Help / FAQ'S

How do I place an order?
What credit or debit cards can I use on this site?
Does Present Aid charge postage and packing?
When will my gift be delivered?
If I buy a gift, what will I receive?
How do I know if my order has been successful?
What are the terms and conditions of this site?
How do I contact Present Aid?
Does Present Aid have a refund policy?
When is the last order date for Christmas?
Can I get my gift wrapped?
Does the person I am buying the gift for receive an e-card?
Can you send the cards to someone else?
Can I have more than one card for the gift I have bought?
Can I name my gift?
Can I have a photograph and update of my purchase?
Where does my money go?
I’ve heard that goats damage the environment?
Is providing livestock the best way to help people?
How are the animals cared for?
Can I pay by CAF on the website?
I have accidentally ordered the same items twice. What can I do?
Can you deliver cards to an address overseas?
Can I get a certificate?
Can I order items after Christmas?
How many goats are in a herd?
Are any of the animals killed for food?
What is Present Aid's privacy policy?
Does my money actually buy my particular gift?
Why are the prices in this year’s catalogue different to last year’s prices?
What will I get if I agree to receive further information?
What do I do if I am experiencing technical difficulties on the
Why am I having problems purchasing products in my Firefox browser?
Are my details secure?
Why isn’t all of the ‘my account’ area secure?
Are you going to send me spam or other unsolicited communications?
How do I re-set my password?
What happens if the gift I want to buy is out of stock?
Why do you want my e-mail address?

1. How do I place an order?

Shopping basket
When you have found a gift that you want, just click on the 'Buy' or 'Add to basket' button. Clicking on the 'Buy' button will take you directly to the shopping basket screen. Clicking on the 'Add to basket' button will place the item in your shopping basket but will not take you to the shopping basket screen. This will allow you to continue browsing for gifts uninterrupted. At any time you can just click on the shopping basket icon to see what you have selected and amend the quantities or remove gifts from the basket.

Completing your order
Once you have clicked on the shopping basket icon, the shopping basket screen will appear. Before completing your order please note that payment must be received in UK pounds sterling. Anyone from anywhere in the world can purchase a gift from the Present Aid site. However, the price of the item will be calculated on the basis of their credit card issuers' pounds sterling exchange rate.

To alter the quantity of a gift, type the new figure in the relevant text box then select the 'Update basket' button to refresh the contents of your basket. To remove a gift from your basket, highlight the gift and click the 'Remove' button. If you wish to proceed to the Checkout and are happy with your selection of titles, click the checkout button. Alternatively, you may continue shopping.

Step one: select country
Select the region that you are in by selecting from the drop down menu provided. You have three possible choices; UK, Europe or Rest of World. To proceed to the next section click the 'Continue' button.

Step two: enter postcode
You will now see a page where you must enter the postcode of the delivery address and the house number or name. To continue click the 'Continue' button. You will now proceed to Step three. If you are unsure of your postcode please click 'I don't know postcode', if you select this option you will need to proceed to Step four below.

Step three: postcode finder
From the list of available addresses select the relevant address .

Can't find your address?
On rare occasions some house addresses do not show up in the postcode lookup section. If this occurs simply check the box 'I can't find my address' and press continue. You will now be able to enter your address using the text fields provided.

Step four: address details
You will now see the items you have in your basket. Enter your e-mail address, telephone number and address details if blank. To continue to the final payment details section click on the 'Continue' button. Please note that before you continue you must check the terms and conditions box once you have read and agreed the terms and conditions.

Step five: payment details
Your order and delivery information will now be displayed at the top of the screen. Check your delivery and contact information (click the 'Previous' button to return to the address details page to make corrections). Complete your payment details in the payment section.

The card validation code
The card validation code is made up of three numbers on the back of your credit or debit card. Turn your card over and look at the signature strip. You will see a set of printed numbers. The last three digits are separated from the others by a space. These last three digits are your Card Validation Code. The Card Validation Code is a new authentication scheme, which gives you added security against card fraud. When you enter the code, it proves that you actually have the card in your hand and that it is not being used fraudulently.

Once you have entered your payment details click the 'Place your order' button to complete your order. On the last page you will be provided with all your relevant order details. It is advisable to print this page as your reference. You will be notified by email to indicate whether your credit card was authorised or declined.

2. What credit or debit cards can I use on this site?

Payment Methods

We will contact your payment card company for authorisation when you place your order. Your payment card will then be debited immediately upon authorisation of your card payment.

We accept the following cards for payment: American Express, Mastercard, Switch, Solo and Visa.

The total amount you pay is unaffected, regardless of the payment method used.

