Unlock Gifting in Fortnite: A Step-by-Step Guide
Are you an avid Fortnite player looking to spread some joy to your friends in the game?
Gifting in Fortnite allows you to do just that, by sending items to your buddies as a token of appreciation.
In this article, we will discuss how to enable gifting in Fortnite, step by step. From updating your game to selecting the perfect gift for your friend, we’ve got you covered.
Stay tuned to learn about the restrictions, tips, and more on gifting in Fortnite!
Contents
Key Takeaways:
What is Gifting in Fortnite?
Gifting in Fortnite is the ability of players to give In-Game Items to their friends. These items are basically Skins, Emotes, or Battle Passes, though you can also give V-Bucks to any player. Valve’s game Fortnite calls the trading of in-game inventory items Gifting, but the term gifting in gaming as a feature that allows players to directly buy and/or send items for their friend’s use has been popular for more than 10 years since its first usage with Facebook games.
This was Valve’s first foray into a major gifting collaboration and they popularized the term. Fortnite offers temporary gifting for in-game items. Fortnite has yet to implement a permanent gifting system similar to Valve’s, but since 2018 it has allowed players to gift each other in this way. You can use these gifting in Fortnite options:
- Direct Gifting which allows players to buy select items and give them to friends. Direct Gifting is fast and easy but there are some restrictions on which items can be gifted.
- The Gift Battle Pass allows players to buy the Season Battle Pass and immediately give it to their friend. Players must be at least level 75 before they have the right to gift a battle pass, and if they gift more than three passes, they must wait a full two weeks before gifting another pass. There are also some time and regional restrictions in place.
- Coupons are discounts on select items that players can purchase and send to their friends.
Why Enable Gifting in Fortnite?
Enabling gifting in Fortnite lets players contribute to the satisfaction provided to their own friends or recipients’ online social experience by allowing them to receive something special.
Benefits for the recipient include aesthetic appreciation, positive memories attached to acquiring content, or if involved in a video stream, becoming part of that stream development. Enabling gifting can help reduce fraud in the trading and sharing of Fortnite goods by players seeking illicit trades.
If gifting were not allowed but trading allowed, the focus of players seeking to acquire new goods through trade would be on the level, rarity and desirability of goods rather than the trustworthiness of their trading partner. This would enable players to be defrauded as they would only be interacting with traders who might defraud them. In enforcing a potential fraud agreement, Fortnite accounts with fraud copies have been closed down. Additionally, the ability for parents and other adults to customize their gifting options through the use of fraud-limiting fortnite gift cards and gift certificates.
How to Enable Gifting in Fortnite?
To enable gifting in Fortnite, go to the “Account & Privacy” settings. Click on either “ALLOW” or “ASK” switching the slider to the Active position for two-factor authentication (2FA). Site login and physical authenticators are the two most common forms of using 2FA.
After enabling 2FA, the option to manage and send gifts will be available in the user’s locker. Select the item the user wishes to gift, then select “Buy as a Gift”. If the user is on a mobile platform, they can enter the name or email address of the friend they would like to gift to new players from their activation OS. If the user is on PC or console, they will be prompted to name a friend to give to. A confirmation receipt will be sent to the gifter via email to confirm a successful gift transaction. Once the gift has been successfully submitted, the recipient’s platform will handle the processes of delivering the gift, including both email and in-game notification.
Step 1: Update your game to the latest version
The first step to enable gifting in Fortnite Battle Royale is making sure you are up-to-date with the latest version of the game. This means you have the required version of your operating system, which for Apple is iOS 13 or later and for Android OS 8.0 or later. On July 16th, 2020, Android users exclusively and Fortnite players on all other devices received the following notice in their newsfeed. This update included the most recent version of Fortnite for gifting.
Users on Apple’s iOS have the benefit of frequent updates and easy checks for the status of the Fortnite application. The settings for everything involving Apple Gaming including Fortnite are in the settings section under iTunes and App Store. At the top of the screen, you will find the name of the Apple ID being used. Click on the name and check to see if the settings allow automatic updates for all apps. If it is turned on, you only need to check the whether Fortnite has recently been updated. If you want to manually update the Fortnite game application, you must swipe down when in iTunes and App Store. Click on Check for updates, then click Fortnite and then update or open. Android’s settings for all apps, including Fortnite, are unfortunately not as easy to use as Apple’s. In the Google Play Store select the Library from the hamburger menu in the upper left. You will see all the applications that are installed on your device. It will tell you whether a Fortnite update is available or if the version is listed as installed. Equally, if the device is set to notify you of updates even if it does not automatically update, you will see the notification in the upper right corner of the screen by the profile picture.
