Somebody is leaving, getting married or turning forty, and you have been handed the job of collecting. Twelve people have said "count me in". Four of them will pay today. The rest need a system.

Set the amount, not a range

"Whatever you like" produces one £50 and six £5s, and a quiet sense of unfairness. Name a figure. £15 each from twelve people is £180, which buys something real.

One link

Open a pot, name it after the present and share one link in the group. People pay in with a tap, and they do not need Florin to do it. The pot shows the total and the names, never who gave what if you switch amounts off.

Give it a deadline

Three days is enough. A week invites forgetting. Florin sends one reminder the evening before the pot closes, so you do not have to.

• Buy the present from the pot with the card, so the receipt sits in the feed
• If the pot goes over, add a card and flowers, not a refund round
• Add the receipt photo so anyone can see where it went

The person collecting should never be out of pocket, even for a day.

When someone pays late

Close the pot on the date you said. A latecomer can still sign the card. Chasing £15 for a fortnight costs more goodwill than it is worth.

The regular kitty

Five-a-side pitch fees, the office coffee, the book club wine. Use the same pot with a monthly standing order from everyone and pay the booking from it. When the pot is short, the feed shows who is behind and the app does the asking.