What is a birthday, wedding, bridal or baby shower, bachelor’s eve, naming ceremony, or any kind of celebration for that matter without gifts?
Gifting as a culture is as old as man, and has a long and rich history. From early man gifting trinkets to modern civilization, the practice has evolved as a way to show affection, as well as to build and foster relationships. Gifts can be a tangible item, an experience, a gesture or personal time. Anything that requires that one individual to part with something of value for the sake of someone else can be categorized as a gift.
Fast-forward to the present day and gifting is still a predominant social culture. The format may have changed, but the act has remained the same. Gifting is now more diversified, with different subcultures emerging. People can now send gift cards redeemable online, gift a friend data or airtime, or even gift an experience. It is even now commonplace for celebrants to share gift wishlists, to ensure the individuals doing the gifting have context on what the celebrant needs. As much as gifting is about the heart and not the item, it is a waste of effort to give a gift that a recipient doesn’t need.
With the onset of e-commerce and the advent of globalization, it’s even easier to purchase a gift. Anyone can buy gifts at the tap of a button and have them delivered to any recipient anywhere in the world—sometimes, in real-time.
Gifts by Cowrywise ticks all these boxes:
- Contextual Gifting: The gifts you share on Cowrywise are suitable for any occasion, any season and anyone
- Digital Gifts: Cowrywise customers can send a financial gift to anyone in Nigeria in real-time. All they need is the recipient’s contact details to send the gift.
- Options: Gifts by Cowrywise is a one-stop hub for financial gifts. Cowrywise customers can pick from a range of investment options giving them options to choose from.
What exactly is Gifts by Cowrywise?
In one sentence, Gifts by Cowrywise is simply this – the Gift that keeps on giving. With this feature, you can gift anyone a financial investment as a plan, and it can generate returns over time. A plan is basically a bucket/goal that’s been created to save or invest for a particular need. When you are getting an investment gift, you are in fact purchasing a plan, which is then sent to the recipient, but more on that later.
Let’s explain this in another way.
Do you remember when you were a kid or maybe a young adult, and one of your uncles came to visit? There was always a certain exchange that took place when they were leaving – they either slid some money into your palm to buy Coke, or they gave the money to your parents. Remember? Those monies either ended up with the neighbourhood tuckshop if you decided to purchase a chilled bottle of coke, or your parents saved it in the household kolo. In this case, that money from your uncle is a cash gift, and your dad or mum keeping it in the Kolo is their way of saving the cash gift for you.
Gifts by Cowrywise works the same way, although slightly more direct. You are simply giving someone a cash gift, that will be invested in their account once they redeem the gift, which will now have the potential to earn returns in the future. Let’s use another example.
Amaka, an intern at your office, is getting married sometime next month. You aren’t very close, and you don’t want to be too forward to ask for her wishlist, but you know most people will welcome a cash gift, especially when preparing for a wedding. But, as a recently married man, you also understand that finances after the wedding are just as important. You decide to gift her an investment she’ll find useful in the future – the Gift is invested in a low-risk mutual fund on Cowrywise. Log into the app, select one of the Gift packages, input your preferred amount (mind you, the minimum amount is ₦5,000 and this amount will be debited from your card), and you can share it directly with Amaka, provided you have their contact details – if you don’t, ask HR 😉.
Do you get it now?
It’s the Gift that keeps on growing, long after the flowers have withered and the chocolates have long disappeared.
Gifts by Cowrywise is a brand new way to show love to the people in your life – your friends, family, colleagues, mentors, romantic partner, sibling, best friend, work buddy, or even that neighbour who’s always got your back. In today’s economy, it is becoming increasingly difficult to part with money, so anyone will appreciate an investment gift, not just because of the amount, but because it was given sacrificially. The sender could have used the money for a million other things, but they chose to Gift you an investment. You must be truly special.
A gift packaged with love or a gift wrapped for future returns – do you have to choose?
Gifts typically carry some form of sentimental value – it tells the recipient that the sender was thinking about them, and wants to appreciate them. Culturally, you will find that some gifts are contextualized and/or seasonal – there are specific gifts for specific seasons and specific individuals. For example, the typical gifts given around Valentine’s include chocolate, boxers (sorry guys), teddy bears, wine, food, a money bouquet, a dinner experience etc. Birthdays are not far off – cakes, sneakers, shoes, etc.
The beauty of Gifts by Cowrywise is that they are ideal for any context, and are just as purposeful and thoughtful as any of the other gifts mentioned above. For any special occasion, you can decide to gift a tangible item or an investment (or preferably both). Gifts by Cowrywise serve as a great complement to any other gifts – this way, the recipient receives gifts that unlock present and future value.
For example, gifting a friend a ₦1 million investment at 10% per annum could grow to about ₦1.3 million in 4 years – an additional ₦300,000 on just reinvesting and compounding alone. With steady and periodic investments over time, the potential for returns could be much higher. See the difference?
Other tangible gifts unlock present value that won’t stand the test of time – sent today, gone tomorrow. Gifts by Cowrywise unlock future value and potential returns
While tangible items are commonplace, necessary and have sentimental value, we’d advise that you also consider the future value the recipient can receive from your gift later on. Budget wisely, and gift someone special a sentimental AND financial gift. Send that box of chocolate, but send it with a ₦500,000 investment. They will love it!
Gifts on Cowrywise are budget-friendly so make sure you add it to your list of Gifts. You can purchase an investment gift for as little as ₦5,000.
Now, let’s show you how to get a Gift on Cowrywise.
How to Gift a loved one
Gifts by Cowrywise is currently available to Cowrywise customers only, but you can send a Gift to anyone – whether they use Cowrywise or not. Remember we mentioned that when you get an investment gift, you are in fact purchasing a plan, which is then sent to the recipient to redeem? Sure you do!
There are currently 6 plans you can gift someone. There are specific plans you can gift like the Car Plan, Home Plan, Study Plan, and Nest for Kids, which are useful if you have more context, and are sure the gift will be useful for the recipient. The other plans (an Emergency Plan and the Cowrywise Investment Portfolio) are ideal if you want to gift someone with no specific goal.
The best thing about Gifts by Cowrywise is that you can schedule a gift in advance. Say your wife’s birthday is in 2 weeks, you can schedule an investment gift to be delivered on her birthday at midnight on the dot. What a way to surprise her!
To access Gifts:
- Sign up/Log in on Cowrywise
- Tap your profile picture on the home screen
- Select Gift a plan and select the desired plan to gift
- Enter amount
- Enter the recipient’s details (Name, Phone Number)
- You can add a note that the recipient will receive once they receive the gift
- You can even schedule the delivery for a special date in the future
If you can dream it, you can invest for it
We all dream big. It’s natural to dream of bigger opportunities and a better life. Whatever dreams you have are valid and don’t have to be beyond reach. The structure of society, and availability of basic needs and amenities, have the capability to dahs all hope. But, there’s a popular adage that says, “When there is life, there is hope”. As long as you can read this message, your dreams and hopes are achievable. And with the right attitude, financial planning and patience, investing can make some of these dreams a reality.
Whatever you can dream of, you can invest for it!
