Wedding registry platforms in India: choosing what works for you

You have a wedding to plan. Comparing payment arrangements probably wasn’t meant to be part of it.

Here is the useful distinction: a wishlist that displays your UPI details is not the same as a registry that processes and tracks contributions. With a manual direct-UPI flow, guests pay outside the registry and someone must record or reconcile what arrived. Hazlnut handles the contribution through its checkout and tracks its payment status.

For a seamless contribution experience, Hazlnut is our clear recommendation: guests can contribute towards individual gifts or cash funds, with payment processing and tracking handled together. International contributions in major currencies are enabled by default. Creating and sharing a wishlist is free; cash contributions carry a flat 3% deduction before settlement to the host’s Indian bank account. Guests need an account to reserve or contribute.

This guide is published by Hazlnut, so we are not an independent reviewer. The comparison draws on public product descriptions and details supplied by the Hazlnut team, reviewed on 9 September 2026. This is a shortlist, not a complete directory or a hands-on test of every checkout.

First, what is a wedding gift registry?

A wedding gift registry is a shared list of things you would welcome: products for your home, contributions towards something larger or a fund for a plan you care about. Guests choose whether and how they would like to give.

A useful registry gives people direction without giving them a spending assignment. It can also help coordinate gifts, provided guests use the reservation or purchase-tracking features rather than buying independently without updating the list.

A quick comparison

Swipe to compare all three platforms →

The key difference is who handles the payment. Gifaa and Kiki leave guests to transfer the money in a UPI app and manually record it on the registry. Neither processes the contribution payment within the website. Hazlnut embeds checkout and automatic payment tracking in the contribution flow, so guests can give without a separate reporting step.

What “direct UPI” actually means

In the manual direct-UPI arrangement discussed here, the registry gives guests the host’s UPI ID, a QR code or a payment link. The guest completes the transfer in a UPI app, outside the registry’s payment processing.

There are two separate tasks:

1. Send the money. The guest authorises a transfer to the host in their UPI app.
2. Update the registry. On Gifaa and Kiki, the guest returns and manually records the transfer. The host may need to check their account to reconcile it.

Recording a contribution is not the same as verifying a payment. A UPI ID or QR code alone does not tell the registry whether a transfer succeeded. The platform can display a guest-entered amount, but without a payment-confirmation integration it cannot independently verify that the money arrived. A “paid” entry is not a bank confirmation.

This is a limitation of the manual arrangement, not of UPI itself. UPI can also be offered through an integrated checkout that receives payment status from its payment provider.

Why that matters for overseas guests

A direct-UPI link is not an international-card or multi-currency checkout. A guest without usable UPI access cannot simply enter an overseas card into that link to contribute. Gifaa and Kiki use this UPI-only approach rather than offering an international-card or multi-currency contribution checkout.

Some overseas guests, including eligible NRIs, may already have UPI access. The important distinction is therefore UPI-only access versus an integrated international contribution option, not a blanket claim that UPI can never be used by someone abroad.

Hazlnut: contributions and reserved gifts in one wishlist

Hazlnut supports weddings and other celebrations, including birthdays, baby showers and housewarmings. Weddings are a particularly useful occasion for bringing gifts and group contributions together, but they are not the platform’s only purpose.

You can add products from online stores, choose from Explore or create a cash fund. For example, your list might include a lamp, a dining table several people could contribute towards, and a honeymoon fund.

A more seamless way to contribute

The difference is not just how the wishlist looks. It is what happens after someone decides to give.

With Hazlnut, a guest chooses a contribution-enabled gift or fund, selects an amount and pays through the integrated checkout. Hazlnut tracks the payment status, so a completed contribution does not depend on the guest returning to type “I paid ₹2,000.” The host can keep contributions and messages together instead of matching a separate list to individual transfers.

Guests may still authorise a payment in their bank or payment app. The benefit is that processing and confirmation remain connected to the contribution, rather than becoming a manual reporting task.

The gift itself can be a group gift. If you add a dining table with contributions enabled, several people can contribute directly towards that item. You do not need to replace it with a separate, generic cash fund just to let people chip in.

That combination—gift-level contributions, tracked payments and international support—is why we recommend Hazlnut for couples who want less payment admin alongside their wedding planning.

There are two different ways to give:

• Contribute inside Hazlnut. The host receives the contributed money after the 3% deduction and arranges the eventual purchase or use of the funds. A contribution towards a product is not an order placed with its retailer.
• Reserve and buy independently. The guest reserves the gift, purchases it from the retailer and arranges delivery or gives it in person. Hazlnut does not charge for the reservation. Reserving alone does not buy the gift, and guests can cancel a reservation.

