When we launched the $49 free-shipping threshold in April, it was a compromise: our fulfilment partner charges us per parcel, and below a certain order value the shipping simply costs more than the margin. Six months of real data later, the picture looks different — and the rule changes.
What is changing
Starting this month, every subscriber — anyone with an active EarthLoop bag subscription or a scheduled refill on any product — gets free standard US shipping on every order, no minimum. One-time buyers keep the $49 threshold.
Why we can afford it
Two reasons. First, subscription orders ship in predictable batches, which lets us consolidate parcels and cut per-order fulfilment cost by roughly 30%. Second, subscribers return far less — when bags arrive on schedule, nobody panic-orders the wrong size.
What it does not change
Express shipping still costs what it costs. International orders keep their existing rates. And the 30-day happy-pet guarantee applies exactly as before, used or unused.
The threshold was never about making shipping "free". It was about making the economics honest. Subscribers made the economics work — this is them getting the benefit back.
Questions about eligibility? The FAQ has been updated, or write to [email protected] and a human will answer within one business day.