Share a gift link via WhatsApp, Teams, Slack, or email: generate a personal link in Cadeo, share it through any channel, and let the recipient choose from 1,200+ products. From €15, 95% redemption rate.
Sharing Gift Links via WhatsApp, Teams, or Email — The Complete Guide [2026]
You want to surprise a colleague, thank a client, or give the whole team something special. You generate a gift link and share it through the channel that fits best: WhatsApp for a personal gesture, Teams or Slack for the whole team, email for a formal tone, or a QR code on a physical card. In this article, you'll learn how the gift link works, which channel to choose when, and how to write the accompanying message that truly encourages the recipient to redeem it.
With Cadeo, you generate a personal gift link that you can share through any channel: WhatsApp, email, Teams, Slack, QR code, or copy and paste. The recipient clicks, chooses a gift from 1,200+ products, and enters a delivery address. No address list needed, no app installation, 95% redemption rate. From €15 per recipient, invoiced under the company name.
How does a gift link work?
A gift link is a unique URL that leads to a personalized choice portal. The recipient clicks the link, sees a page in your company's branding with a personal message, and chooses a gift from the assortment. Only when making their choice do they enter a delivery address — you don't need to have that address.
At Cadeo, it works in three steps: you create a campaign in the dashboard, set the budget and message, and generate the links. You get a unique link for each recipient. You can then share that link at any time through the channel that best suits the situation and the recipient.
Create a campaign
Choose budget, message, and branding in the Cadeo dashboard. Ready in 5 minutes.
Generate links
Upload a list of names or create individual links. Each recipient gets a unique URL.
Share through any channel
Copy the link and share via WhatsApp, email, Teams, Slack, or QR code.
Recipient chooses
The recipient opens the link, chooses a gift from 1,200+ products, and enters a delivery address themselves.
The difference from a traditional gift card via WhatsApp — like the ones you know from Bol.com or Cadeaubon.nl — is that a Cadeo link is not a separate code you have to enter. The recipient clicks the link and lands directly in a visual, branded portal with a personal message. It feels like a real gift, not a transaction. You can read more about what that portal looks like in Choice Gift & Choice Portal (AH-02).
Important: the link is secure. Each URL is unique and can only be redeemed once. There is no risk that someone else uses the link. After redemption, the link is automatically deactivated. In your dashboard, you can see in real time whether a link has been opened, viewed, or redeemed.
Which channel should you choose? Comparing the 6 options
The strength of a gift link is that you're not tied to one distribution channel. You choose the channel that fits the relationship, the context, and the urgency. Below are the six most commonly used channels, with pros and cons and when to use each one.
| Channel | Ideal for | Tone | Speed | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal gifts, small teams, customers you already chat with on WhatsApp | Informal, warm | Immediate | Not suitable for bulk; maintain business distance in formal relationships | |
| Formal gifts, client relationships, HR campaigns, bulk | Professional | Minutes | May end up in spam; use a recognizable sender address | |
| Microsoft Teams | Internal teams, department gifts, remote employees | Business-casual | Immediate | Recipient must be in the same Teams environment |
| Slack | Tech teams, startups, companies that use Slack as their primary chat | Informal | Immediate | Link preview can spoil the surprise — send in DM |
| QR code | Physical card, handwritten note, drinks gathering, or event | Personal | Depends on delivery | Combine with a handwritten message for maximum impact |
| Copy link | Any other channel: intranet, SMS, Signal, LinkedIn DM | Flexible | Immediate | Always add context — a bare link feels impersonal |
Most organizations use two to three channels side by side. Email as the default for planned campaigns (Christmas, anniversaries, birthdays), WhatsApp or Slack for spontaneous moments (thank-you, illness, achievement), and QR codes for physical cards. That combination covers almost every situation. You can read more about structuring gift moments in Setting Up a Gift Policy (AH-91).
WhatsApp: the most personal channel
WhatsApp is the most widely used messaging channel in the Netherlands — more than 13 million daily users. WhatsApp message open rates are above 98%, compared with 20-30% for email. That makes it ideal for gifts where you want to be sure the recipient sees and opens the message.
A gift link via WhatsApp works best in three situations: when you're sending an individual gift to someone you already have a WhatsApp relationship with, when you want to surprise a small team (up to about 15 people) via a group chat, or when you want to send a client or contact something personal outside the formal channels.
Example message via WhatsApp
“Hey [name], I just wanted to thank you for [reason]. So here's a little gift for you — you can choose whatever you like best: [link]. Enjoy!” Short, personal, and the link is clearly included. Avoid long texts — WhatsApp is a fast medium.