The fee, plainly

Creating, managing and sharing a wishlist is free. Cash contributions have a flat 3% fee and no additional Hazlnut charges. For a ₹10,000 contribution, ₹300 is deducted and ₹9,700 is settled to the host.

The standard settlement cycle is T+2 business days: two business days after the transaction, rather than two calendar days. Contributions are not held until the wedding or until a gift reaches its funding target.

Hosts must link an Indian bank account, and settlements are in INR. International contributions in major currencies are enabled by default; hosts do not need to ask support to activate them. This is not overseas bank settlement or international product fulfilment.

The trade-off: contributions have a fee, and guests must create an account to reserve or contribute. These are worth explaining before sharing your list, particularly with people who prefer to buy directly from a retailer.

See a sample Hazlnut wishlist before deciding. It is a demonstration, not evidence of typical fundraising results.

Gifaa: gift contributions, with manual UPI payments

Gifaa allows contributions towards product gifts. The payment itself is left to the guest: they transfer money to the host in a UPI app, outside the website, then manually record the transfer on the registry. Gifaa does not process or automatically track that payment. Gift contributions are supported, but payment and recording remain separate tasks.

Kiki: contributions to cash funds, not product gifts

Kiki allows contributions to cash funds, not product gifts. Guests buy product gifts from the retailer. To collect contributions for a larger purchase, the host creates a separate cash fund rather than enabling contributions on the product listing.

Its payment flow is the same as Gifaa’s: the guest transfers money in a UPI app, outside the website, then manually records the transfer. Kiki does not process or automatically track that payment. Both platforms are free and rely on UPI rather than an international-card or multi-currency checkout.

How gifting works on Hazlnut: five simple answers

1. Who will receive the money?

You, the host, receive the money in your linked Indian bank account, in INR. This also applies when a guest contributes in another currency. Hosts cannot link an overseas bank account.

2. What will your guests actually do?

Guests open your wishlist link and choose a gift or cash fund. They sign in or create an account, then either reserve a gift to buy themselves or contribute through Hazlnut checkout. Hazlnut tracks contribution payments automatically.

3. Who handles the purchase and delivery?

If a guest reserves a gift, they handle the purchase and delivery. If you receive contributions, you use that money to buy the gift at your own convenience. Hazlnut does not buy or ship it for you.

4. What reaches your account after fees?

You receive 97% of each cash contribution. Hazlnut deducts a flat 3%, with no additional Hazlnut charges: a ₹10,000 contribution means ₹9,700 reaches your account. Settlement is T+2 business days—two business days after the transaction. Everything else on Hazlnut is free.

5. Does the list give people room to choose?

Yes. Guests can choose a gift to reserve and buy, or choose how much to contribute to a cash fund or a gift with contributions enabled. Several guests can chip in towards the same gift, so no one needs to cover its full price.

Which should you choose?

If you want a no-hassle experience for you and your guests, choose Hazlnut.

One wishlist brings together the gifts you love and the plans you’re saving for. Guests can chip in towards a gift, contribute to a cash fund, or reserve something to buy themselves. Friends and family abroad can contribute in major currencies, without you needing to activate international payments.

For contributions, payment and tracking stay connected. Guests don’t need to return and manually record a transfer, and you don’t have to match their “paid” messages against your bank statement. Less payment admin. More time for the celebration.

Creating and sharing your wishlist is free. Guests need an account to reserve or contribute. Cash contributions have one flat 3% deduction, with the balance settled to your Indian bank account in INR on the standard T+2 business-day cycle. If guests reserve and buy a gift themselves, they handle the retailer purchase and delivery.

See how a Hazlnut wishlist works, then create yours and share one link with your people.

Common questions

Is Hazlnut completely free?

Wishlist creation, management, sharing and reservations are free. Only cash contributions carry the flat 3% deduction before settlement.

Can guests contribute without buying the whole gift?

Yes, where contributions are enabled for the item. Several guests can contribute towards it. The host receives the money after the fee; Hazlnut does not automatically purchase the product when its target is reached.

Is Hazlnut only for weddings?

No. Hazlnut is perfect for weddings, and also supports birthdays, baby showers, housewarmings and other celebrations.

Ready to make your list? Create your wishlist, or follow our step-by-step wedding registry guide. When it is ready, use our invitation and WhatsApp wording.