Home SparkFun Site FAQ
Meet the Customer Service Team
Q: How do I create an account?
A: Please go to our website, www.sparkfun.com, and look for "No Account? Register here" link. Once you click the "here," you will be taken to a "Create New Account" page, where you will enter all your information. This is how you will track your orders, and how we will contact you if there are any questions or problems with your order. From your account, you can add and edit addresses, track your orders, print invoices and more!
Q: How do I place an order?
A: First, make sure you are logged in to your account. Then, you can start looking for items you wish to purchase. Use the search box on the top left of the website to find items. Then click "add to cart" to add them to your online shopping cart. If you would like to add more than one, enter the quantity you want to purchase and then click the Add to cart button.
Once you have all the items you want to purchase in your cart, click the "Checkout" button. Select the address you wish to ship to, along with with the shipping method you want to use (please see our Shipping Policy page for more information). In the second column on this page, select the Payment Method you would like to use. You can enter a PO number if you have one, a Promotional Code if you have one, and can opt to use Store Credit or Gift Certificates here. Please note that the billing address you select here must match what is on file with your bank if you are using a credit card. You can edit the address from this page if you need to.
Once you have all the shipping and payment information entered, verify that you have read the "Terms of Service and Shipping Policy". This will bring you to the final, end-of-the-road-check page - you aren't done yet! This page says: "Your order has not been placed yet," so please review the information to make sure it is correct before scrolling to the bottom right of the page and clicking the Place Order button. Once you've hit the Place Order button, your order is locked in our system and its possible we may not be able to change it. You should receive a 6 digit order number. If you do not see the 6 digit order number, you have not placed your order! Please check to see if there was an error processing the order, and fix it.
Q: I made a mistake and ordered the wrong product/entered the wrong shipping address/shipping method...how can I modify my order?
A: Once you've placed your order and have an order number, you are not able to change anything on that order from the website (so double and triple check please!). If you need to change something, please call us with your 6 digit order number ASAP! Our phones are on Monday through Friday from 9am-5pm Mountain Time. If you call outside of those hours, you can leave us a message, but its entirely possible we will not be able to get to your order number in time. If your order has already begun processing, we won't be able to change it.
Q: How do I change quantities of items once I've added them to my cart?
A: If you have added an item to your shopping cart, and then realize you want, say 10 of them instead of 2, enter the quantity you really wish to purchase in the little quantity box, and click "update."
Q: I found the item I want, but I can't add it to my cart. Why not?
A: Its possible this item is out of stock (ie Back Ordered). You will need to go to the product page to back order it. Click on the name of the item in red, and it will take you to the actual product page, with multiple pictures, descriptions of the item, comments, related products, etc. Enter the quantity you want and click on the Back Order button underneath the pictures on the right side of the page. A pop-up screen will remind you that some products can take several weeks to come back in stock, and ask you if you REALLY want to back order this. If you do, click "Back Order Item."
Please note that you will now have the option to ship your order complete (ie all items in your order will be held until the back order is in stock again) or to ship your order in two shipments (the in-stock portion now, and the back ordered portion once those items are in stock again - you will need to pay shipping on both orders). Click the box underneath the Checkout button if you want to ship your order complete.
Q: My order went through just fine, but why wasn't I charged for it?
A: The most likely reason you were not charged immediately for this order is because you ordered something that was out of stock. We do not charge for back orders until they are in stock and ready to ship. If this is NOT the case with your order, please check your payment method: only PayPal and credit card are immediate payment methods. All others will show a balance due. If the answer is d) none of the above, please call us with your order number to find out what happened.
Q: How do I pay using a Purchase Order/Net30 terms?
A: If you are an established University or Net30 customer (contact ar@sparkfun.com to become a Net30 customer), you can pay with a Purchase Order. All orders must still be placed through our online system, even Purchase Orders. To do this, log in to your account (or set one up and log in) as normal, and go through the ordering process the same as above. You will select Net30 as your payment method, and you can enter your PO number in the Purchase Order Number field so it will show up on your invoice.
Once you have your 6 digit SparkFun Order number, please fax your PO documents, including your SparkFun order number, to us. at 303-443-0048. We can not process your order until we receive both your PO documents and your SparkFun order number.
Q: How do I get a quote for my order and/or a shipping quote?
A: All of our pricing and availability information is online, so we are not able to provide quotes for under 250 pieces of an item. If you want less than 250 of an item, just place your order through our website, and all shipping, applicable tax and costs for items will be available during checkout. You can choose "Offline Fax" if you want to place your order without paying for it, or if you need an invoice to wrestle payment from your company or school. You can print an invoice directly from your account under Order History once you have your order in the system. Please be sure to contact us to make payment and release your order if you choose Offline Fax however, otherwise, your order will hang out until the end of time...
Q: What shipping options do you have?
A: See our Shipping Policy.
Q: How much will it cost to ship my order?
A: Shipping costs will vary widely depending on what you're ordering, where it is shipping to, and what shipping method you choose. Once you have added all the items you want to your shopping cart, you can click on the Calculate Shipping button underneath all the items, and select the address you're shipping to. It will give you a pretty accurate estimate of the actual shipping charges for available shipping options. Also, when you select the shipping method you want to use while in checkout, it will show you the actual amount you'll be charged for shipping. This is the actual amount we are charged by the USPS, FedEx, or UPS. We do get pretty good FedEx and UPS rates, but if you have an account with either of those companies that you'd like to use, we can do that too (keep reading). In addition to shipping charges, we also charge a $2.00 handling fee on all orders.
