HOW TO HIRE · PERSONAL & LIFESTYLE

How to hire a gift wrapper in the UK
The checks, the questions and the paperwork.

Gift wrapping needs no licence in the UK. Here is what to agree about the gifts in their care, the list and the deadline.

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THE 60-SECOND VERSION

Hiring a gift wrapper in five steps

  1. Make a list of every giftItem, size, who it is for, and the tag message.
  2. Agree the lookPaper, ribbon, colour, boxes or bags — from samples.
  3. Ask who is responsible for the giftsWhile a gift wrapper holds them, and in transit.
  4. Fix the deadlineWith time for delivery, especially in December.
  5. Check on collectionCount the parcels and the tags against your list.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

Check before you book

No register applies

Wrapping presents for customers is unregulated in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland — no register and no licence. The checks are photos of finished work, a written list and clear terms on the gifts in their care.

Ask for photos of work in the style you want and a client to ring.

Reasonable care and skill (Consumer Rights Act 2015)

A gift wrapper trading as a business must use reasonable care and skill (section 49) — including with the gifts themselves. If the work falls short, you can ask for it to be redone at their cost (section 55).

Keep the list and order confirmation. legislation.gov.uk →

Gifts in their care — insurance

No register sets insurance for gift wrappers. For valuable or fragile gifts, ask what cover they hold for customers' goods and what happens if something is broken or lost.

Agree in writing who is responsible, and photograph valuable items before handing them over.

Corporate orders: invoice and VAT

A business ordering many wrapped gifts needs a proper invoice. VAT at 20% applies if the gift wrapper is VAT-registered; a sole trader under the £90,000 threshold need not charge it.

Ask whether VAT is included and for a VAT invoice if you need one. gov.uk →

VAT

Gift wrapping is standard-rated at 20% when the gift wrapper is VAT-registered. A wrapping business over the £90,000 threshold must charge it and show it separately; a corporate customer will want that on a VAT invoice.

For a business order, ask for a VAT invoice carrying the gift wrapper's VAT number. gov.uk →

“Can I see gift wrapping you have done in this style?”

A good answer: Photos of finished parcels, not stock images.

“What does the price per gift include?”

A good answer: Paper, ribbon, tag, tissue — and the charge for boxes or bags.

“Who is responsible if a gift is damaged while you wrap it?”

A good answer: A clear answer and, for valuable items, insurance details.

“Can you handle awkward shapes and fragile gifts?”

A good answer: Yes, with boxes or padding priced in.

“When will the wrapped gifts be ready?”

A good answer: A date, with time for delivery or collection.

“Do you write tags or cards, and do you check spelling against my list?”

A good answer: Yes, from your list, checked.

“Can you deliver or post the wrapped gifts?”

A good answer: Yes or no, with costs and tracking stated.

Getting the quote right

  • Price per gift by size, and the total
  • Materials: paper, ribbon, tissue, boxes, bags
  • Tags or cards, and handwriting
  • Collection, delivery or postage
  • The deadline
  • Who actually attends to a large order: the gift wrapper you agreed it with, or extra seasonal wrappers, and whether they are employed or subcontracted
  • The gift wrapper's VAT number on the invoice, with VAT shown apart from the per-gift price

Walk away if

  • No list or count of the gifts handed over
  • Unclear who is responsible for breakages
  • No deadline in December
  • Delivery offered with no tracking
  • Materials charged without asking
  • No receipt
LOW
£2
TYPICAL
£5
HIGH
£8

What a gift wrapper costs: £2–£8 per item

Gift wrapping is priced per item by size, with boxes, bags, handwritten tags and delivery added on top; bulk orders can cost less per gift. Gift Wrapping Service price guide →

Guide prices compiled by the Locufy team from published Irish and UK provider price lists and 2026/27 cost guides. Updated 2026.

KNOW WHAT TO LOOK FOR? NOW FIND ONE

Gift wrappers near you, with the badges that matter shown

ID checked, trader status and one score from every review — on the card, before you message anyone. Nearest first. No account needed to look.

Or post the job free and let them come to you.

  1. BriefStyle, materials, count and deadline agreed.
  2. Hand-overGifts counted and listed, with any existing damage noted.
  3. WrappingEach gift wrapped, tagged and protected.
  4. CheckCount and tags checked against the list.
  5. ReturnCollected, delivered or posted as agreed.

Per-item price
The charge for each gift, often by size.
Gift box
A rigid box for awkward or fragile items.
Tissue
Thin paper that protects the gift inside the wrap.
Tag
A small card with the recipient's name.
Bulk order
Many gifts at once, often at a lower price each.
Tracked postage
Delivery you can follow, with a compensation limit.

AFTER

When the job is done

Count the parcelsEvery gift and tag against your list.
Check fragile itemsBefore they go to the recipient, where you can.
Keep the receipt and listFor any claim about a damaged gift.
Write the reviewYour account of the wrapped gifts helps the next person choose. If they fell short, use the make-it-right step before the review is published.

STEP 1Raise the wrapping with them in writingSay what was agreed and what happened. If the wrapping missed the standard of reasonable care and skill (Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49), the remedy is a repeat at no cost or a price reduction.
STEP 2The make-it-right stepA review under four stars for a gift wrapper starts with a choice: send it to them first to fix, with us following it through, then publish the review.
STEP 3No regulator — use the consumer helplineA complaint about the wrapping has no register or ombudsman behind it. Ring Citizens Advice on 0808 223 1133 in England and Wales, Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 800 9060, or Consumerline on 0300 123 6262 in Northern Ireland; they can pass a case to Trading Standards.
STEP 4If money is still owedYou can take the gift wrapper to the small claims route — the county court small claims track up to £10,000 in England and Wales, simple procedure in the sheriff court up to £5,000 in Scotland, and the small claims court up to £5,000 in Northern Ireland.

Hiring a gift wrapper: questions people ask

Nobody licenses gift wrapping anywhere in the UK.

A trader must use reasonable care and skill under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Agree responsibility in writing, and ask about insurance for valuable gifts.

At 20% if the gift wrapper is VAT-registered; a sole trader under the £90,000 threshold need not charge it.

£2 to £8 an item, typically around £5. Size, materials and boxes make the difference. Per-item prices by size and materials are in the gift wrapping price guide; your town above shows wrappers near you.

Ask the gift wrapper for their December cut-off and allow time for delivery.

Raise it in writing. You can ask for it to be redone at their cost under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

MORE GUIDES

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Gift wrappers near you

Gift wrappers in LondonGift wrappers in ManchesterGift wrappers in BirminghamGift wrappers in GlasgowGift wrappers in BelfastAll gift wrappers on Locufy →

Sources — checked October 2026

  1. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49 — reasonable care and skill
  2. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 55 — repeat performance
  3. gov.uk — VAT registration threshold
  4. Citizens Advice — more help with a consumer issue
  5. mygov.scot — consumer rights (Advice Direct Scotland)
  6. nidirect — about Consumerline
  7. gov.uk — make a court claim for money: court fees
  8. mygov.scot — make a court claim for money
  9. nidirect — small claims process
  10. VAT rates — VAT rates for goods and services: standard rate 20% on most goods and services
  11. GOV.UK — Register for VAT: when to register