On Demand vs. Warehoused (Enterprise) gifting: what’s the difference?
If your account has access to both On Demand and Warehoused (Enterprise) gifts, you’ll see them in the same gifting experience - but they work differently behind the scenes. Here’s how to choose the right option and what to expect.
Quick definitions
On Demand gifting
On Demand gifts are sourced from &Open’s vendor network and are not stored in an &Open warehouse. When a recipient redeems, the item ships from a vendor partner to the recipient (depending on the product and location)
Warehoused (Enterprise) gifting
Warehoused (Enterprise) gifts are typically pre-purchased/produced in advance for your program and then stored in an &Open warehouse, ready to send as needed.
Key differences (at a glance)
1) Inventory & stock visibility
Warehoused gifts: You generally have inventory/stock visibility tied to the warehouse location(s).
On Demand gifts: No warehouse stock levels are shown, because inventory is held with vendor partners rather than in an &Open warehouse.
2) How billing and ordering works
Warehoused (Enterprise) gifts: Gifts are invoiced immediately when an order is placed. During sending, you’re usually only dealing with shipping charges (billing terms vary by agreement).
Gifts are ordered prior to production and once ordered, go into production with our vendor partners.
Production time is variable, depending on the item type, supplier, customization, and other factors.
On Demand gifts: On Demand gifts are paid via credit card associated with the sender's team. The card is billed when gifts are redeemed (including gift cost + shipping + any applicable handling fees).
3) Recipient experience: bundles, choices, and configurations
Warehoused (Enterprise) gifts: More flexibility in how gifts can be offered (e.g., certain flows can support bundles or choice sets, depending on your configuration).
On Demand gifts: Some experiences are more limited (for example, On Demand marketplace flows are restricted to one gift rather than bundling multiple gifts together).
4) Notecards & personalization
Warehoused (Enterprise) gifts: Often supports using pre-purchased notecards (if enabled for your program).
On Demand gifts: Typically supports a custom note message rather than selecting from pre-purchased notecards.
5) Shipping logic
Warehoused (Enterprise) gifts: Shipping is tied to the warehouse location the gift ships from. Shipping costs are informed by the warehouse and recipient location, and size / contents of the shipment.
On Demand gifts: Shipping is tied to recipient's country and the vendor fulfillment model. Shipping costs are included in the estimate/range shown in the checkout flow.
When should I use each?
Choose On Demand if you need:
Fast, ad-hoc gifting without pre-buying inventory
Marketplace variety and flexible one-off sends
A program where you want to pay as gifts are redeemed (rather than pre-purchasing stock)
Choose Warehoused (Enterprise) if you need:
Branded/custom gifts produced in advance
Inventory control and stock tracking
Warehouse-based fulfillment and more predictable program operations
Common questions
“Can I send On Demand and Warehoused gifts in the same send?”
Currently On Demand and Warehoused gifts cannot be combined in the same checkout flow.
“Are On Demand gifts available in every country?”
Availability depends on the destination country and what’s supported in the marketplace for that location.
If you’re unsure which option is right for a specific use case, contact your &Open team.