an all-or-nothing Pot doesn't take money from outside.
Questions
Questions about collecting money for a group gift
What's the best way to collect money for a group gift?
Collect it before anyone buys, into one place everyone can see. With Pot, friends chip in through a link in the group chat, family can pay in by link without joining, whoever buys the gift gets paid back with one OK, and what's left comes back.
How much should everyone give?
Pick the gift first, divide what it costs by the number of people, and round up a little for wrapping or a cake. A Pot shows a suggested amount each, but it's only a suggestion: people can put in more or less, and nobody is charged.
Can people who aren't in the group chip in?
Yes. Make a pay-in link and send it to them: they can pay in $1 to $10,000 for 14 days, without joining the Pot. They sign in to pay, and their money belongs to the whole group.
Will the person getting the gift see it?
Not unless someone shows them: leave them out of the Pot and the group chat. Names, notes and comments are only for people in the Pot, but a Pot's name and amounts can be looked up, so pick a name that doesn't give it away.
What if we collect too much?
Nothing is lost. Once the gift is bought, anyone in the Pot can ask to close it, and when more than half approve, the friends in it get back their share of what's left, in proportion to what each put in. It goes to each person's Pot dollars, ready for their next Pot.
Can Pot send a gift card or a group card?
No. Pot doesn't send gift cards, e-cards or group cards. One of you buys the gift, and the card if you want one, and the Pot pays you back.
Is it free?
Yes. Starting a Pot, joining one and spending from it cost nothing: Pot covers the running costs.
Start a Pot for the gift
Share the link with the friends, send family a pay-in link, and let one OK pay back whoever buys it.