Corporate gifting budget: how much should you spend per employee?
Benchmarks, budget allocation and platform costs for HR, office managers and leadership.
Dutch companies spend €200–€500 per employee per year on gifts and attentions. The sweet spot for Christmas gifts is €25–€50. With pay-per-redemption platforms, you save 5–10% because unused budget is credited. Plan your budget at the start of the year and align it with your WKR allowance.
On average, Dutch companies spend €200–€500 per employee per year on gifts and attentions. The breakdown: €25–€75 for Christmas, €15–€40 per birthday, €50–€150 for anniversaries and €25–€50 for onboarding. For client gifts, €35–€100 per relationship is common. Budget depends on company size, sector and WKR allowance. Choice gifts start from €10 per person at platforms like Cadeo.
Benchmark: what do Dutch companies spend?
There are no public Dutch benchmarks for corporate gifting budgets, but based on common practices and platform data we can outline the following ranges:
* Ranges based on common budgets in the Dutch market. Excluding client/relationship gifts.
Budget per occasion: what is typical?
Use the table below as a starting point for your gift calendar. The right range depends on your company culture and sector.
| Occasion | Low | Average | Premium | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christmas gift | €10–€25 | €25–€50 | €50–€75 | Gift card → Choice gift → Premium selection |
| Birthday | €10–€20 | €20–€35 | €35–€50 | Flowers → Choice gift → Premium choice |
| 5-year anniversary | €25–€40 | €40–€75 | €75–€100 | Small gift → Choice gift → Experience |
| 10-year anniversary | €50–€75 | €75–€125 | €125–€200 | Choice gift → Premium → VIP experience |
| Onboarding | €10–€20 | €25–€40 | €40–€75 | Welcome card → Choice gift → Premium welcome |
| Client relationship gift | €25–€40 | €40–€75 | €75–€150 | Choice gift → Premium → VIP experience |
| Sick colleague | €10–€15 | €15–€25 | €25–€35 | Card → Flowers + card → Small choice gift |
Popular gift options by budget category
Small choice gifts, gift cards and small gestures. At Cadeo, you already start from €10 per person. The recipient chooses from a selection that fits the budget.
Suitable for: birthdays, small thank-yous, sick colleagues
The most chosen range for Christmas gifts and ongoing appreciation. Wide choice of 1,200+ products, gift cards, experiences and donations.
Suitable for: Christmas gift, onboarding, quarterly appreciation
Premium choice gifts with high-end products, exclusive experiences and VIP experiences. Common for top accounts and anniversaries.
Suitable for: 10+ year anniversary, VIP clients, farewell/retirement
What does a gift platform cost?
Most platforms charge per gift, not per subscription. An overview:
| Platform | Starting price | Pricing model | Pay for unused? | Setup costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadeo | From €10 | Per redemption | No, it is credited | None |
| Pimm Solutions | From €20 | Per gift | Varies | On request |
| Sterkado | From €15 | Per gift | Varies | None |
| Looff | From €30 | Per package | Yes, fixed | On request |
| Cadeaubonnen.nl | From €10 | Per voucher | 5–10% not used | None |
Also see the detailed platform comparison and the difference between gift cards and choice gifts.
Tip: pay-per-redemption saves budget
With platforms that charge per redemption (such as Cadeo), you only pay for gifts that are actually chosen. Unredeemed budget is credited. This can save 5–10% compared with fixed budgets. Cadeo also offers post-payment invoicing — one consolidated invoice per month — so you do not need to pre-finance.
Budget and the WKR: how much room do you have?
WKR rule of thumb
All employee gifts fall under the WKR free space: 2% over the first €400,000 in payroll and 1.18% above that. Plan your gift budget at the start of the year and check how much room you have. If your annual budget per employee stays below €500 (including all benefits), you are well within the free space at most companies. See our complete WKR guide for all details.
"We switched to pay-per-redemption and now save 8% structurally on our gift budget. At 400 employees, that quickly adds up to a few thousand euros per year."
ROI of corporate gifting: is it worth the investment?
The ROI of corporate gifting is hard to calculate exactly, but the indicators are positive:
Retention
Employees who feel appreciated leave less quickly. The cost of turnover (50–200% of annual salary) makes even a modest gift budget worthwhile. Read more about rewarding employees.
Appreciation
With choice gifts via Cadeo, 63% of recipients send a thank-you back. That is direct, measurable feedback. See how you can measure impact.
Customer loyalty
A well-timed relationship gift strengthens the bond and increases the chance of repeat business.
Efficiency
Automation through a platform saves 2–5 hours per month in HR administration. HRIS integrations make it even more efficient.
Frequently asked questions
On average, Dutch companies spend €200–€500 per employee per year on all gifts combined (Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.). For client gifts, it is typically €35–€100 per relationship per year.
The most common range is €25–€50 per employee. For smaller budgets (€10–€25), you can choose gift cards or a compact choice gift. With larger budgets (€50–€75), you get access to premium options. Read more in our Christmas gift guide.
A choice gift where the employee chooses from 1,200+ products, gift cards, experiences or donations. Platforms like Cadeo offer a wide selection from €10. The "best" gift is the one the recipient chooses themselves.
At choice gift platforms like Cadeo, you start from €10. The recipient chooses from a selection that fits the budget. Gift cards are also an option in this range, but they offer less personality and branding.
A premium choice gift with access to high-end products, exclusive experiences or VIP experiences. At Cadeo, you can tailor the collection per campaign so that only premium options are available to the recipient. Ideal for executives and management.
A common split: 40% for Christmas/year-end gifts, 30% for ongoing attentions (birthdays, anniversaries), 20% for occasional moments (onboarding, illness, birth) and 10% reserve. Set this in your gift policy and use a gift calendar to plan all moments.
Yes, employee gifts fall under the work-related costs scheme (WKR). The free space is 2% over the first €400,000 in payroll and 1.18% above that. As long as your total benefits stay within this space, you do not pay extra tax. Relationship gifts to clients do not fall under this — they are a business expense.
Conclusion
There is no "right" budget for corporate gifting — it depends on your company culture, size and WKR allowance. But there are clear patterns:
The most important thing is not how much you spend, but how you do it. A choice gift of €25 with a personal message in your own branding makes more of an impression than a gift card of €50 without context.
This article is compiled based on common budgeting practices in the Dutch corporate gifting market and publicly available platform data. It is intended as a practical starting point for budget planning.
