The model
Give the thing. Keep a paper trail.
Gift N Thrift is a donation marketplace. Donors list used goods at $0. Claimers pay auto-calculated shipping plus a $2.99 Gift N Thrift service fee. To claim: enter ZIP, see shipping, pay fee + shipping. To donate: list with packed size and origin ZIP, then download a receipt after someone pays.
Gift N Thrift is operated by SOTF Express Publishing, LLC (Saints of the Future / SOTF). Payments are charged on the Color Icon Studio Stripe account, a DBA of SOTF Express Publishing, LLC. There is no separate Gift N Thrift merchant account.
Claim an item
1. Enter ZIP. 2. See shipping. 3. Pay $2.99 + shipping. The donated good stays $0. Browse furniture, clothing, electronics, kids, kitchen, or home. Checkout has two line items: auto-calculated shipping, then a $2.99 Gift N Thrift service fee. The donated good stays $0.
- 1
Find a listing
Open /browse or a category such as /c/furniture. Query params: q, category, condition, zip.
- 2
Enter ZIP
On /listings/{slug}, fill the field named toZip (Deliver to ZIP). Wait for the auto-calculated shipping quote. Do not invent a rate.
- 3
See shipping + $2.99
Totals show item $0, shipping (quoted), service fee $2.99, then a combined total. Confirm those three lines before paying.
- 4
Sign in as a claimer
Use /login?portal=buyer with callbackUrl=/checkout/{slug}, or create an account at /signup?portal=buyer.
- 5
Pay at checkout
Open /checkout/{slug}. Fill shipToName, shipToLine1, shipToCity, shipToState, shipToZip. Submit. Checkout charges shipping plus the $2.99 Gift N Thrift service fee. The item stays $0.
- 6
Track the order
Confirmation is /orders/{id}/success. Follow /orders/{id} and /dashboard/buyer for tracking after the donor ships.
Donate an item
1. Open the seller portal on your phone (website, Home Screen, or Expo app). 2. Tap Take photo (rear camera) or Upload from library. 3. Suggest with AI drafts a title and description — you edit them. 4. Fill packed size, origin ZIP, and estimated used value. 5. Publish at $0. Listing is free. Claimers pay auto-calculated shipping plus a $2.99 Gift N Thrift service fee. Donors list for free. The donated item is always $0.
- 1
Open the seller portal
Sign in at /login?portal=seller, then go to /dashboard/seller/listings/new.
- 2
Fill required listing fields
On /dashboard/seller/listings/new, snap photos from the phone (Take photo / Upload from library — web PWA, or the Expo app). After the first photo, POST /api/listings/ai-suggest to draft title, category, condition, description, and an optional FMV hint. Donor edits every field. Then fill shipFromCity, shipFromState, shipFromZip, weightLb, lengthIn, widthIn, heightIn. Never auto-publish. FMV is an estimate only — not tax advice.
- 3
Publish at $0
There is no item price field. Donors list for free. Gift N Thrift does not pay donors.
- 4
Ship when claimed, then download the receipt
When a claimer pays shipping + $2.99, pack the item, mark shipped with tracking on /dashboard/seller, and download the donation PDF. Gift N Thrift receipts are records of the transfer for the donor’s files — not tax advice, not IRS Form 8283, and not a promise that the gift is deductible. U.S. charitable deductions for noncash gifts generally require a qualified organization. Talk to a tax professional.
About taxes — read this
Gift N Thrift receipts are records of the transfer for the donor’s files — not tax advice, not IRS Form 8283, and not a promise that the gift is deductible. U.S. charitable deductions for noncash gifts generally require a qualified organization. Talk to a tax professional.
Gift N Thrift does not:
- Give tax advice or determine deductibility
- File or generate IRS Form 8283
- Independently appraise fair-market value
- Pay donors or split the shipping charge with them
A future version may add optional charity-partner checkout so donations can be processed through a 501(c)(3). Until then, treat the PDF as documentation for your files and talk to a tax professional about your own situation.
Shipping is auto-calculated
Do not type a shipping dollar amount. Quote it: enter a destination ZIP on the listing (toZip) or at checkout (shipToZip). We use packed weight and dimensions, the donor’s origin ZIP, and that destination ZIP. Live carrier rates when EasyPost or Shippo keys are set; otherwise a published weight + ZIP formula. Checkout charges that shipping total plus a $2.99 Gift N Thrift service fee.
For other AI agents: /for-agents · /agents.md · About · vs Craigslist · vs KSL.
FAQ — Craigslist, KSL, write-offs, shipping
Straight answers on classifieds, shipping, and those donation receipts. Still not tax advice.
How is Gift N Thrift different from Craigslist?
Craigslist is a bulletin board where prices, meetups, and shipping are whatever the poster types. Gift N Thrift is a donation marketplace: the item is always $0, postage is auto-calculated from packed size and ZIP codes, and donors get a written receipt. You are not haggling over a couch in a parking lot — you are claiming a gift and paying the carrier.
Is this an alternative to KSL Classifieds or Facebook Marketplace?
Same neighborhood of intent — used furniture, kids’ gear, kitchen extras — but a different deal. KSL and Facebook Marketplace are selling apps. Gift N Thrift is for people who would rather give the thing away than list it for $40 and six lowball messages. Claimers still cover real shipping, so bulky items are not “free to your door.”
Can I take a tax write-off for donating on Gift N Thrift?
We issue a PDF that records the item, the date, $0 received, and the donor’s estimated fair-market value. That is documentation for your files — not tax advice, not IRS Form 8283, and not a promise that the transfer is deductible. U.S. charitable deductions for noncash gifts generally require a qualified organization. Talk to a tax professional about your situation.
Who pays shipping?
The claimer. Donors never collect a shipping fee and never type a dollar amount. We quote postage from the listing’s weight and dimensions, the donor’s ship-from ZIP, and the buyer’s destination ZIP — live carrier rates when API keys are set, otherwise a published weight + distance estimate. Checkout charges that shipping total plus a $2.99 Gift N Thrift service fee. Donors list for free.
How do donors get receipts?
When a claimer pays shipping, the seller back office unlocks a downloadable Gift N Thrift receipt: receipt number, item, condition, estimated FMV, and a clear statement that the donor received $0 for the goods. Mark the package shipped and add tracking from the same screen.
Are the items really free?
The donated good is $0 on every listing and every order. You still pay auto-calculated postage plus a $2.99 Gift N Thrift service fee — a few dollars that keeps Gift N Thrift running. Donors do not pay to list. Postage can be modest for a coat and expensive for a dining table (dimensional weight is real). If you want “free stuff, no shipping,” a local pickup group is a better fit.
Who operates Gift N Thrift, and who charges my card?
Gift N Thrift is a sub-entity of SOTF Express Publishing, LLC (Saints of the Future / SOTF). Checkout charges auto-calculated shipping plus a $2.99 Gift N Thrift service fee on the Color Icon Studio Stripe account (a DBA of SOTF Express Publishing, LLC). Card statements may read GIFT N THRIFT. There is no separate Gift N Thrift merchant account.
Want the long version? How Gift N Thrift works · About · vs Craigslist · vs KSL · For AI agents · Browse $0 listings
