By Bestboy editorial team · · Updated · 6 min read
How to run Secret Santa for a remote or international team: rules, a budget that includes shipping, customs and time zones, and gift ideas under $25.
For a remote or international team, the easiest Secret Santa is: draw names online, set a budget that includes shipping, agree on a ship-by date, prefer digital or locally bought gifts across borders, and reveal on a video call. Here is how to run it without the logistics eating the fun.
Decide these first and send them in one message, before anyone is assigned a name. People relax once the rules are clear.
A message you can paste and edit:
"We're doing a remote Secret Santa. The budget is $25 including shipping. Join by [date], gifts ship by [date], and we reveal on [date and time, with the time zone]. It's optional, and no explanation needed if you skip it."
Use a free generator so nobody pulls their own name and nobody needs a shared spreadsheet. With Bestboy's Gift Draw, nobody needs an account. You name the draw, set a budget per person if you like, and add everyone's name and email. Each person then opens the link, enters their email, and sees only who they are buying for. Even the organizer does not see the other pairings.
Start a Secret Santa. Free Secret Santa generator: draw names, set a budget, and let everyone add a wishlist.
A few things worth knowing:
Remote gifts travel, and travel is slower than you think. Work backwards from the reveal call:
| When | What happens |
|---|---|
| About four weeks before the reveal | Announce the rules and open sign-ups |
| Three weeks before | Close sign-ups and run the draw |
| Three to two weeks before | Everyone shops and ships |
| One week before | Ship-by date. Nudge anyone who has gone quiet |
| Reveal day | Video call |
If your team spans several countries, add more time and read the section on countries and currencies below.
Two extra things matter once gifts cross borders.
Currency. Say "about 25 USD, including shipping" and let everyone use their local equivalent. If you want it to feel fair, pick a round number in each currency that feels roughly equal, and check the exchange rate once. Do not convert to the cent. Say whether shipping and fees count toward the budget.
Customs, fees and restricted items. Rules differ between countries, and they change. A parcel from abroad can come with import duties or handling fees, and the person receiving it may be the one asked to pay, so keep the gift low in value and ask the shop or carrier what to expect. Food, alcohol, plants and items with batteries are common problems, so check the destination country's customs guidance, or choose something digital. Declare a parcel as what it is, and as a gift where the form asks.
The least stressful mix is usually digital gifts or locally bought gifts for people in other countries, and a ship-by date for anything that does travel. Buying locally means finding a shop that delivers to them, which is another reason a list helps.
Holidays and time zones. Not everyone celebrates Christmas, and gift customs differ a lot between countries, so "holiday gift exchange" keeps it welcoming. A reveal call at 16:00 in Central Europe is 10:00 in New York in winter, so use a world clock when you pick. For how customs differ, see gift giving around the world, where each country's etiquette comes with a source.
Pick things that survive shipping and fit most people:
| Type of gift | Why it works remotely |
|---|---|
| Coffee, tea or hot chocolate | Easy to ship, rarely wrong |
| A small notebook or desk accessory | Useful on any desk |
| Snacks or sweets | Check allergies and local rules |
| A plant cutting or seeds kit | Light and cheerful (check restrictions across borders) |
| A mug or tumbler | Skip loud slogans, plain usually wins |
| A digital gift card for coffee or lunch | No shipping, no address needed |
What to skip. Alcohol, anything that spoils, anything that needs batteries or assembly, and anything personal, like clothing sizes, scents or grooming products. Also skip the joke gift you would not hand to your manager. A gift that is a little too funny from a stranger on a video call is how you get an awkward silence.
Digital gifts are fine. A coffee gift card or a small online class is not lazy. It arrives on time, needs no address, and works for people in any country. Just check it can be used where the person lives.
On a remote team you cannot see anyone's desk. A short list fixes that. Ask everyone to add three things at different prices, or two or three interests if they would rather not share a list. With Bestboy, each person can build a list from links or ideas in about a minute and share one link. Their Santa can open it without an account.
A wish list does not ruin the surprise. Your Santa still chooses the gift. They just stop guessing.
Do it on a call, and keep it to about half an hour. A simple format: each Santa reads one clue, the group guesses, then the Santa is revealed and the person shows the gift. Make being on camera optional, and let people share a photo in the chat if they would rather not. End by asking each person to say one thing they liked about their gift.
For the basics, see the Secret Santa guide.
Many remote teams land around $20–$30 including shipping. The key is to state the number up front, and say whether shipping counts toward it.
Set a ship-by date at least a week before the reveal call, longer for international addresses, and tell people the date when you send the draw.
Ask each person to share an address only with their Santa, or use gift cards and digital gifts that need none. Gift Draw only asks for a name and email, so addresses never pass through the organizer.
Up to 30. For a bigger company, run one draw per team and hold one shared reveal call.
Pick one and state it, for example "about 25 USD, including shipping". Let people use the local equivalent. Exact conversion is not the point.
Often yes, but check delivery times, customs fees and restricted items for the destination. Food, alcohol, plants and anything battery-powered are the usual troublemakers. If in doubt, use a digital gift or a gift bought locally.
Tell the group early and ask their Santa to still send a gift, or have a volunteer cover that person. If you allowed the one group re-draw when you set it up, anyone can use it, but it redraws for everyone, so only use it early.
Draw names in a few minutes