We take every reasonable care to ensure that your order and subsequent transactions are conducted in a secure environment. If gifts are not available for any reason after we have accepted your order, we will let you know. We will not charge you for these gifts and will refund amounts already paid (if any) by way of a credit to your credit card/debit card account.

You are responsible for payment of all orders placed using your user name and password.

3. Does Present Aid charge postage and packing?

All prices are inclusive of postage and packing. This also applies to international orders. However, we welcome an online donation to reflect the delivery charge.

4. When will my gift be delivered?

UK Delivery information
You can usually expect to receive the card 4-5 working days after the date of your order.

Eire and Channel Islands deliveries
Present Aid offers free postage and packing for all Eire and Channel Islands Deliveries. You can usually expect to receive the card 7-8 working days after the date of your order.

International deliveries Present Aid offers free postage and packing for all International deliveries. You can usually expect to receive the card within 10-11 working days of the date of your order.

Present Aid partners with the Royal Mail for deliveries. Click here to go their website.

5. If I buy a gift, what will I receive?

You will receive a card for each item purchased. The card shows a picture of the gift as well as a brief description of how it is used.

6. How do I know if my order has been successful?

When you have completed your order you will be sent an e-mail confirming your order. It will state what the gifts are, the cost (including VAT) and delivery and invoice details. If your order has been unsuccessful you will be made aware of the reason why and possible explanations.

Payment authorisation declined. The order has been successfully received, but the bank has declined or referred the credit/debit card. An email will be sent to you to explain the reasons why this may have occurred.
In progress. Payment has been authorised and your order is being processed.
All items dispatched. All of the items in your order have been dispatched.
1 Part of order dispatched. 1 of the items in your order has been dispatched. To view which item has been dispatched please click on the order number and refer to the item status.
X Part of order dispatched. X of the items in your order have been dispatched.

7. What are the terms and conditions of this site?

Click here to view the terms and conditions governing the use of the Present Aid website.

8. How do I contact Present Aid?

Present Aid is owned by Christian Aid (company registration number 5171525, charity number 1105851, Republic of Ireland charity number CHY 6998) and VAT registration number 858 5800 87. Our registered office is at: 35 Lower Marsh, London SE1 7RL.

If you have any queries, please email: presentaid@dataforce.co.uk

Or telephone: 0845 3300 500

Or write to:
Present Aid
Christian Aid
Freepost
Northampton NN3 6DF

Please note: email is the least expensive method of handling enquiries. If you use email, you save Christian Aid money.

9. Does Present Aid have a refund policy?

Present Aid offers no refunds or cancellations. If you have any queries call Christian Aid on 0845 3300 500

10. When is the last order date for Christmas?

To ensure you receive your gift in time for Christmas, orders must be received by Christian Aid by:

UK deliveries: To receive your order in time for Christmas, all orders are being sent by first class post but must be with us by midday, Monday 15 December for orders placed by post or phone. However, you can order online up to midday on Wednesday 17 December if you opt for us to send your card direct to the present recipient, which would normally arrive in time for Christmas
Europe deliveries: 10 December
Rest of World deliveries: 8 December

11. Can I get my gift wrapped?

We do not currently offer a gift wrapping service.

12. Does the person I am buying the gift for receive an e-card?

Present Aid does not send e-cards. All correspondence, which includes the gift card, will be sent to you (the purchaser). You can then forward the card onto to the intended recipient.

13. Can you send the cards to someone else?

Yes, we offer this facility to all our customers.

14. Can I have more than one card for the gift I have bought?

Not at the moment. We are hoping to have this facility available for website orders in the future.

15. Can I name my gift?

As the gifts are virtual your contribution may not specifically provide the item you buy. Therefore we cannot allocate or dedicate items. See ‘Does my money actually buy my particular gift?’ for more information

16. Can I have a photograph and update of my purchase?

At the time of purchase we cannot be certain as to what project your contribution will benefit. This means that we are unable to provide updates or photographs. For a more general update on how Christian Aid is spending your donation please visit www.christianaid.org.uk.

17. Where does my money go?

84 pence in each Ł1 spent is used for our stated objectives. Of the other 16 pence, 1.5 pence is spent on running the charity and the balance is spent on fundraising. (For each Ł1 spent on fundraising, a further Ł4 is raised).

18. I’ve heard that goats damage the environment?

Christian Aid believes that local people know best the solutions to the issues they face. As with all the projects we support, those that include the provision of goats have followed requests from our overseas partners. In each case, the goats are kept in enclosed areas or are tethered, but with room to move around. Care is taken to ensure that they are not able to damage crops or the environment. For this reason the projects we support that provide these animals remain very successful, localised, and small-scale but non-intensive husbandry initiatives.

