Do Charity Shop gifts come with an e-certificate?

What does WARN send after you give?

A payment receipt, by email, to the person who paid. That is all. WARN’s checkout sends certificates only for its own symbolic adoptions, not for gifts that arrive from this shop, and your gift goes to its “Where it’s needed most” fund. The receipt is your record of the donation, so keep it.

This page used to say that WARN emails a personalised e-certificate after payment. That was wrong, and the correction is dated on our corrections log. We would rather tell you plainly than leave someone waiting for an email that will never come.

Your gift tag still means something: it names the kind of care you want to support, such as a week of meals for a rescue dog. It does not restrict how WARN uses the money. The review page says so before you pay, and so does what happens to my donation.

How does the printable gift card work?

It takes a minute and happens entirely in your browser. You type the recipient’s name, add your own name if you want to sign it, write a short message and choose the gift you gave from the catalogue. The card updates as you type. Then you print it, or pick “Save as PDF” in the print dialog.

• Open the printable gift card page; gift pages and the review step before payment link to it
• Type their name, and yours if you want the card signed
• Add a short message, such as the occasion or a line about why you chose that animal
• Pick the gift you gave; the amount stays off the card unless you choose to show it
• Print it, or save it as a PDF and email it yourself

What does the card say, and what does it not say?

It says who the gift is for, who it is from, your message and the kind of care you chose. Its small print says the card comes from Charity Shop, that the donation goes to WARN’s general fund, and that the gift name does not restrict how WARN uses the money. It is not a WARN certificate and not a receipt.

It will not claim they now own an animal, and it will not invent a named pet we cannot point to. It also does not prove that a payment was made: anyone can make a card on the page, whether or not they gave. WARN’s receipt is the proof of payment, and it stays with you.

The amount is hidden by default, because most people would rather the card described the care than the price. Choose the option to show it if you want the figure on the card.

When can you make it, and how quickly?

Any time, on any device with a browser: before you give, straight after, or on the morning of the occasion. Nothing is posted and nothing waits in a queue, so it suits Christmas Eve, birthday breakfasts and the anniversary you remembered in the supermarket car park.

There is no dispatch window because there is no dispatch. If you are with the person, print the card and put it in an envelope. If you are not, save it as a PDF and email it, or send a photo of the printed card. Weekends and bank holidays make no difference.

Can you print it, email it, or give anonymously?

Yes, yes and yes. When you print, the form and the site’s menus are left off so only the card goes to paper. Pick “Save as PDF” as the printer to get a file you can attach to an email. Leave the “from” field blank for an unsigned card; it still carries their name and the care.

• Print it and fold it into a birthday card
• Save it as a PDF and email it on the morning
• Leave “from” blank if you want the gift unsigned
• Do not expect us or WARN to post it: neither of us offers that

Does the gift card page store or send anything?

No. The card is built in your browser from what you type. Charity Shop does not save the names or the message and does not send them anywhere. Close the tab and the details are gone, so print or save the card before you leave the page.

The names you can add on the review step before paying are a separate thing: they travel with your donation to WARN’s checkout, which does not display them. Our privacy policy explains how the rest of the site handles data.

Is it the same as a charity gift card you can spend?

No. It has no balance and cannot be redeemed for anything. It is a greeting card that tells someone you gave in their name. There is no stored-value plastic card here and no multi-retailer voucher; if that is what they wanted, this is the wrong shop.

Charity gift cards lists popular gifts to put on a card, from £5. What is a virtual animal gift? is the longer explainer.

What if you need a receipt or proof of the donation?

Look for WARN’s receipt email, and check spam. If it has not arrived, contact World Animal Rescue Network with your payment reference, because WARN took the payment. This domain holds no copy of WARN’s emails and cannot issue receipts, certificates or refunds.

When is a printable gift card the wrong present?

When they asked for an object, a live animal or Gift Aid. When they will only accept a certificate from the organisation that took the money. When a child expects a pet.

• Posted toy packs — buy from a charity that sells them and says they are symbolic
• UK rehoming — rescue directory
• Gift Aid required — give to a registered charity, not WARN CIC
• A certificate from the receiving organisation — WARN does not issue one for these gifts