Donate with a friend

Ever wanted to donate with a mate? It's twice the fun!

Ready to enjoy a chat, a cuppa, and a sneaky snack together, and finish with a high five for saving lives?

It’s easy. Make your next donation even better by inviting a friend to donate blood or plasma with you at the same time and donor centre. You’ll make twice the impact and have double the fun.

What you’ll need to donate together

To book a joint donation with a friend, you’ll need to have a few things:

You both need to have downloaded the Donate Blood app on iPhone or Android.
If you’re inviting a friend to donate, you need to be registered as a donor and donated in Australia before.
The person getting the invitation just needs to be registered as a donor. They don’t need to have donated before.
Both of you need to be able to give the same type of donation (whether it’s blood or plasma).

How to book to donate with a friend

1. Add friends to your list

Open your Donate Blood app, go to ‘Account’ then ‘My friends’.
Tap ‘Add friend’.
Follow the prompts to generate a link to send to your friend.
Make sure they accept the invitation to be your donation friend. If they don’t, you won’t be able to invite them to donate with you.
Once you’re connected, you’re ready to book!

You can add as many friends as you like.

2. Invite a friend to donate

Open the app, tap ‘Book appointment’, select the donation type you and your friend would like to give, then select ‘With a friend’ as the booking type.
Choose the friend from your friends list and date and time that works for you both.
Confirm the donation.
Once you’ve confirmed, make sure your friend goes into the app on their device to confirm their eligibility and the date and time. They’ll need to do this within 12 hours — so remind them if they forget!
Head to the donor centre on the day and get ready for twice the fun.

Need the Donate Blood app to get started?

button to download the app from the apple app store

button to download the app from the google play store

Frequently Asked Questions

How many friends can I add to each donation booking?

Just one — for now. We’re looking at how to make it possible for keen beans like you to invite more than one friend to donate with them at a time.

In the meantime, if you’d like to donate with more than one other person you can join or start a Lifeblood Team.

How many friends can I add to my donation friends list?

As many as you like: there’s no limit. The more the merrier!

Can friends give different donation types at the same time?

No. For the moment, you and your friend will only be able to book to donate the same donation type (for example, both blood or both plasma), at the same time and donor centre. As long as you’re both eligible, you can book blood or plasma together.

What happens if my friend doesn’t confirm the booking in 12 hours?

If they don’t confirm within 12 hours their donation will be cancelled. However, yours will stay confirmed. That means you can donate by yourself if you wish, or change or cancel your booking using the app.

Can I manage both donation bookings?

Once your friend has confirmed, you and your friend manage your donations separately. If one of you needs to cancel or change their booking, the other booking will remain. To cancel completely you both need to cancel your booking separately through the app.

Is this only available on the Donate Blood app?

Yes, for now you can only invite people to be friends and donate with you using the Donate Blood app. We’re working on making it possible to invite a friend in other ways — like on the website or by calling 13 14 95 — in the future.

Will I be able to sit next to my friend?

We’ll do our absolute best to sit you next to your friend during your donation, but occasionally that won’t be possible. There could also be times when you or your friend take a little longer in the interview process than the other, meaning one might start their donation earlier.

Even if you aren’t next to each other the whole time, there may be other ‘donation-friends only’ perks on the day — and there’s always the snacks together afterwards!

Does ‘friend’ mean workmate, partner, family or other person I know?

Yes. Just like on many social media platforms, ‘friends’ simply means anyone you know. If you think someone would like to donate with you, invite them! It’s a great way to get to know someone (and a cheap date idea too…).

Should I tell the person I’m inviting them to be my friend and/or donate before I do it through the app?

Yes, if you can. It’s best to give them a heads-up beforehand so they don’t think it’s spam (or a scam) and they’re ready to accept the invite or confirm their donation booking.

What if someone doesn’t accept my friend invitation?

They won’t be added to your friend list on the app. You might want to check with them if they noticed the invite, or simply invite someone else to be a donation friend.

Can people who are in Lifeblood Teams invite a friend or be invited?

Yes, but they can only use it to book a donation for themselves and a friend. That is, no more than two people can book to donate together through the app. To organise a group donation for more people from your Lifeblood Team, contact your Lifeblood Team Champion.

What if I have other questions?