Step 2: Go to the Item Shop
To enable gifting in Fortnite, go to the Item Shop. This is possible via the in-game lobby computer as well as the external store on consoles or PC. From there, players can choose the items to be gifted, select the Send as a Gift option, and choose the recipient.
With different devices, there are different ways to access the in-game Item Shop. For computers, consoles, or mobile devices, the steps are the same, navigate via the lobby computer interface as shown in the below screenshots. Remember that the gifting option is only available to players who activate Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) on their Epic Games account.
In the Item Shop, choose a gift-able item from the shopping selection by clicking on it. Click on the huge Buy As a Gift button on the right. Then choose the recipient, fill in the recipient message box, as well as the date for the gift to arrive and click Next. Review the order and click Buy.
Step 3: Choose the item you want to gift
Once you know who you are gifting to and have properly added recipients on Conbros or Bumble, the final step to gift within Fortnite is to choose the item you want to give. You do this by selecting the giver’s name on the party app. There you will find a way to select an item that has already been bought. Once you have selected the item that is good for gifting, make the purchase, and decide if you want to delay delivery or that it is okay to have the process completed.
Step 4: Select ‘Buy As a Gift’
Select ‘Buy as a gift’ to enable gifting in Fortnite. Once the item you wish to purchase for the recipent is chosen, proceed with clicking the ‘Buy as a gift’ option that appears below the purchase button. This begins the process for sending a gift to someone using the in-game gifting feature. Upon clicking this option, you will immediately be asked to enter an email address. This email needs to match the email used to log in for the same epic games account. After you type the email and click Send My Gift you will have the option of including a personal message. If you wish to include a message, click Send Email Now Have a Message?. Your final confirmation screen shows when the email was sent (a receipt appears in your email if you are on PC), and the player will immediately receive the gift. Now the item will be stored in the player’s locker, and they will see that they received it as a gift from you.
Step 5: Choose a friend to gift the item to
Player being gifted will see any items sent your way by the gifter in their Locker. Another notification will be at the screen’s top. After selecting the item you want to gift, choose a friend as recipient.
In the Gifting screen, you will see recent players based on your interaction with them. You can search by any friends’ code if you know them, or select on numerous friends from your list. Scroll through your active friends list (up to a thousand, organized by playing time descending) to find the one(s) you want to gift to.
If they have made a wishlist, gift items in their favored style to increase the like of acceptance (if they haven’t made a wish list, ask your friend to create one). Click on the intended player to see account details, and select if you’d like to leave a personal note along with the virtual gift.
Click on send gift. This will ask for enabling during activation. If it is not active on the intended receiver’s account, an activation link will be sent to their email. An epic account is required to send a gift, so opening the email will necessitate setting one up to receive it.
What are the Restrictions for Gifting in Fortnite?
The restrictions for gifting in Fortnite include not being able to gift a Battle Pass, a few similar restrictions specific to iOS as a result of Apple-issued mandates, gifting an item purchase is only available if item shop item is giftable, and players are not able to gift in-game currency. There is also a gifting limit for FnM packs. These restrictions were introduced to maintain a fair and legally secure game environment.
Only available for players with 2FA enabled
Gifting in Fortnite is only available for players with 2FA (Two Factor Authentication) enabled. This is the first step to ensure the item is secured, not like in the good old days when accounts had no forced security system in place. Enabling 2FA requires the user to log in using their password and a randomly generated code sent to their email or phone. Additionally, 2FA can be enhanced by using a biometric feature like fingerprint scanning before purchases. Fortnite requires 2FA and an approved payment method to be on a user’s account in order to gift items. Once those criteria are satisfied essentially enabling 2FA becomes the springboard for granting a friend a gift.
It also has the added benefit of proving an extra level of account security.
Here’s how to activate Two Factor Authenticator in Fortnite:
- Go to the Epic Games website, sign in your Epic Games account.
- Go to Password & Security.
- Scroll down till you see Two-Factor Authentication.
- Click on the Enable Authenticator App button to activate it through a phone, system app, or website browser.
- Follow the instruction provided.
