Check a payment request attached to an unsolicited charity gift

You may keep unordered merchandise sent by a charity as a free gift, and a donation is optional, according to the FTC. A calendar or packet of cards does not create a bill just because it arrived. Check separately if the letter claims an order or pledge you actually made.

By Junk Mail Magic. Updated October 2, 2026.

Separate what arrived from what was asked

List each item that came, such as cards, stickers or a calendar, and copy any suggested amount word for word.
Note whether the paper calls the money a donation, a fee or a balance due.
Search your own records for an order, pledge or past gift to this organization. If the mailing claims an earlier pledge, check that claim.
Confirm the organization's identity through its official website and contact details you find independently, not through the mailing.

When an appeal reads like a bill

A suggested amount and reply date do not create a payment obligation for an unsolicited gift. The FTC specifically includes charity merchandise in its unordered-products guidance. A separately established purchase, subscription or pledge needs its own review; the free-gift rule does not settle that different issue.

Copy any claimed earlier commitment and compare it with your records. Verify the organization through a contact you find independently before discussing an unresolved demand.

Charity gift and payment worksheet

Example for your own use. Replace the bracketed details and review what you share.

Date received: [date] Organization name as printed: [name] Items that arrived: [items] What the paper asks for: [exact wording] How the money is described: [donation, fee or balance] Order or pledge in my records: [yes/no, details] Organization verified independently: [source used, result] My decision: [give, keep, ask to stop or report]

Choose what to do with the gift

For a confirmed unsolicited gift, decide whether to keep it and whether you want to donate. Those are separate choices. You can also ask the verified charity to stop future appeals. If a claimed prior order or pledge remains unresolved, keep that correspondence for the person or office helping you check it.

Official sources

Respond to a charity mailing with address labels Keep donation receipts while reducing appeals Verify an unfamiliar charity before replying Treat an unexpected package separately from junk-mail ads Suspicious mail All practical mail guides

Keep personal records with the organization that handles them

Junk Mail Magic is for ordinary unwanted advertising. Use the official contact route in this guide for records, account changes or someone else’s correspondence.

Compare removal routes