Shipping Giveaway Prizes: A Checklist for Small Businesses

The giveaway is over, the winner is picked, the announcement is up. Then comes the bit nobody shows on social media: packing a box and getting it to a stranger's front door. Done well, it's the start of a great relationship with a new customer. Done badly, it's a public complaint in your comments.

Work through this checklist in order. Some of it happens before you even publish the giveaway.

Before you launch

• Decide where you'll ship. Domestic only, or international too? Put it in the rules. "Open to residents of [country]" saves a lot of awkward conversations.
• Price the shipping in advance. Weigh and measure a packed prize and get a real quote. Shipping can easily cost more than a small prize, so budget for it as part of the giveaway.
• Check what can't be shipped. Some items, such as certain liquids, aerosols, batteries or food, have carrier restrictions. Check with your carrier before choosing the prize.
• State a delivery timeframe. Something like "Prizes ship within 14 days of the winner confirming their details" sets expectations without promising an exact date.
• Plan for backups. Pick substitutes when you draw, so that if the winner never replies or is outside the shipping area, you have a fair next choice ready.

Collecting the winner's details

• Contact the winner first, from your official account. Then ask them to message you. Never ask for an address in public comments.
• Ask only for what you need: name, shipping address, and a phone number if your carrier requires one. Never ask for payment, card details or passwords. A legitimate giveaway doesn't charge the winner shipping fees, and saying so in your rules helps followers spot scams.
• Confirm the address back to them in a single message. Typos in postcodes and apartment numbers are a common cause of lost parcels.
• Set a reply deadline, such as 48 or 72 hours, and stick to it. If they miss it, move to your substitute.
• Store the details carefully and delete them when you no longer need them. Treat a winner's address with the same care as a customer's.

Packing

• Use a box that fits the item with room for padding, not one that's twice the size.
• Wrap fragile items individually and fill gaps so nothing moves when you shake the box.
• Seal liquids in a bag in case anything leaks.
• Add a handwritten note. It costs almost nothing and tends to be the thing winners mention when they post their unboxing.
• Consider including a small extra, a sample or a discount code for a friend, so the parcel works as marketing too.
• Take a quick photo of the packed box before you seal it. It's useful if anything goes wrong.

Sending

• Use a tracked service. A tracking number protects you and the winner, and turns "did it arrive?" into a question with an answer.
• Consider insurance for anything valuable or hard to replace.
• Get proof of postage and keep it with your giveaway records.
• Send the tracking number to the winner the day you ship, from the same official account.

International shipping

If you've opened the giveaway internationally, there's extra paperwork:

• You'll typically need a customs declaration describing the item and its value. Describe it honestly; customs forms aren't the place to be creative.
• Import duties or taxes may apply in the winner's country. Decide in advance whether you'll cover them and say so, so the winner isn't surprised by a bill at their door.
• Delivery times can be much longer. Tell the winner what to expect.

Rules vary by country and carrier, so check with your carrier for the specific destination. If international shipping gets complicated, offering a digital alternative or a gift card for overseas winners is an option, as long as your rules say so up front.

After it's sent

• Check tracking until it shows delivered.
• Message the winner once it arrives: "Hope you love it!" Ask, without pressure, whether they'd be happy to share a photo.
• Repost with permission. An unboxing from a real winner is good evidence that your giveaways are genuine.
• If something goes wrong, such as damage or a lost parcel, deal with it privately and quickly. Use your photo and proof of postage with the carrier, and keep the winner updated.

Keep a simple log

For each giveaway, note the post, the date of the draw, the winner and substitutes, the date they confirmed, the date shipped, the tracking number and the date delivered. It takes two minutes and makes future giveaways easier, especially if a follower ever asks whether the prize really went out.

Ready for the easy part?

When your giveaway closes, pick your winner and substitutes on RaffleSelect in one go, so you've got a backup ready before you start packing.