A virtual gift exchange for people who live far apart
A family split between Toronto and Vancouver, a group of university friends now scattered across three provinces, cousins you only see once a year: more and more groups who'd like to run a gift exchange simply can't get everyone around the same table to draw a name out of a bowl.
A virtual gift exchange solves that at the root: nobody needs to be in the same place, or even online at the same time, to take part. Everyone gets their invitation by email, joins the exchange, and gets their drawn name the same way, no matter the time zone or the distance separating them from the rest of the group.
Qui pige qui? is built exactly for this: you create the exchange, send one link to everyone involved, and the draw, reminders, and wish lists take care of the rest — whether the gift has to cross the street or the whole country.
Ready in 2 minutes · free for up to 12 participants · no account
How to organize a virtual exchange, wherever people live
Create the exchange and give it a name everyone will recognize, like "The Family Exchange, Coast to Coast" or "University Friends Secret Santa."
Add everyone with their name and email — it doesn't matter if they're across town or across the country, the draw reaches them the same way.
Add exclusions if needed, for instance for a couple who live together but still take part in the family exchange.
Run the draw: each participant gets their secret link by email and can fill in their wish list, with useful notes for whoever might need to ship their gift.
Free for up to 12 participants. After that, $5.99 CAD once, for an unlimited number of participants.
Wish lists matter most when you don't know someone that well
Drawing the name of a cousin you see once a year, or a friend you met in first-year university, means running the real risk of having no idea what they'd actually like. A wish list solves that directly: each participant lists a couple of ideas, with a link to the exact item when there is one, so whoever draws them knows exactly what to order and where to send it.
That matters even more when the gift has to be shipped rather than handed over in person: a list with direct links skips the back-and-forth messages asking for a size, a colour, or a shipping address — everything that matters lives in one place, visible only to the person who needs it.
A draw that doesn't need everyone online at once
Unlike an in-person draw, which needs everyone gathered at the same moment, an online draw can run as soon as the last participants have joined, whatever the hour or time zone. Everyone gets their secret link the moment the draw runs, and can check or fill in their wish list on their own schedule over the following days or weeks — a real advantage when the group is spread across continents.
Frequently asked questions
- How does this work if nobody's physically together?
- Each participant gets an invitation by email, joins the exchange remotely, and later gets their drawn name through a secret link — nothing requires being in the same place, or even the same time zone.
- How do you know what to buy for someone you don't know that well?
- Each participant can fill in a wish list with a few ideas and direct links. Whoever draws them checks that list instead of guessing, which helps a lot when you're less familiar with someone's taste.
- How do gifts actually get to people who live far away?
- The exchange itself handles the draw and secret links; shipping the gift happens separately, usually by mail or a delivery service, often straight to the address the recipient lists in their wish list.
- Does this work for a large group spread across several provinces?
- Yes, it's free for up to 12 participants with no limit on the distance between them; beyond 12, a one-time $5.99 CAD payment unlocks unlimited participants.
- Do we need to set an exact time for the draw?
- No, the draw can run as soon as participants have joined, without waiting for a moment when everyone happens to be available at once.