How to send gifts internationally (it’s not as difficult as you think)

KEY POINTS

• 3 different ways a gift sending service partner can help you with sending gifts internationally
• Ins and outs of international gifts cards
• 8 international gift delivery mistakes to avoid

Book Demo

With modern technology, the world is becoming increasingly more connected. It’s just as easy to chat with a friend, colleague, or customer in London as it is to connect with someone in New York or Los Angeles.

With those connections come business opportunities. Organizations from large fortune 500 companies to the small businesses that drive the American economy are realizing the benefits of doing business internationally. The United States is the world’s largest trading nation, and the second-largest exporter in the world.

Just like domestic customers, your international customers need to be nurtured. That’s where international corporate gift giving comes in.

Sending gifts internationally

Everyone likes to receive gifts – including your international customers, employees, and prospects. While B2B marketing teams may have a robust corporate gifting program for U.S.-based customers, navigating customs, foreign shipping fees, international currencies, and gift giving rules abroad can be overwhelming. Marketing teams often feel it is just too difficult to send gifts worldwide.

We’re here to tell you it’s not as hard as you think! It just takes some planning – and the right gift sending service partner to help you select the perfect international gift items that ensure your international gifts aren’t cost-prohibitive, and that they arrive at the destination on time!

If you want to build authentic connections with your international customers, here are four international gift tips to keep in mind when building international gifting into your corporate gifting strategy.

1. Think about the international gift you would like to send

Even if you have an inventory of branded swag you would like to send, it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with local gift giving customs and etiquette to ensure your gift is well received. Below are three options to gift internationally that Sendoso can help you with.

Option #1: How our Send Curation team can help you with international gift delivery

If you aren’t sure what to give, it can be helpful to connect with our international gift giving experts. Sendoso’s Send Curation team specializes in finding creative and personalized gift ideas for your campaigns, even internationally.

• They work hand in hand with you to create ideas on what to send based on your target audience and campaign objectives
• They source unique, on-trend, and custom gift ideas through incredible vendor partnerships
• They partner with local vendors to reduce carbon footprint
• They give you insight into worldwide holidays to consider for upcoming campaigns
• They give you the option to add a personal, handwritten note with every gift
• They help you navigate international gift giving customs
• They provide gifting etiquette and best practices based on the country requirements
• They help you utilize our international warehouses to better manage shipping costs and help avoid customs fees

Our Send Curation team is here to guide you on how to create a “wow” unboxing experience, and to provide insight into international corporate gifting trends. Their aim is to work with you to bring your campaign ideas to life and make this a seamless sending experience from beginning to end. They do this by partnering with local vendors and worldwide shipping providers.

Option #2: How our Sendoso Direct Marketplace can help you with international gifts

If you feel good about what you’d like to send, our Sendoso Direct option is a great way to gift internationally, but with ease. This is a great option if you understand your recipient’s customs and gifting attitudes, and you’d like to send them something local. Sendoso Direct can help you:

• Navigate international shipping and customs
• Source international gift ideas and experiences
• With a gift selection that is already vetted and quality-checked
• Send gifts that are local and popular to your recipients
• Include a personalized gift note with every gift

Our Sendoso Direct service is a curated marketplace of hundreds of options. Whether you are sending to the UK or Australia, hundreds of local small businesses are ready to ship their goods directly to your customers.

Now you can support a local small business, not have to deal with the hassle of customs, and save on shipping costs by choosing international gifts from a Sendoso Direct partner. It’s an international gift service win-win-win!

Option #3: How our eGift card service can help you send international gift cards

Wondering if you can buy international gift cards as corporate gifts? The answer is yes! Sendoso supports sending eGifts to nearly 50 different countries and offers cards in 26 different currencies to support your digital gifting strategy. You don’t have to clear customs with an international gift card–making them a great international gift idea.

Yikes! Here are 8 international gift delivery mistakes to avoid

There are gift items Sendoso doesn’t ship internationally, and we recommend you don’t attempt them. Trust us. We’ve hit these roadblocks, and we are saving you the headache. This list of international gifts to not send includes:

• Alcohol
• Tobacco
• Plants
• Flowers
• Perishable food items
• Medical devices
• Oversized items over 50 pounds
• Items valued over $100 USD internationally

Between customs, high shipping costs, or other laws and restrictions, it is best to avoid sending gifts from the above list to save yourself money, time, and energy.

2. Think about where your international gift is stored

Remember that swag closet of branded merchandise you’d like to send? If you’d like to gift internationally, there are a few steps to think about.

• All that corporate swag needs to be stored and shipped, which is much more cost-effective if the warehouse is located in the country where you will be doing the majority of your international gift sends.
• If your sales and marketing teams would like to send gifts internationally to multiple recipients multiple times, it’s a good best practice to source and store your gifts in-country.

Sendoso operates international warehouse facilities that can store, print, personalize, pack and send your inventory and sourced international gifts to countries around the world with shipping costs optimized for each send.

The warehouse facilities can save shipping and storing costs to improve your ROI. International warehousing also offers the best international gift delivery as it gets your gifts to your customers quickly and seamlessly.

3. Think about where your international gift is headed

Customs can be a roadblock when sending gifts internationally. Choosing gift items from Sendoso Direct helps avoid the customs bottleneck. Also keep in mind that the higher the gift value, the more likely it is to run into issues at customs. That’s why we don’t recommend sending anything valued at more than $100.

International addresses can also trip up even the most seasoned direct marketing professionals. Sendoso’s Address Validation feature will help correct address issues and gather additional address information needed for your gifts based on the recipient country. We work with you on receiving and shipping notice errors to get inventory where it needs to go, faster.

4. Understand the true cost of international gift delivery

Sourcing and shipping multiple gift items internationally can get costly and quickly eat into your sending budget. Destination, weight, and dimensions all come into play when calculating shipping, so remember to consider that when choosing a gift. In some instances, international gift cards are the right gift choice, as they drastically reduce your shipping costs.

But of course, an egift card doesn’t land as well as a physical gift. You will still save money on your international sends by working with our Send Curation team to source gifts in-country or if you tap into Sendoso Direct partners. There are no customs fees for gifts purchased within the country that are sent to your customer or our in-country warehouse.

There is always a good time for sending gifts

While the holidays are a prime time to send corporate gifts, you can make connections with international customers throughout the year by incorporating a corporate gifting strategy that includes various touchpoints. Think anniversaries, new product launches, business expansion, or other key milestones.

International gift giving doesn’t have to be costly or difficult. Lean on Sendoso’s gifting experts and our strong international warehouse presence to build your international gifting strategy. Curious how it works? Take us for a spin.