Can only gift up to 5 items per day
Items refer to skins, emotes, V-Bucks, and others, whereas gifts refer to boxes with items inside.
Neither side sets a limit on either one of these categories of two-part gifting. Both the Fortnite Store FAQ and the Fortnite Battle Royale Gifting FAQ give a limit of 5 gifts. From those FAQs, the term is defined as an item containing loot from the Battle Royale Item Shop which can be purchased for oneself or sent to others.
Can only gift items that are currently in the Item Shop
Gifters can only send Fortnite items that are available for purchase on the main Fortnite Item Shop. Items are available for anywhere from 1-24 hours and sometimes longer depending on the rarity of the item as well as trends with what players were buying during the promotion. Players can check the daily item store when it updates each day to see if their desired skin, emote, or pickaxe is available in the shop.
Players must also confirm that the person they are gifting to is not on their block list of individuals they have not gotten along with and are no longer in contact with. If they are, remove the person from the block list for a short moment, send the gift, and then place them back on the block list.
Can You Return or Refund a Gifted Item in Fortnite?
You can refund a gifted item in Fortnite within the same rules as purchased items. You may only refund an in-game purchase if it is your first refund request and you have been granted eligibility for a refund by the Epic Games customer support. You cannot refund a gift if you did not purchase it yourself.
Returning or refunding a gifted item in Fortnite is rare. But rare customer service issues always get more attention in forums and the media, as is the case with this Tweet from Gaming General that was even covered in the Daily Star.
If gifting has been turned off in Fortnite during an update, prior to that update you could still accept gifts that were given when gifting was active. If gifting is no longer available in Fortnite, your account will turn off the feature to be able to return gifts you have not yet accepted.
What are Some Tips for Gifting in Fortnite?
Some tips for gifting in Fortnite include ensuring a player does not already have the gift to avoid wasted purchases, be sure to meet and communicate with players online beforehand, keep in mind that there are certain items that cannot be gifted such as V-Bucks spent on PC or mobile, buy a gift and save it until they next come online, and try giving a Battle Pass for the most versatile and appreciated gift.
Make sure the recipient has the item on their wishlist
To enable gifting in Fortnite, before considering how to send a gift in Fortnite, the player/recipient must make sure that the item they’ve added to their Wishlist. On Windows, macOS, or PlayStation, players can navigate to the Armory, select the V-Bucks or item they wish to select as a gift, and click the GIFT button that appears. On Xbox and Nintendo Switch, finding the item and selecting the Gift option will display the recipient’s Epic friend list from which the player can select email-only friends and send the gift item along with the giftee’s email and a personalized message.
On Android and iOS, when players choose to find or purchase an item, the option to open the Wish List which can be interacted with so as to assert how to send a gift on Fortnite. Players may select the Gift option (although they’ll have to ensure the recipient is on their friends list to do so, and verify that it is an option in their specific region of purchase). V-Bucks cannot be gifted alongside real-money purchases or through the mobile versions of Fortnite.
Coordinate with your friend to avoid duplicate gifts
Coordinating with your friend is the best way to avoid duplicate gifts. If one player receives an already owned gift, Epic Games will notify them with an alert upon opening the gift as seen in the following image. The gifter will still be notified as well. From there, the two players can coordinate who will contact Epic support for a one-time refund and the proper refund request options for the gifter in order to return the gift. This way they can avoid the community gifting exchange process and be refunded, and the gifter can still find a new present for their friend.
Use gifting as a way to show appreciation for your friends
Gifting in Fortnite is not just about referring Epic Games to new players as a benefit for oneself. Using gifting to show appreciation for colleagues, friends, and family by rewarding them during special times enhances the experience in the game. Showing appreciation boosts morale and gifting can be a fun, low-cost way of indicating this.
While not actually given on a specific day of celebration, gifts are a strong indicator of individuals expressing appreciation for the relationship with the recipient. Although there is no real-world benefit to the gifting of Fortnite skins, they are an easily accessible means of reproducing the emotional characteristics of real-world gifting shamelessly.
No monetary fee is associated with item gifting because it uses a friend or family member’s original Fortnite gifts as the source of the content to be transferred. This is a unique aspect of Fortnite gifting that does not exist in many other games. This is because the license to buy the gifted item is already owned by the player that is giving the gift to someone else. I will show you different styles of gifting, especially against the backdrop of special days.