Note: WhatsApp is less suitable for bulk campaigns. If you're sending 50+ gifts at once, you'll run into two problems. First, manually pasting individual links into separate chats is time-consuming. Second, WhatsApp may temporarily restrict your account if you send many messages in a short time to numbers you have little contact with — the platform sees that as spam-like behavior.
Email is the better choice for bulk campaigns. Cadeo can automatically send personalized emails with the gift link, including the recipient's name, a personal message, and your company branding. But for that one personal gesture — a birthday, a thank-you after a successful project, a sick colleague — WhatsApp is unbeatable. The combination of personal tone and immediate visibility creates the highest open rate and the fastest redemption.
Teams and Slack: gift links in your work chats
For companies that work in Microsoft Teams or Slack every day, it makes sense to share gift links where the team is already communicating. No extra app, no separate channel — the gift appears in the chat stream everyone is already following.
Teams: DM for individual, channel for team
Send a gift link as a direct message for a personal gift (birthday, achievement). For a team gift, post the link in the team channel with an accompanying message. Teams shows a link preview — useful, because the recipient immediately sees that it's a gift.
Slack: DM or private channel, not in #general
Slack automatically unfurls links, which means everyone in the channel sees the preview. That can spoil the surprise. Send individual gifts via DM. For team gifts, you can use a private channel or Slack's “send later” feature to post at the right moment.
Automate via HRIS integration
Cadeo integrates with BambooHR, Personio, and HiBob. Birthdays and anniversaries are pulled automatically, the gift link is generated, and you receive a notification. You only need to send the message through the channel of your choice.
A practical point: if you use Teams or Slack for work-related gifts, it's smart to record in your gift policy which channel gift links should be shared through. That prevents one manager from sending via Teams, another via email, and a third forgetting altogether. Consistency in channel leads to consistency in appreciation — and prevents employees from feeling that some teams get more attention than others.
An extra benefit of Teams and Slack: the gift link stays easy to find in the chat history. Unlike email — where messages quickly disappear in an overcrowded inbox — the recipient can easily scroll back to the message if they want to open the link later. This contributes to the high redemption rate: at Cadeo, it's 95%, partly because the link remains reachable through multiple touchpoints. Read more about why choice freedom works in Gift Psychology: Why Choice Freedom Works (AH-92).
Email and QR codes: the classics with a digital twist
Email remains the most common channel for planned gift campaigns. It's professional, scalable, and leaves room for a thoughtful message. With Cadeo, you can send personalized emails directly from the dashboard: you upload a list of names and email addresses, write a message, and the system sends each recipient an email with a unique gift link in your branding.
Email best practices for gift links
Use a recognizable sender address (for example, name@company.com, not noreply@). Put the gift link prominently in the message — not hidden at the bottom. Mention explicitly that it's a gift in the subject line so the email doesn't get overlooked. A subject like “A gift for you, [name]” performs better than “Information about your corporate gift”.
Send a reminder after 7 days to recipients who haven't redeemed yet. Cadeo shows in your dashboard exactly who has already opened and chosen.
QR codes are the bridge between physical and digital. You print the QR code on a handwritten card, a birthday card, or a physical package. The recipient scans the code with their phone and lands directly in the choice portal. This combines the warmth of something tangible with the flexibility of digital choice. You can read more about the power of handwritten cards in Handwritten Thank-You Cards (AH-57).
With Cadeo, you can generate QR codes per recipient. Each card contains a unique code that leads to that specific recipient's personal portal. The cost of a handwritten card with QR code ranges from €2.95 to €10 per piece, depending on the format.
The choice between email and QR code depends on the context. For planned campaigns with dozens or hundreds of recipients, email is the most efficient. For a small, personal gesture — a congratulatory card on someone's desk, a thank-you note with a bouquet of flowers — the QR code wins. In practice, many organizations combine both: an email as the first touchpoint, and a reminder via Slack or Teams for anyone who still hasn't redeemed after a week.
The perfect accompanying message by channel
The gift link is the technology. The accompanying message is the emotion. And that message is what makes the difference between a link that's opened immediately and one that disappears to the bottom of a chat history. Different channels have different rules for length, tone, and structure.
| Channel | Length | Tone | Structure |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2–4 sentences | Warm, personal | Reason + gift explanation + link | |
| 4–8 sentences | Professionally warm | Greeting + context + explanation + link + closing | |
| Teams / Slack | 2–5 sentences | Business-casual | Short context + link + optional emoji |
| QR card | 1–3 sentences | Warm, brief | Personal message + “scan the QR code” |
The core rule: always mention the reason, briefly explain what the recipient can expect (“you can choose your own gift”), and end with the link or QR instructions. Avoid vague language like “a little something” or “an extra treat” — be specific. A message like “Congratulations on your 5-year anniversary! Use this link to choose your own gift — from local products to gift cards” is more powerful than “Here is a token of appreciation on behalf of the company”.