Q: What payment methods do you accept?
A: We accept credit cards (Visa, MasterCard, American Express and Discover), PayPal, check, money order, or wire transfer. US funds only, and we do not accept COD orders. See our Payment Policy page for more info.
Q: How do I place separate billing and shipping addresses?
A: If you have both addresses in your account address book, it is a simple matter of choosing the correct address from the drop down menu during checkout. If you don't have one of the addresses added, you can either add it to your Address book before placing the order, or click the New Shipping Address or New Billing Address, depending on which one you need to change. Please confirm that you have the right addresses selected before confirming your order.
Q: My credit card was declined. Why might this have happened?
A: The biggest reason for credit card decline is due to a mismatch with the billing address you gave us and the one on file with your bank. Please be sure that you have entered the address you receive statements in the billing address field. If this address is wrong, our system will decline the transaction and your order won't go through, however, your bank may hold the funds for up to several days while they confirm that our system did indeed decline this transaction. Avoid this hassle altogether by checking your billing address before completing your order!
Credit cards are also declined because of incorrectly entered CVV codes (that's the 3 digits on the back of the card, or the 4 small ones on the front in the case of American Express), or because of a problem your bank may have with the transaction. This can include lack of funds, or just plain old lack of trust - sometimes your bank may decline the transaction because they don't know who we are. If your card is declined, please check all the information first before giving us a call. If the error is on your bank's side, you will need to contact them to get it straightened out because your bank is not going to share any information about your account with us, no sir! That would be silly.
Q: Why is my order in "Exception" status?
A: This indicates your order needs human interaction before it can be released for shipment. Orders in this status usually get cleared quickly. We will contact you if we need additional information.
Q. How can I get my order shipped out today?
A: Our same-day shipping guarantee states than an order placed before 11:00am Mountain Time which abides by certain rules will be shipped out that day. Please see our Same-Day Shipping page for more information on what qualifies (or disqualifies!) your order.
If your order does not meet the required criteria, or it is after 11:00am Mountain Time, we can not guarantee that your order will ship that same day. However, all hope is not lost! Please call us as soon as you can with your order number to request your order be expedited, and we will do all we can to make sure it gets processed quickly.
Q. How can I get an invoice for my order?
A: You can find a Standard Invoice, showing the value of your order, shipping charges, and what you paid, under Order History in you SparkFun account. Once in Order History, click on the order number you need an invoice for, and then on the "View Printable Invoice" link underneath the order status.
If you need a commercial invoice or a pro forma invoice, please give us a call and we are more than happy to email one to you.
Q: CUSTOMS FEES: How much/can I avoid/do I have to pay/why did I have to pay?
A: We charge actual shipping costs at the time of checkout, but if you are shipping outside of the United States, you will most likely incur customs fees, duties and/or taxes on your order. We have no control over these fees,and can not manipulate or predict them in any way. We can not pay these fees for you. Please make sure you are up to date on any customs and import rules and regulations for your country, as they vary greatly from country to country, item to item and among the shipping companies. We do expect you, the customer, to be aware of anything that might affect your order on its way in to your country, and you speak the language much better than any of us! Also note that if you refuse to pay the duties and taxes and opt to have the package returned to us, we will still be charged those fees on the way out of your country and on the way in to ours, and those charges will be subtracted from any refund you may be eligible for.
Q: Why can I not see the quantity discounts?!?!
A: Are you logged in to your SparkFun account? You have to be logged in to your account to see the quantity discounts, and after that, you need to be on the product page where the quantity discounts are shown.
Q: Do you ship to my country?
A: Yes we probably do! Except for Iran, Cuba, North Korea, Sudan, Libya, the Moon, most parts of the Amazon and Branson Missouri...
Q: When do you have tours?
A: We hold tours most Friday afternoons in Boulder, Colorado. Please call ahead to reserve your spot on the tour as they can fill up fast!
Q: Where do you teach the classes?
A: All of our classes are taught at our facility in Boulder, Colorado. You do have to be here for the class. Pricing for classes does not include transportation to and from Boulder, or lodging, or anything else - just the class and sometimes the hardware. That being said, we do have recommendations for you if you decide to come in from out of town! Give us a call and we can direct you to the best hotels, restaurants, bars and campgrounds in our area!
Q: Can I talk to Nate?
A: Nate is out of town a lot spreading the Good News of SparkFun to the masses! We are more than happy to help you with anything you need though, so please just ask. Or, we can patch you through to his administrative assistant, Dana, who has a better idea of his schedule.
Q: I made something I think you guys could use. How can I get it into SparkFun?
A: Please email spark@sparkfun.com, if you have something you think we should sell. Please describe your project, and send any websites or links to that product that you might have. If this is something we are interested in and able to do, we will contact you about it. Please note that we get TONS of these each day, so it may take us a while to get back to you, and we have limited capabilities and resources, so not every project is something we can will be able to carry.
Q: How do I purchase/redeem a SparkFun Gift Certificate?
A: Go to the Gift Certificates page!