A kitty is just plumbing

A kitty does one thing: it pools money from several people. Useful, but it's plumbing. The heart of a group gift is what you give together and what you want to say to the person.

Yet most kitty tools put the money front and centre: the amount raised, the payment button, the progress bar. When the moment comes, the recipient often just gets… a sum, or a transfer notification. Hard to turn that into a memory.

A group gift deserves better: a clearly named present or experience, and a trace of everyone who took part.

• A friend's or relative's birthday
• A colleague's retirement or leaving drinks
• A wedding or civil partnership
• A birth or christening

Name the gift, not just the amount

“Chip in to Sophie's kitty” excites no one. “Let's give Sophie a weekend by the sea” makes people want to join straight away, and already says something about her.

Filomy's group gift voucher starts from there: a personalised page where the gift is named (“A weekend by the sea”, “The bike of her dreams”), with a target amount and a personal message. The amount can be fixed in advance or update automatically from everyone's pledges.

The page is then shared with the recipient by link or QR code. They discover what you're giving them and, above all, the words of everyone who took part. The group gift voucher is free, and nobody needs an account to contribute.

The guest book: the real keepsake

In a few years, the bike may be tucked away in the garage. The messages will still be there. That's why the guest book matters as much as the gift itself.

Each contributor adds a message, a photo, a video or a voice note. Former colleagues, far-flung family, childhood friends: everyone leaves their mark, even those who can't be there on the day.

Messages can be shown as a slideshow, for example on a screen at the leaving party, and contributions can be printed as cards or a book, for a keepsake you can hold.

• Guest book free up to 50 contributions
• Unlimited with the Box Souvenir (€39.90), which bundles guest book, photo wall, 0% kitty and invitations
• Or a one-time unlock for €39.90

The kitty stays backstage, with 0% fees

The money still needs collecting, but the kitty can stay a simple technical function in the background. With Filomy, it works through pledges: each person states how much they'd like to give, then pays the organiser directly.

Payment is by bank transfer, Wero or Lydia link, cheque or cash. There's no card payment inside Filomy, so 0% commission on the money. The organiser ticks off what's been received and sees at a glance the total pledged and the total paid.

Tips for a successful group gift

A few simple pointers that make the difference between a collection and a real gift:

• Name the gift precisely: “a weekend by the sea” rather than “a kitty for Paul”.
• Set a target: a target amount reassures contributors and helps everyone gauge their share.
• Ask for a few words with each contribution: that's what the recipient will read again, far more than the amount.
• Pick the reveal moment: guest book slideshow at the party, printed cards handed over with the gift.
• Remind latecomers kindly: a short note recalling the gift and the date is enough, with no pressure on the amount.