Got a Gift From a Client or Vendor? How to Say Thank You, With 30 Notes and Emails to Copy
Updated
In short
To thank a client or vendor for a gift, send a short note within a few days: name the gift, say how you use it, and thank them for the work behind it. The Emily Post Institute says a gift from a client, vendor or associate calls for a handwritten note; an email can go first.
On this page14 sections
We sell a $35 logo mug gift box, printed, packed and shipped to each person's address. This guide covers the other options too.
Key facts
- A note, even if you said thanks in person. "When you receive a gift from a client, vendor, or associate, send a handwritten note if verbal thanks weren't given in person. Even if you did thank the giver in person, a follow-up note is always appreciated" (Emily Post Institute).
- Email first, note next. "When time is of the essence, use an emailed thank-you note as a prelude to a handwritten one. Send the email as quickly as possible and the note in one or two days" (same page).
- Late beats never. "Write your notes as soon as possible, and don't hesitate if you feel you're late: A late note is always better than no note at all" (Emily Post Institute).
- Senders notice the silence. A poster on r/realtors who says they mostly work with sellers wrote of the closing gifts from their last four transactions: "None have been acknowledged without me contacting the client and confirming they have received these gifts" (Reddit, June 2025).
- All 30 examples below are original; the 28 notes are each under 300 characters, spaces included.
How Do I Thank a Client or Vendor for a Gift?
Emily Post's outline, in order. The Emily Post Institute describes a thank-you note as "a brief note, about four sentences." First, "Thank them explicitly for the specific gift or act for which you are writing the letter." Second, "Personalize the note with an original thought about the things you are thanking for, the effort or thought behind it, what it means to you and the relationship." Third, optionally, "Pull the focus back and think about the future." Fourth, "repeat the thanks or offer a concluding thought" (Emily Post).
| Part | Weak | Specific |
|---|---|---|
| Name the gift | "Thanks for the gift." | "Thank you for the mug and the cocoa." |
| What it means to you | "We appreciate it." | "It's on my desk, and I think of the project every morning." |
| A look ahead | "Let's keep in touch." | "Here's to the next phase in March." |
The weak column has the same structure as the specific one. What it lacks is the noun: a client who chose a gift wants to know it reached you and that you know what it was. That's also how they learn it arrived at all.
Email or card?
The Emily Post Institute's business guidance, situation by situation (The Business of Thanks):
| Situation | Emily Post's guidance |
|---|---|
| A gift from a client, vendor or associate, not thanked in person | "send a handwritten note" |
| You already thanked them in person | "a follow-up note is always appreciated" |
| Time matters | An email "as a prelude to a handwritten one", the note "in one or two days" |
| Your handwriting is hard to read | "a printed note on your business stationery is fine" |
| Any doubt | "defer to the handwritten note if you're in doubt" |
Its general guide puts it more plainly: email is fine for a casual coffee or a small favor, "But for dinner parties, big favors, an actual gift, or being a houseguest, handwritten thank-you notes are your best bet" (Emily Post).
How soon?
As soon as you can: the same day for the email, and the note within one or two days of it (Emily Post's timing for a note that follows an email). If the gift arrived weeks ago, send the note anyway; the late notes below are written for exactly that.
How to use the examples: [Name] is the giver's first name. Replace anything else in [brackets] before you send. On a Personalized Gifts Delivered order, [Name] becomes each person's first name from your address list, and whatever else you type goes on every card in that order.
Thank-You Notes for a Gift From a Client
Thank you for the beautiful [gift], [Name]. It was a lovely surprise, and it's already in use. Working with you this year has been a pleasure, and this made it better still.
[Name], thank you for thinking of us. The [gift] arrived on a long day and turned it into a good one. We're grateful for your business, and even more for how you work with us.
Thank you for the generous gift. Clients don't owe us a thank-you, so it meant a great deal that you sent one. Here's to another year together.
Thank you for the [gift], [Name]. Every time I use it, I'll think of [project] and how good it was to work on it with you.
What a thoughtful gift. Thank you, [Name]. It's a reminder of why we like the work we do for you, and we're looking forward to what's next.
