Surprise Gifts

Sometimes you find the perfect gift that isn’t on their wishlist. Surprise Gifts let you track these off-list purchases while still coordinating with other givers to avoid duplicates.

Tip

Surprise gifts work just like regular claims — other givers can see that you’re getting something for that person, but the recipient never sees it.

What Is a Surprise Gift?

A surprise gift is a gift you’re giving someone that wasn’t on their wishlist. You create it yourself and add it to your shopping list so you (and optionally other givers) can track it.

Common scenarios:

Scenario	Example
Found something perfect	You spotted a limited edition item they’d love
Handmade gift	You’re making something custom for them
Experience gift	Concert tickets, spa day, cooking class
Last-minute find	Great deal on something you know they’d want

Creating a Surprise Gift

1. Navigate to an event or wishlist where you’re shopping for someone
2. Click the Surprise Gift button (usually near the top of the page)
3. Select recipient — Choose who this gift is for
4. Add product details (optional):
   • Paste a product URL to auto-fill details
   • Or click Manual Entry to enter details yourself
5. Fill in the gift info:
   • Gift Name — What are you getting them?
   • Price — How much does it cost?
   • Private Notes — Color, size, where to buy, etc. (only you see this)
6. Set visibility:
   • Private — Only you can see this gift
   • Visible to Coordinators — Other event coordinators can see it
7. Click Create Surprise Gift

Visibility Options

Control who can see your surprise gift:

Visibility	Who Can See	Best For
Private	Only you	Personal surprises, handmade gifts
Visible to Coordinators	You + event coordinators	Coordinating with co-planners

Note

Even when visible to coordinators, the recipient never sees surprise gifts. Giverr’s privacy model protects the surprise.

Finding Your Surprise Gifts

Your surprise gifts appear in your Shopping List alongside regular claimed gifts. You can:

• Filter to see only surprise gifts
• Update their status (To Buy → Purchased → Wrapped → Given)
• Edit details at any time

Surprise Gifts in Events

When you create a surprise gift for an event:

• The gift counts toward your event budget (if budgets are enabled)
• Event coordinators can see it (if you set visibility to coordinators)
• It appears in the event’s gift coordination view

User Journey: Birthday Surprise

Let’s say you’re shopping for your friend Sarah’s birthday and you found concert tickets she’d love:

1. Open Sarah’s birthday event or wishlist
2. Click Surprise Gift
3. Sarah is already selected as the recipient
4. Skip the URL (no link for concert tickets) → Click Manual Entry
5. Enter:
   • Name: “Taylor Swift Concert Tickets”
   • Price: $250
   • Notes: “Section 105, Row 12, Seats 3-4”
6. Keep visibility Private (it’s your special surprise)
7. Click Create Surprise Gift

Now the tickets appear in your shopping list, and other givers see that you have a surprise planned for Sarah (without knowing what it is).

Tips for Surprise Gifts

• Use notes liberally — Record confirmation numbers, sizes, or pickup instructions
• Set reminders — Add the purchase date or delivery date to your notes
• Consider visibility — If others are planning together, let them know you have a surprise to avoid duplication
• Update status — Mark as purchased so you don’t forget what you’ve already bought