Key takeaways
- With the group's 10% code, a £10 budget stretches to a £11.11 gift and a £20 budget to £22.22.
- Every group that draws names on Next Day Gifts gets an exclusive 10% code named after it, valid on gifts until 31 December.
- Black Friday falls on 27 November 2026: the best week to buy a Secret Santa gift for less.
- The draw is totally secret by default: not even the organiser sees who has whom, unless they switch that on before the draw, and then everyone's told.
- Most UK offices pick a budget of £10 to £20; draw names two to three weeks before the swap if gifts go by post.
Draw the names first: five steps to your group's 10% code
Paper slips in a hat work until someone draws their own name, two people are off sick and the office is split across three cities. Drawing online does the whole job in one go: the invites, a fair draw, the wishlists, the reminders, and a code that makes every budget go further. Here is how it works on Next Day Gifts, free.
- 1
Create your group
Open the free Secret Santa generator and type a group name, the swap date and the budget. You get a join link and your group's own 10% code straight away.
- 2
Invite everyone by link
Share the link in WhatsApp, Slack or Teams, show the QR code, or paste email addresses. People join with a name and an email, with no password and no app.
- 3
Keep couples and teams apart
Set exclusions for couples, housemates or teams. The generator checks the draw can work before you press the button.
- 4
Draw names now or on a date
Press Draw, or pick a date and the names are drawn automatically. Each person sees only their own person. The organiser sees nobody's either, unless they switched that on before the draw, and then the whole group is told.
- 5
Shop the wishlist and swap
Buy from your person's wishlist with the group code, then swap in person or post the gift to a secret address your Santa never sees.
What a £5, £10, £15 or £20 Secret Santa budget buys
Agree the budget before anyone draws a name, and say it on the invite: one figure for everyone, a little under is fine, over is not. The group's 10% code then stretches each budget a little further, so the same £10 buys a nicer gift.
| Budget | With the 10% code | What it buys well | Find ideas |
|---|---|---|---|
| £5 | Gifts up to £5.55 | Christmas socks, a hot chocolate treat, a pocket notebook, a mini hand cream | Stocking filler ideas |
| £10 | Gifts up to £11.11 | A funny mug, a scented candle, a desk plant, a pocket card game | Secret Santa gift ideas |
| £15 | Gifts up to £16.66 | A pamper set, a reed diffuser, a mug and socks set, a good notebook | Christmas gift ideas |
| £20 | Gifts up to £22.22 | A personalised gift, a treat hamper, a big candle, a small gadget | Black Friday deals |
Six ways to make a Secret Santa budget go further
- Use the group's own code. Every group on the generator gets a 10% code named after it, for everyone in the group, until 31 December. On a £15 budget that is £1.50 back in your pocket, or a better gift for the same money.
- Buy from the wishlist. A gift your person picked is never wasted. On the generator each wishlist sits next to gifts that fit the budget, with the day each one arrives.
- Not in a group yet? Our Next Day Gifts discount code takes 10% off gifts over £25, so it covers the rest of your Christmas list too.
- Shop the November sales early. Black Friday is 27 November 2026, and our Black Friday deals guide lists what is worth buying before the office party.
- Post gifts with a secret address. Remote teams and families far apart skip the trip: each person adds an address their Santa never sees, and the gift goes straight to the door.
- Order with time to spare. Pick the swap date when you create the group and the generator sends reminders a week before, on the last day to order and on the day. Check our Christmas delivery dates too.
Need ideas first? Our Secret Santa gift ideas run from funny mugs to cosy treats, and our stocking fillers start under £5.
Running the office Secret Santa
For work, post one link in your team channel and people join themselves. Keep teams or couples apart, set a budget of £10 to £20, and the group code takes the company's name, so the whole team saves. The draw works from 3 to 500 people and is totally secret by default: not even the organiser sees who has whom, unless they switch that on before the draw, and then everyone's told. Next Day Gifts' office organiser adds one dashboard for several teams under a company space.
Secret Santa questions, answered
How do you make a Secret Santa budget go further?
Stack a code on a well-timed buy. Draw names on Next Day Gifts and the group gets its own 10% code, so £10 buys a gift priced up to £11.11. Buy in Black Friday week (27 November 2026), shop from your person's wishlist so nothing is wasted, and order early so you never pay for fast delivery.
How does the 10% Secret Santa group code work?
Every group gets its own code named after it, such as RIVERSIDE10 or SMITHFAMILY10. It takes 10% off gifts at Next Day Gifts for everyone in the group, once each, from the draw until 31 December. The email used at checkout has to be one that joined the group.
Can the organiser see who has who?
Not by default. The draw runs once on the generator's server, and each person sees only their own person. The organiser can choose to see the pairs, but only by switching it on before names are drawn, and then everyone in the group is told.
How much should you spend on Secret Santa?
Most UK offices pick £10 to £20 per person, and friends and families often pick £5 to £15. Agree one budget for everyone before the draw. With the group's 10% code, a £10 budget covers a gift priced up to £11.11.
Can you do Secret Santa with a remote team or family far away?
Yes. Choose "we post gifts to each other" when you create the group. Each person adds an address their Santa never sees, so gifts go straight to the door and the secret stays safe. Draw names two to three weeks before the swap so the post has time.
How many people can join a Secret Santa?
From 3 to 500 people, so the same generator works for a family of four and a whole office. Late joiners and drop-outs are fixed by changing as few names as possible.
Can you keep couples apart in Secret Santa?
Yes. Set exclusions for couples, households or teams before the draw. Nobody draws themselves, and the generator avoids two people buying for each other.
Get more gift for the same £10
Draw names free and your whole group saves 10% until 31 December.
We run Next Day Gifts.
