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What is ShopRunner and How Does it Work?

online shopping

ShopRunner is a service that provides consumers with 2-day shipping on the online orders they place with particular retailers. It is a yearly membership from the ShopRunner Company, which offers subscribers free returns and exclusive advantages on the orders placed with retailers within the ShopRunner network. According to thebalance.com, the yearly membership to ShopRunner costs $79, but free memberships and free trials are available through partnering services. If you are a member of ShopRunner, you can also add a maximum of four household members to your membership free of charge. ShopRunnner does not provide monthly billing. It charges members yearly at the end of their subscription period.

How to obtain ShopRunner

  • You can become a ShopRunner member in various ways.
  • Through Yahoo or PayPal -You can sign up for ShopRunner online as a Yahoo or PayPal member and qualify for a one-year trial.
  • Through your credit card – ShopRunner provides complimentary memberships to customers with various credit cards, including American Express, Chase, World Elite Mastercard, and World Mastercard. To sign up, you should enter your card information on the ShopRunner website to get the corresponding network or card issuer. If your card provides this benefit, your ShopRunner account will be activated.
  • Through the company’s website – Log in to ShopRunner.com to buy a membership or apply for a free trial.

How it works

You have likely bought some products online. If that is the case, you know that shipping fees can add to your total expenses. You might even have purchased some additional items you do not require to reach the spending threshold required to activate free shipping. With ShopRunner, you can avoid unnecessary spending. It offers free 2-day shipping at about a hundred retailers. It also provides a bonus that enables customers to get free returns.

Subscribers can use ShopRunner in 3 ways

  • 1. Visit ShopRunner.com and sign in using your email address to view the list of merchants in the company’s network. Begin your online session with a merchant of your choice. As you shop or during checkout, determine if the items you want to buy have the ShopRunner logo. This indicates that it can qualify for free 2-day shipping. The merchants will apply free 2-day returns and shipping to eligible orders. If you are not satisfied with your order, return it to the merchant free with a prepaid shipping label.
  • 2. Shop at one of ShopRunner’s merchants and when checking out, search for the ShopRunner logo. Click the logo and log in to ShopRunner to receive free 2-day shipping and returns on the eligible orders.
  • 3. Browse items and buy them through ShopRunner’s companion mobile application, District, to benefit from returns and free shipping.

As you shop, remember that some items do not qualify, and certain merchants have a minimum spend requirement, often about $25. After checking out, you need to sign in to your ShopRunner account, where you can choose 2-day shipping, which is a complementary option.

Benefits of ShopRunner

Apart from free shipping, ShopRunner offers other merits when it comes with a credit card. The most significant benefit is free returns on items bought through the program. Fast and free shipping is easy to get these days, particularly for those spending over $100 on a purchase. However, according to creditcards.usnews.com, some retailers include a restocking fee for returned products, or they can require you to pay the postage. This can make returns more expensive if you purchase a heavier or larger than usual item. With ShopRunner, you only need to print a return label and ship the product to the store. When you have a ShopRunner membership, you can save money by purchasing goods with your credit card from ShopRunner’s retail partners. ShopRunner often offers special discounts and deals that can lead to additional savings as you shop online. The other appealing feature of ShopRunner is express checkout. You can store your delivery and payment information online, and checkout can happen with one click.

How to benefit the most from ShopRunner

If you are already a member of ShopRunner or planning to sign up for it, you can do a few things to benefit most from it. First, ensure that your products can qualify for ShopRunner benefits by looking out for the service’s logo on all the items you plan to buy from participating retailers. Also, sign in to your ShopRunner account when checking out so that you can activate your membership benefits. This way, your purchase will qualify for free shipping via the service. Finally, select the credit card that offers the highest value on your purchase. You can either use a cashback card or travel rewards card at your favorite ShopRunner retailer. If you plan to go on vacation soon, you can use the travel card to earn miles.

Pros and cons of ShopRunner

Pros

Apart from the obvious two-day shipping and free returns at select retailers, several more benefits are associated with a ShopRunner membership, and they include: Comparison shopping tool – You can use the ShopRunner service to discover the various products on offer from different retailers before determining which one is right for you. Special discounts – You can visit the ShopRunner site and browse through exclusive discounts available to members only, offered by partner merchants. These discounts can enable you to obtain an additional percentage off some purchases or buy products at reduced prices in addition to free shipping and returns.

Cons

There is no perfect service, and ShopRunner has a few demerits. Fortunately, they are not deal-breakers if you are obtaining a free membership. However, it is advisable to think about them if you are considering paying an annual fee. Limited retailers – About a hundred retailers are represented on ShopRunner. However, if the brands you love do not partner with ShopRunner, membership may not have much value for you. Shipping Restrictions – Some items do not qualify for free, 2-day shipping, and most merchants require that customers meet the minimum spending threshold of $25 to benefit from free returns and shipping. Differing return policies – Although shipping is straightforward; return policies vary more. Some merchants say that all sales are final, while others can accept returns within a year. Furthermore, some retailers offer refunds only on commercial products. Inability to combine shipment from several stores - According to creditcards.com, ShopRunner does not allow users to bring together shipments from several stores. Even though you can shop various brands on the service’s website, you still need to make a payment on the merchant website, and the orders will be shipped by brand.

Allen Lee

Written by Allen Lee

Allen Lee is a Toronto-based freelance writer who studied business in school but has since turned to other pursuits. He spends more time than is perhaps wise with his eyes fixed on a screen either reading history books, keeping up with international news, or playing the latest releases on the Steam platform, which serve as the subject matter for much of his writing output. Currently, Lee is practicing the smidgen of Chinese that he picked up while visiting the Chinese mainland in hopes of someday being able to read certain historical texts in their original language.

Read more posts by Allen Lee

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