Frequently Asked Questions
What's the idea?How do I buy a gift for a couple registered on the site?
What happens if I have guests who don't have access to the internet?
Given the state of the world's financial markets, is our fund safe?
As a couple, how much does it cost?
2.5% Commission - What's that it real money?
If these other sites charge 7-9% commission. Why are you so cheap?
I've seen other websites suggest that Bliss List costs far more than what you are showing here. Why?
How do I receive my gifts?
Will our guests be charged to use the service?
We may need access to money collected in advance of the wedding. Can we do this?
Some websites don't handle payments. Why do you offer that service?
I've read about WrapIt going bust and couples losing money...
How safe is our money? I've read about Farepak going bust and people losing all their money...
Can I choose literally anything?
My fiance(e) and I live in the UK, but we have guests from abroad. How can they buy gifts?
How will my guests know about our Bliss List?
What if I don't want my guests to physically send me gifts?
Isn't this just asking for cash from guests?
What can we do to customise our list?
Do I have to buy the items on my list?
Can I swap items on my list at any time?
How will I know who bought me a gift?
Why should I choose an online list rather than a department store list?
If I set up a list with Bliss List, can I also have a list with a department store?
What's the idea?
After registering, couples simply make a list of anything and everything that you would like people to buy for your wedding and / or honeymoon. This could be the traditional towels and toasters to a romantic breakfast in bed or a spa treatment on your honeymoon.
How do I buy a gift for a couple registered on the site?
Simply click on "Buy a Gift" either at the top or bottom of the screen to go to the search screen. Enter either the bride or the groom's surname and their wedding date to see their list.
What happens if I have guests who don't have access to the internet?
No problem - we can supply you with a simple "offline" purchase form for guests who don't have access to a computer. We provide this in Microsoft Word format, so that couples can print it off and distribute in their invites with a printed version of their list. (Feel free to personalise the form if you like, to match your wedding stationary/style). The guest would simply indicate what they would like to buy, and pop the form in the post to us along with a cheque for the gift amount. We will then register the purchase from your list in the normal way, so that you get the normal e-mail notification etc. Our card payments go through PayPal, who are online only, so unfortunately we can't take card payments over the phone, but we typically find that people who have limited/no internet access tend to prefer cheque payments anyway...
Given the state of the world's financial markets, is our fund safe?
All of the money we hold on behalf of our couples is held with Abbey, which is part of the Santander Group; one of the largest and stable banks in Europe. Further, the current size of Bliss List means that we are classed as a 'small business' and therefore we are covered by the same £50,000 compensation limit as normal investors. If our Abbey accounts exceed £50,000, then we will use other accounts we hold at banks outside the Santander Group, to ensure that your money is protected. Click here for more information on the Financial Services Compensation Scheme.
As a couple, how much does it cost?
It is FREE to set up or maintain your list, and we manage the collection of gifts on your behalf. After your wedding day we pay you the value of your fund minus a commission of just 2.5% (that's including VAT). For couples planning large weddings, we cap our commission at £50, so you can be certain that we will never charge more than that.
We believe a number of our competitors are currently misleading couples with their fees - suggesting they are "free" when this only relates to the set-up. Others are offering "zero commission", but charging a flat-fee instead that is well in excess of what you would pay in our low fees. Always check the small print!!
2.5% Commission - What's that it real money?
Well, it depends on the size of your guest list and how generous your guests are. To give you an idea though, the average wedding list we handle is about £1,600. This would attract a total commission of £40. Just for fun, here is how much we estimate this same list will cost with one of our competitors;
Bliss List (2.5%) = £40.00
whatidlove (6.5%) = £104.00
SendUsPacking.com (5% + £39.99) = £119.99
Just The Thing (7.5%) = £120.00
Smart Wedding Lists (7.9%) = £126.40
HoneyMoney (9%) = £144.00 (assuming that you don't pay the £50 set-up fee)
The Bottom Drawer (£89 + 2.75% card) = £144.00
Buy Our Honeymoon = £55.00 (but they don't collect gift payments for you)
Note: Estimates based on fee schedules available on websites as of 21/09/08, and may be subject to change.
If these other sites charge 7-9% commission. Why are you so cheap?
Have you noticed how a fruit cake suddenly becomes four times the price when it is called a wedding cake? Or when a flower arrangement becomes astronomically priced when the florist realises it is for your wedding table? Or when a car hire firm force you to buy an exclusive "wedding package" instead of just a normal car?...
Bliss List was started by a couple who became really fed up of vendors who hear the word "wedding" and immediately see pound signs, and we vowed not to do the same with our service. We believe in offering an EXCELLENT service for a realistic price; a price that means you keep as much of your wedding fund as possible. Unfortunately our competitors don't think the same way...
I've seen other websites suggest that Bliss List costs far more than what you are showing here. Why?
Some other websites INCORRECTLY add a 3.4% PayPal fee to the cost of our service in an effort to bump up our prices and make themselves look better by comparison. Guests are able to reserve items and make payments via cheque or bank transfers for free on our site, and these account for 60% of all payments we receive. The remaining 40% are where the guests themselves have chosen to pay the extra fee for the convenience of using a card.
Where you see a higher cost for our service, it is typically where our competitors add the 3.4% fee to ALL purchases. This is simply not true and in our opinion is completely misleading. We try to inform other websites who are incorrectly stating our fees and we try to get them to correct it. Unfortunately if they did so their own services would look expensive by comparison...
How do I receive my gifts?
There are two options - guests can reserve or buy any gift on your list. By reserving a gift on-line, the guest is indicating that they will buy the gift and deliver it to you on your big day. Reserving a gift is important, because it stops many guests buying the same item! If they decide to buy the gift, then they are taken through a secure payment process and contribute the value of the gift to a wedding fund held on your behalf by Bliss List. Once you close your list, Bliss List will pay this money to you minus a small commission. You can then use this money to buy the gifts yourself.