“We noticed that the redemption rate increased from 78% to 94% when we made the accompanying message more personal and added the manager's name instead of ‘management’.”
— HR manager, tech company (120 employees)Another tip: don't send gift links on Monday or Friday mornings. Cadeo's data shows that links sent Tuesday through Thursday are redeemed faster on average. On Monday, the inbox is full; on Friday, people are already mentally switching to the weekend. The best time differs by channel — WhatsApp and Slack also work well in the evening, while email performs best between 10:00 and 14:00. You can read more about gift etiquette and timing in Business Gift Etiquette (AH-90).
Cadeo's gift link in practice
What does it look like in practice when you share a gift link via Cadeo? From creating the campaign to the moment the recipient receives a package — the whole chain is designed to make it as easy as possible for you and feel as personal as possible for the recipient.
White-label portal
The recipient sees your logo, colors, and message — not Cadeo's. It feels like a gift from your organization, not from an external platform. You can add a video message, GIF, or digital card.
1,200+ products, one curated portal
From Rituals and Le Creuset to Bol.com gift cards and donations to Treebytree or Sumthing. Local, impact-driven brands — refreshed by at least 30% every year. The recipient chooses what suits them best.
Real-time dashboard
You can see per recipient whether the link has been opened, whether a gift has been chosen, and when it will be delivered. Anyone who hasn't redeemed after 7 days automatically receives a reminder — or you can send a message yourself via WhatsApp or Slack.
Impact report after the campaign
After the redemption period, you receive a report with redemption percentage, popular product choices, donations, and thank-you messages. 40% of recipients leave a personal thank-you message — concrete proof that your gift resonates.
The entry barrier is low: from €15 per recipient, no long-term contract, and setup in 15 minutes. You pay upfront and receive credit for what isn't redeemed. Or choose the GaaS model: a monthly consolidated invoice afterward for only the gifts actually redeemed. Invoiced under the company name, net 30 days, WKR-compliant.
You can read more about how to send a gift without knowing the recipient's address in Sending a Gift Without an Address (AH-29). About scaling up to large teams, read Scaling Gifting for Large Teams (AH-48).
Frequently asked questions about sharing gift links
Yes. The gift link opens in any mobile browser. The recipient does not need to install an app or create an account. The choice portal is fully responsive and works on any smartphone, tablet, or computer. You send the link as a regular WhatsApp message and the recipient clicks it — done.
Use a recognizable sender address (name@company.com) instead of a noreply address. Include the company name in the subject line. Cadeo's email system uses SPF, DKIM, and DMARC authentication to maximize deliverability. When in doubt, send a test email to yourself. If you prefer to send the link yourself from your own email system, simply copy the link and paste it into your own email — both options work.
Each gift link is unique and can only be redeemed once. The first person to open the link and choose a gift claims it. After that, the link is no longer usable. If you want to protect an individual gift from unintended use, always send the link as a private message (DM), not in a public channel. If in doubt, you can contact Cadeo support to reset a link.
Generating and sharing gift links is free — you only pay for the gifts that are actually redeemed, starting at €15 per recipient. There are no platform fees, no setup fee, and no subscription. Invoicing is under the company name, net 30 days. With the GaaS model, you receive a monthly consolidated invoice afterward for all redeemed gifts.
Yes, but that's not always wise. Because each link is unique and can only be redeemed once, it doesn't technically matter through which channel you share it. But for the recipient, it can be confusing if the same gift comes in through three channels. Choose one primary channel and use a second channel only as a reminder if the recipient still hasn't opened it after a week.
By default, a Cadeo link is valid for 90 days. You can adjust this duration per campaign — shorter if you want to create urgency, longer if you want to give recipients more time to decide. After the period ends, the unredeemed budget is credited back. In your dashboard, you can see exactly how many links are still open and when the deadline is approaching.
Yes. Cadeo delivers in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and the rest of the EU. The recipient enters the delivery address themselves, so a colleague in Berlin or Brussels can receive a gift through the same link. The portal is available in Dutch and English. For recipients outside the EU, the assortment is more limited — digital gift cards are a good option then.