Thank you for the [gift] and the kind words with it. Hearing that [what they said] meant even more than the gift, and the gift is wonderful.
A custom logo mug gift box, shipped to each client
$35 per box, delivered. No minimum: one box is fine. Add your address list and we ship each box to its own address.
See the gift boxThank-You Notes for a Gift From a Vendor or Supplier
Thank you for the [gift], [Name]. You make our job easier all year, so it's a little backwards that you're the one sending thanks. We appreciate you.
Thank you for the holiday gift. Your team's quick answers and on-time deliveries carried us through [busy season], and we noticed every one of them.
Thank you for thinking of us, [Name]. The [gift] was a welcome surprise. We value the partnership and look forward to working together in the new year.
The [gift] arrived today, and the whole office noticed. Thank you to you and your team for a year of reliable work.
Thank you for the gift, and for the extra effort on [order or project] this year. Neither one went unnoticed.
Thank-You Notes for a Gift From a Partner Firm or Colleague
Thank you for the [gift], [Name]. Working alongside your team this year has been easy in the best way, and this was a kind way to end it.
Thank you for remembering us at the holidays. We value the work we do together and the people we do it with, and you're high on that list.
Thank you for the thoughtful gift, [Name]. It's good to know the respect goes both ways. Here's to more good work together.
A gift from a colleague at another firm is a rare thing. Thank you, [Name]. It made the week.
Thank-You Notes for a Food Gift the Whole Team Shared
Thank you for the [treats]. They lasted about an hour in our break room, which is the highest praise we know. The whole team says thank you.
Thank you for the generous basket, [Name]. We shared it around the office, so it made a lot of people's day, not just mine.
The whole team enjoyed the [treats]. Thank you for thinking of all of us, including the people you don't usually talk to.
Thank you for the [treats]. They went straight to the break room and were gone by lunch. Everyone asked who sent them, and now they all know.
Thank-You Notes for a Gift You'll Use Every Day
The mug is already on my desk, [Name], and I've had my first cocoa from it. Thank you. It's a gift I'll use every day.
Thank you for the [gift]. It's exactly the kind of thing I reach for every day, so you'll be part of my mornings for a long time.
Thank you for the beautiful gift box, [Name]. Everything in it was thoughtful, down to the card. It's the nicest thing on my desk.
Thank you for the [gift]. I opened it at home, and it's already in the kitchen. My family says thank you too.
Late Thank-You Notes for a Gift
This thank-you is late, but it's no less sincere. Thank you for the [gift], [Name]. It's been in use since the day it arrived.
I meant to write the day your gift arrived, and the weeks got away from me. Thank you for the [gift], and for a great year of working together.
Better late than never: thank you for the holiday gift, [Name]. It was a bright spot in a busy season, and I'm sorry this note took so long.
When You Can't Keep the Gift
Some employers limit what their people may keep. The Emily Post Institute notes that "Some businesses require that any foodstuffs received from outside be divided up and shared," and that some "require that any gifts valued at more than $25 must be disclosed to management" (Emily Post). The note only has to thank them and say what happened to the gift.
Thank you so much for the gift, [Name]. Our policy doesn't let me keep it, so I've [shared it with the team / returned it], but the thought means a great deal.
Thank you for thinking of us. We share every gift with the whole office, so the [gift] made a very grateful team happy. We appreciate you.
Thank-You Emails for a Client or Vendor Gift
Use these the day the gift arrives, then follow with a note.
Subject: Thank you for the [gift]
Hi [Name], the [gift] arrived this morning. Thank you! It was a kind surprise at the end of a busy year, and it's already in use on my desk. Working with you on [project] has been one of the highlights of our year, and we're looking forward to [next step] in [month]. A proper note is on its way.
Subject: Thank you from all of us
Hi [Name], your [gift] reached our office today, and the team asked me to pass on their thanks. It was generous and thoughtful, and it arrived at exactly the right moment, in the last busy week before the holidays. Thank you for a great year of working together; we don't take it for granted. A card from all of us is on its way.
What to Know Before You Order
These facts matter if you return the gesture with one of our boxes:
- Printed, not handwritten. The card is printed with your message, up to 300 characters, on a textured card in an envelope closed with a gold wax-seal sticker.
