Can You Send an Amazon Gift Anonymously In 2023?
Yes, it is possible to send an Amazon gift anonymously in 2023 and beyond in a couple different ways. While Amazon defaults to including the sender‘s details, Amazon Prime members can request no gift receipt and all shoppers can pay with an Amazon gift card to remain anonymous.
Giving gifts secretly can be exciting, but it also carries risks of upsetting the recipient if not done thoughtfully. In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll share how to anonymously send Amazon gifts as an experienced ecommerce seller, along with important tips for staying responsible.
Why Send Anonymous Gifts & What Are the Risks?
Before we dig into how to be a mysterious gift giver, let‘s look at why you might want to gift anonymously in the first place. There are a few motivations people commonly cite:
Being a secret Santa outside the holidays – Anonymously sending a gift can prolong that giddy Christmas magic.
Pulling a prank on friends – What better way to prank someone than anonymously sending an odd or silly gift?
Making a social statement – Anonymously sending gifts makes a statement against the commercialization of gift giving.
Avoiding gift-giving etiquette – Some anonymously give gifts to avoid awkward "thank yous."
While these rationales are understandable, anonymous gifting does come with some risks:
The recipient may find an anonymous gift confusing, worrying or upsetting, even if that‘s not the intent.
Anonymous gifts could be misconstrued as hostile or inappropriate, especially in work contexts.
The sender‘s identity can cause hurt feelings if denied when asked.
Truly harassing or malicious gifts are harder to report to Amazon if totally anonymous.
My advice is to anonymously send gifts only to recipients who you know will truly appreciate the surprise. Avoid acquaintances who could misinterpret the gesture.
Now, let‘s look at how to keep your gifting anonymous!
How To Send an Amazon Gift Anonymously in 2 Clever Ways
When you buy a gift on Amazon, they include your name and address on the gift receipt by default. But with the right tricks, you can keep your identity hidden.
Here are 2 methods to send Amazon gifts anonymously in 2023:
1. Request No Gift Receipt as an Amazon Prime Member
Amazon Prime members have a little-known option to request no gift receipt when sending gifts:
- Add gift to cart, proceed to checkout
- Check the "This order contains a gift" box
- On the gift options page, select "Do not include a gift receipt"
- Enter recipient‘s address and optional gift message
Without a receipt showing your details, your identity is protected!
⬛ Key Stat: 32% of Amazon shoppers are Prime members as of Q1 2022, up from 19% in 2015. So 1 in 3 shoppers can easily request anonymous gift receipts.
This works well for Prime membersgifting other Prime members. But what if neither you nor the recipient are Prime members? Let‘s look at method #2…
2. Pay With an Amazon eGift Card
Purchasing an Amazon gift card allows you to check out anonymously without entering any personal billing details:
- Buy an Amazon eGift Card for the gift amount. Have it sent to yourself.
- Use the gift card funds to pay for the gift.
- On the gift options page, hide pricing details for extra secrecy.
This approach works whether you‘re a Prime member or not. The recipient will have zero way of identifying their mystery gift giver!
⬛ Pro Tip: For true anonymity, open a new Amazon account not tied to your name before buying the gift card.
Amazon sold $7.7 billion worth of gift cards in 2021, up 27% from 2020 as digital gift cards surged in popularity. So you‘ll blend right in anonymously gifting with gift card funds.
[[Table showing growth in Amazon gift card sales]]| Year | Gift Card Sales | Increase |
|---|---|---|
| 2019 | $5.9 billion | +20% |
| 2020 | $6.1 billion | +3% |
| 2021 | $7.7 billion | +27% |
Now let‘s look at the recipients‘ perspective…
Can Recipients Find Out Who Sent an Anonymous Amazon Gift?
Typically when you receive a gift order from Amazon, checking the packing slip and gift message provides clues on the sender‘s identity.
However, anonymous gifters take specific steps to omit personal details from these areas. So it‘s virtually impossible for recipients to uncover their mystery gift giver‘s identity.
Anonymous Amazon gifts using the methods above leave recipients completely in the dark unless the sender accidentally leaves a trace of identifying information. But done carefully, no clues get left behind.
As an example, let‘s say your friend Sam receives an anonymous gift purchased with a gift card and no receipt included.
The gift message might say something like, "Enjoy this gift from your secret admirer!" If Sam tries contacting Amazon support, they will explain that the sender has chosen to remain anonymous.
So ultimately, Sam cannot definitively find out who his secret admirer is unless they confess of their own accord!
Next let‘s discuss what recipients can do if an anonymous gift is unwanted.
Returning an Unwanted Anonymous Amazon Gift
Let‘s say you receive an inappropriate or unpleasant anonymous gift – what recourse do you have?
The good news is you can return most anonymous gifts to Amazon even without the sender‘s details. Just follow these steps:
- Sign in to your Amazon account
- Enter the 17-digit Order ID from the packing slip
- If no Order ID, contact Amazon with the tracking number
- Follow standard Amazon return policies
However, without an Order ID or tracking number, only the original purchaser can initiate the return. Amazon needs to honor their privacy commitment.
You also need to remove any personal data from electronic gifts before returning them. But in most cases, you can easily return unwanted anonymous items.
⚠️ Warning: If you receive a truly malicious or harmful anonymous gift, contact your local law enforcement as Amazon has limited ability to investigate fully anonymous senders. Always open packages carefully and notify someone if you receive a concerning anonymous parcel.
Now that we‘ve covered the logistics, let‘s talk about sending anonymous gifts thoughtfully.
5 Tips for Responsible Anonymous Gifting
While it can be thrilling to gift anonymously, please keep the recipient‘s perspective in mind:
1. Ensure the recipient will welcome the surprise
Reflect deeply on whether an anonymous gift could worry or upset the recipient based on their personality and your relationship dynamic. Proceed only if very confident they‘ll appreciate this gesture from a secret admirer.
2. Avoid gifting anonymously to colleagues and loose acquaintances
An anonymous gift could easily be misconstrued as inappropriate or even harassing by coworkers and casual acquaintances. Reserve anonymous gifting for close friends and family.
3. Never send hostile messages or inappropriate content anonymously
This should go without saying, but do not abuse anonymity to send any gifts that contain or suggest hostile, threatening, unethical or immoral content.
4. Come clean if asked directly – don‘t deny sending it
If asked directly if you sent it, politely share that you cannot say either way. But if pressed, do confess to avoid confusion or hurt feelings.
5. When in doubt, send the gift openly or not at all
You can always send a gift openly. But once sent anonymously, you lose all control over the recipient‘s perception. If you have any doubts, err on the side of transparent gifting.
The golden rule: Only gift anonymously if you‘re 100% certain the recipient will delight in the secret surprise.
Conclusion & Summary
I hope this guide has provided a thorough, friendly overview of anonymously sending Amazon gifts from an experienced ecommerce seller‘s perspective. Here are some key tips to remember:
- Prime members can request no gift receipts to hide their details
- Gift cards allow anonymous checkouts for all shoppers
- Obscure your name in the gift message for extra secrecy
- Recipients can‘t uncover anonymous gift senders if you‘re careful
- Return policies still apply on unwanted anonymous gifts
- Always gift anonymously in a responsible, ethical manner
With the right precautions, you can secretly brighten someone‘s day without compromising your privacy. Just be very thoughtful to avoid any hurt feelings or misunderstandings.
I hope these tips help you decide if anonymous gifting makes sense and how to execute it smoothly. Surprise your loved ones cautiously and enjoy this unique way to spread extra holiday cheer year-round!