19. Is providing livestock the best way to help people?

Many of the people we help have a history of keeping livestock and it is part of their culture. The projects we support are run by local partner organisations that assess the most suitable ways to help. Christian Aid is guided by their expertise as well as local cultural concerns

20. How are the animals cared for?

Owning livestock is a means of providing a living for many people in the developing world. Consequently, making sure the animal is well cared for is a priority for people who own them. The recipients of livestock receive training in animal husbandry and local veterinary care is usually available. It is quite common for the animal to enjoy a better quality of life than its owner.

21. Can I pay by CAF on the website?

Regrettably the website is not set-up to receive CAF or other charity account payments. To pay by CAF simply order by phone on 0845 3300 500 .

22. I have accidentally ordered the same items twice. What can I do?

Please call our customer service team on 0845 3300 500 and they will be able to arrange a refund for you.

23. Can you deliver cards to an address overseas?

Yes, however to make sure you receive your gift in time for Christmas you order must be received by 13 December for Europe deliveries and the 11 December for ‘rest of the world’ deliveries.

24. Can I get a certificate?

Present Aid will send you a card as recognition of the gifts that have been purchased. Unfortunately we are unable to provide a certificate.

25. Can I order items after Christmas?

Yes, Present Aid runs all year and can be used to purchase gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings and other special occasions.

26. How many goats are in a herd?

There are four goats in a herd. We regret that we cannot split a herd and sell goats individually.

27. Are any of the animals killed for food?

As with any keeping of livestock some animals or birds are killed for food.

28. What is Present Aid's privacy policy?

Present Aid is committed to the protection of your privacy. All personal information given to us through this website will only be held and used with care and in accordance with this policy and the Data Protection Act 1998. Your use of this website constitutes your agreement to the terms of this Privacy Policy. Please click here to read our privacy policy in full.

29. Does my money actually buy my particular gift?

Whatever you buy, your money will go directly to a project fund relevant to your gift. For instance, if you buy a goat, the money goes directly to our agriculture & livestock fund. We have six funds:

Agriculture & livestock (A)
Emergency & disaster preparedness (E)
Healthcare (including HIV/AIDS) (H)
Power & energy (P)
Training & education (T)
Water & environment (W)

30. Why are the prices in this year’s catalogue different to last year’s prices?

In all cases the projects featured are different. Often this is because the project in last year’s catalogue has been successfully completed and no longer requires our funding. Costs of items vary from country to country as well as within regions in a country.

31. What will I get if I agree to receive further information?

You will normally receive our quarterly magazine and other information about our activities and appeals.

32. What do I do if I am experiencing technical difficulties on the website?

In the first instance, try logging off and returning a few hours later as the site may be closed for essential maintenance.

If the problem persists please contact us and describe exactly what problem you are having. We will need to know as much information as possible to be able to help you with your enquiry including what you are seeing, where on the site you are experiencing difficulty, and if possible screen grabs.

It would also be helpful to know what browser and type of computer you are using. You can email presentaid@dataforce.co.uk or call us on 0845 3300 500 and we will do our best to resolve your problem.

33. Why am I having problems purchasing products in my Firefox browser?

We currently have technical issues accommodating the Firefox browser. We are working with our ecommerce supplier to resolve these.

34. Are my details secure?

Yes, all areas of the site that deal with customer details are encrypted including the customer database

35. Why isn’t all of the ‘my account’ area secure?

Some areas of the account section, after taking details over an encrypted channel, forward you to an unencrypted thank you page. However any pages with forms that ask you to enter details, or areas that process details are encrypted

36. Are you going to send me spam or other unsolicited communications?

We will only contact you if you opt-in to further communications during the sign-up process. Where we do email you we control the amount of communication so that it is appropriate. Your details are never shared inappropriately and we fully comply with the requirements of the Data Protection Act. At any time you can log into the ‘My Account’ area and change this option to ‘no’ if you decide you don’t want to receive any more communications. For more information please see our privacy policy on the website

37. How do I re-set my password?

To re-set your password simply go to the “My Account” area on the website, where there is an option to have a new password emailed to you

38. What happens if the gift I want to buy is out of stock?

We sell only virtual gifts, with an associated card, so the products should never go out of stock. Please let us know that the product is out of stock so we can resolve the issue, however you can still go ahead and order and you will receive your gift.

39. Why do you want my e-mail address?

We are asking for e-mail addresses so that we can follow up any problems that may arise from your order and to be able to update you on Present Aid news and new gifts as they become available.