Will our guests be charged to use the service?
There is no charge to reserve an item from a list. Guests who buy through the site will be offered the choice of sending a cheque, making an online bank transfer, or paying by credit/debit card. Cheques and bank transfers are free of charge, but we pass along our card processing fees from our provider (PayPal) for card purchases - these are currently 3.4% + 20p for a UK guest. Bliss List doesn't make any money from these charges - it is exactly what PayPal charge us for processing payments (you can see this for yourself on their website).
We may need access to money collected in advance of the wedding. Can we do this?
Of course !! Just drop us an e-mail and we will organise to make a bank transfer for anything in your fund at that point. We just need 4 days notice to instruct our bank to pay you the money.
Some websites don't handle payments. Why do you offer that service?
Well over 80% of our time each day is spent tracking, (politely!) chasing and processing payments on behalf of our couples. You would be paying a website for a service, and still have to do all the hard work yourselves! Planing a wedding is stressful enough without having to chase Great Aunt Mildred for a wedding gift...
We offer guests the ability to pay by cheque, bank transfer or PayPal - other sites typically direct your guests towards your PayPal account (where you will pay fees of about 3-4%).
I've read about WrapIt going bust and couples losing money...
The failure of WrapIt has certainly shaken confidence of couples and their guests, but it is important to understand that WrapIt and Bliss List have very different business models. Bliss List do not attempt to source/supply any gifts for couples - we hold your wedding fund and make payments directly to you. YOUR money is always available whenever YOU want it. We make payments straight after your wedding, so there is no delay in getting your gifts.
How safe is our money? I've read about Farepak going bust and people losing all their money...
We understand that that this is a natural and important question for our couples. We could protest about how we don't have any debt, we don't have any external shareholders, and how we aren't going anywhere, but this doesn't really address the question. The key thing to remember is that money we collect on your behalf is YOUR money, and you are free to request it at any point (you don't have to wait for Christmas for your hamper!). We typically make two payments to couples - one around the time of your wedding, and a second payment a few weeks later for any stragglers. But we also work with couples to agree a payment schedule that works for them where required. Sometimes this includes making more payments, making payments ahead of the wedding date, or capping the amount of money we hold on your behalf at any point.
Can I choose literally anything?
Yes! Bliss List doesn't tie you to any one particular store or activity - you can put down just about anything you want. You can even provide web links to the gift if you would like.
My fiance(e) and I live in the UK, but we have guests from abroad. How can they buy gifts?
Our bank accounts are located in the UK and denominated in Sterling. Lucky for us then that our couples are also generally in the UK, and want to receive money into their (Sterling) bank accounts. UK guests are able to pay for gifts either by cheque or credit / debit card. Overseas guests are limited to paying by credit / debit card for items. Bliss List will charge their credit card in Sterling, and their card provider will convert into their local currency. This means that guests from pretty much anywhere in the world will be able to buy gifts simply and easily from your list. PayPal card charges for overseas guests is a slightly higher rate - 3.9% + 20p per transaction.
How will my guests know about our Bliss List?
We will provide you with stylish invitation inserts for you to let your guests know that you have registered with us. Once they arrive at our homepage, they will be able to search for your list using either one of your last names, and view your list.
What if I don't want my guests to physically send me gifts?
You may not want your guests to turn up on your wedding day laden with gifts, or it may simply not be practical to take delivery of some gifts (for example a romantic dinner for two). When you are setting up your list, you therefore have the opportunity to say whether the item can be reserved and purchased by your guests, or whether you would prefer to just receive the value of the gift.
Isn't this just asking for cash from guests?
Whilst a traditional department store gift list might - on the surface - seem more open, any list which allows you to swap items on your list is effectively operating a fund anyway. The difference is just that you have to spend the money in their store. Bliss List isn't tied to any store, and therefore you are free to spend this money anywhere you like.
What can we do to customise our list?
You can personalise your list by adding a welcome picture and message to greet your guests, and of course add your own item descriptions. We have over 70 different gift categories for you to choose from, and we are happy to create more for you if there is something you need. (Unfortunately we are not able to allow couples to upload their own gift images due to copyright restrictions).
Do I have to buy the items on my list?
There is nothing that stops you using the money that you have collected through your list on anything you like. Guests do appreciate the idea of knowing what they bought you for your wedding though, so you shouldn't go off the rails too much!
Can I swap items on my list at any time?
Of course! You will have full control over your list at all times - you can add or delete items, or change details, quantity requested etc. It is a well known fact that brides tend to keep adding bowls or glasses to traditional gift lists because people buy them (bizarre I know!), and then swap them for that cutlery set which nobody wants to buy. You can do the same with your Bliss List fund, but perhaps you can swap bowls for Cocktails by the Pool, or a kettle for a romantic breakfast for two...
How will I know who bought me a gift?
Once a guest either reserves or buys an item from your Bliss List, you will receive an automatic e-mail letting you know who has bought a gift, and what they purchased. When you log into the Members section of our website, you can use our Thank-You Manager to view all purchases and track whether you have sent a thank you note yet. We collect e-mail and postal addresses from guests as they buy from your list, to help you get in touch.
Why should I choose an online list rather than a department store list?
What Bliss List gives you that no other department store gives, is the flexibility to mix and match gifts from any store (on the high street or on the web), and include gifts that they simply don't sell there too - an activity for your honeymoon, a gift to charity...
If I set up a list with Bliss List, can I also have a list with a department store?
Of course !! With your Bliss List, we give you the ability to add links to any other gift registries that you might have. Linking to them through your Bliss List means that you don't need to give your guests multiple wedding list details; just tell them about your Bliss List and they can access your other lists from there.