What Do People Spend on Secret Santa? UK Budgets, and Bubble Tea Gifts That Fit Them
Ning MaMost UK Secret Santa limits sit between £5 and £20, and a Confused.com survey in November 2025 found Brits spend about £21 a year on Secret Santa. A TeaJoy bubble tea gift fits nicely under most limits: £7.99 to £9.99 for a key chain, £11.20 for a four-can bundle, or £13.49 for a home kit. Watch the delivery charge, though: our £3.95 delivery on orders under £20 can tip a £15 gift over the limit.
What do people spend on Secret Santa?
Different surveys, slightly different answers, but they all land in the same place: modest.
- £21 a year on average on Secret Santa, with most people doing one exchange, according to Confused.com's November 2025 research. It also found people go over their budget by £14 on average.
- 78% of Secret Santas happen with work colleagues, the same research found, ahead of friends (30%) and family (26%).
- £14 a gift was the average for workplace Secret Santa in a 2024 Love2shop survey.
So £10, £15 and £20 are the usual limits, with family groups often going a bit higher.
TeaJoy gifts under each limit
Prices as on our shop on 29 October 2026.
| Limit | Gift | Price |
|---|---|---|
| £10 | Bubble Tea Cup Key Chain or Can Key Chain | £7.99 |
| £10 | TeaJoy Labubu Key Chain | £9.99 |
| £15 | Mixed 4-can bundle, 2 Peach & Mango and 2 Passionfruit & Strawberry | £11.20 |
| £15 | Fruit Tea Kit or Milk Tea Kit, 4 drinks | £13.49 |
| £15 | Matcha Tea Kit, 4 drinks | £13.99 |
| £20 | Rainbow Bag | £15.99 |
Every kit and can is vegan, so you don't need to know your giftee's diet. The key chains, the bag and the Labubu collectibles are in our popping merch collection, and bubble tea gifts and accessories shows them all.
When delivery tips a gift over the limit
Delivery is £3.95 on orders under £20 and free on orders of £20 or more. That matters when the limit is tight:
- A Fruit Tea Kit on its own is £13.49 plus £3.95 delivery: £17.44, over a £15 limit.
- A 4-can bundle on its own is £11.20 plus £3.95: £15.15, just over £15.
Three easy ways round it:
- Team up. Two people in the same office buying a kit each come to £26.98, with free delivery.
- Buy your own Christmas treat at the same time. Add something for yourself to clear £20.
- Count delivery as wrapping. If the limit is £20, a kit with delivery fits comfortably.
The best pick for each budget
- £10: a key chain. It's cute, it's small, it clips straight onto a bag.
- £15: the Matcha Tea Kit, two matcha drinks and two fruit teas, if you can share delivery.
- £20: a kit with delivery, or the Rainbow Bag.
Questions people ask
What is a normal Secret Santa budget in the UK?
Most groups set £10, £15 or £20. Surveys put average spend at around £14 a gift at work, and about £21 a year in total.
Is a bubble tea kit a good Secret Santa gift?
Yes. It's something to make and share, it suits almost any diet, and it keeps for 24 months from production, so there's no rush to drink it.
Can I send a Secret Santa gift straight to someone's home?
Yes, just enter their address at checkout.
More gift ideas
Buying for your whole team rather than one Secret Santa? Our guide to Christmas gifts for staff covers HMRC's £50 rule. For everyone else, the bubble tea Christmas gifts guide sorts every gift by budget. Sign up to our emails for 15% off your entire order.