- One message per order. Every card in an order carries the same message and sign-off, greeting its person by first name; a note for one person is an order of its own, and one box is a complete order.
- Chocolate inside. LINDOR truffles contain milk, soy and barley malt (gluten); read the labels.
- Where we ship. The lower 48 states and Washington, DC, except Texas for now.
What Sending a Gift Back Yourself Takes
Returning a gift by mail is a small project: a gift, a box, packing, a card, a label and a trip to the counter. For a list, by our estimate, 25 logo mug gift boxes take about 9 hours of hands-on work (a mug printer and a proof, about 8 separate supply orders, labels, cards, packing at about 8 minutes a box, drop-off and tracking), plus a week or more waiting for supplies. Priced from retail supply packs, they come to about $38 a box with USPS counter postage (about $34 with commercial postage), with $1,192.84 paid up front for the mugs, the retail supply packs and 25 postage labels, with leftovers, as of Oct 29, 2026 (DIY vs ordering). Per box, that's about even with our $35, before your time.
Where Personalized Gifts Delivered Fits: Returning the Gesture
The note says thank you. If you'd also like to send something back, or the gift reminded you who should be on your own list next year, Personalized Gifts Delivered makes that one step: an 11 oz mug with your logo printed small (or a photo or a few words), Ghirardelli hot cocoa and 4 Lindt LINDOR milk chocolate truffles inside, in a matte-black gift box with a magnetic lid, with your message printed on the card on its lid. Any note above (except the two emails) has a "Use this message" link that starts an order with it on the card. One box is a complete order at $35, delivered, to the giver's address; a list ships each box to its own address, with every card greeting its person by first name and previewed before you pay. More card wording for clients: thank-you messages for clients and how to sign a business card.
A logo mug gift box with Ghirardelli cocoa, Lindt truffles and a personal card.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I thank a client for a gift?
- Thank a client for a gift with a short note, sent within a few days, that names the gift, says how you're using it and thanks them for the work together. The Emily Post Institute says to send a handwritten note for a gift from a client, vendor or associate if you didn't thank them in person.
- Should I thank a client for a gift by email or with a card?
- With a card, by the Emily Post Institute's guidance: a gift from a client, vendor or associate calls for a handwritten note. When time matters, it says to send an email first "as a prelude to a handwritten one", with the note "in one or two days."
- How soon should I send a thank-you for a gift?
- Send a thank-you for a gift as soon as you can. The Emily Post Institute says to write thank-you notes "as soon as possible" and adds: "A late note is always better than no note at all."
- What do I write in a thank-you note for a corporate gift?
- In a thank-you note for a corporate gift, thank them for the specific gift, add one personal thought about what it means to you or the relationship, then look ahead and repeat the thanks. The Emily Post Institute calls it a brief note of "about four sentences."
- What if my company doesn't let me keep the gift?
- Thank the sender for the thought and say plainly what happened to the gift, for example that it went to the whole team. The Emily Post Institute notes that some businesses require food gifts to be divided up and shared, and others require gifts valued at more than $25 to be disclosed.
- Who ships a thank-you gift with a printed card to a client's address, with no minimum?
- Personalized Gifts Delivered ships a $35 mug gift box, delivered, with your thank-you printed on a card on its lid, to each address on your list, with no minimum: one box is a complete order. Each card can greet its person by first name, and you see every card before you pay.
A custom logo mug gift box, shipped to each client
$35 per box, delivered. No minimum: one box is fine. Add your address list and we ship each box to its own address.
See the gift boxSources
- Emily Post Institute, The Business of Thanks, read Oct 29, 2026.
- Emily Post Institute, Complete Guide to Writing Thank You Notes, read Oct 29, 2026.
- Emily Post Institute, Corporate Gift Giving, read Oct 29, 2026.
- Reddit, r/realtors, "Ungrateful for closing gifts - what do you give?", June 2025, read via the Arctic Shift archive Oct 29, 2026.
- Personalized Gifts Delivered, DIY mug gift box vs ordering one (supply and postage prices as of Oct 29, 2026).