General questions about SparkFun? Check our FAQ for answers!
Want to return something you purchased? The Returns Policy is for you!
There is community support on the SFE Forums! Post your question and you will have access to the experience of our community at your finger tips.
Or check out the list of informative policies and definitions below.
Order and shipping questions? Email customerservice@sparkfun.com
Have a technical question for Tech Support? Check out our Technical Assistance page!
Accounting/W9 Requests/POs: ar@sparkfun.com
We tend to prefer email, but you may also call us:
Front Desk: 303-284-0979 - Available Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm, Mountain Time.
Customer Service Direct: 303-945-2984 - Available Monday through Friday, 8am to 6pm, Mountain Time.
Technical Support: 303-945-2985 - Available Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm, Mountain Time.
Getting your order placed is fast and easy. Just follow these steps:
That’s it! We’ll take it from there.
Placing your order through our website is the most efficient way to get your stuff. If you are unable to use the website, we can also take your order over the phone.
Need change something about your order or just want it canceled? Pause your order until we can fix it for you.
To pause your order in process:
We’ll take it from there. You can ask us to change the items on your order, update an address or payment method, or just cancel it. Customer Service will get back to you by email within one business day regarding your request.
If you ask us to add items but don’t mention payment, we will just submit the charge to the original card/account.
Only orders that are still being picked can be paused. If your order has already moved to a Packing status, we won’t be able to make any changes to it. If you pause your order, it will no longer necessarily qualify for our Same-Day Shipping guarantee.
We offer Net30 credit terms to approved customers. We do not offer any other terms. To apply, download and complete the Net30 application and email it to ar@sparkfun.com.
For approved Net30 customers: SparkFun offers two Purchase Order processing options, and customers are able to switch between the two. Our Same-Day Shipping guarantee does not apply to Purchase Orders.
Fast Track Processing:
Traditional Track Processing:
Submit your Purchase Order document (and your SparkFun Order Number if applicable):
Please make sure that a contact name and email or phone number is listed on the Purchase Order.
We strive to provide accurate descriptions and high quality merchandise. If you have any problems with your order, please let us know as soon as possible! We will do everything in our power to make it right. Please see our Return Policy for more information.
If your shipping address is in Colorado you can opt to pick up your order in person at our office. We do not charge for this service. Our address is:
SparkFun Electronics
6333 Dry Creek Parkway
Niwot, CO 80503
Click here for a map.
All Local Pickup orders must be prepaid. For accounting reasons, we do not accept cash, check, or money orders as payment for them.
We print Local Pickup orders 3 times a day. If your order is placed by 10am, it will be ready by noon. If your order is placed by noon, it will be ready by 2pm. If your order is placed after noon, it will be available for pickup at 10am the following business day. One exception to this rule: if your order goes directly into the Exception status, it may not be ready at the time stated.
You may pick up your order between 10am and 4pm, Monday though Friday, but please make sure it is ready. When your order progresses to the Packing status, you will receive an email letting you know it is ready for pickup. If your order is in another status, give us a call to find out why.
A handy-dandy table for reference:
| Your order time: | Ready for pickup: |
| Before 10:00am | noon |
| Before noon | 2:00pm |
| After noon | 10:00am of the next business day |
Preorders and backorders are essentially the same thing: a way to buy stuff that’s not in stock. The only difference is that preorders are items that have never been in stock, but will be soon. They’re both handled the same way.
Not all products can be backordered when they go out of stock. If an out of stock item can be backordered it will clearly display a “Backorder” button, otherwise it cannot be backordered by any means.
There are two types of backorders: Intentional and Accidental.
Intentional Backorders:
This is when you, the customer, add an out-of-stock item to your cart by clicking the “Backorder” button. We do not charge for intentionally backordered items until they are ready for shipment.
If your cart contains only backordered items, there will be no charge submitted at checkout. When the order is ready to be shipped, a charge will be submitted via the payment method you selected at checkout.
If you have some in-stock and some backordered items, you will see a checkbox on the shopping cart page that says “Ship Complete Order”. If you check this box, no charge will be submitted at checkout. Once all your items are in stock, the full charge will be submitted and the order shipped.
If you do not check this box, we will charge for all in-stock items and the initial shipping/handling upon submission of the order. Once your backordered items are available, we will charge for the products, and a second shipping/handling fee if applicable. You will receive notification of 2 separate orders: one for the in-stock items and one for the backordered items.
Please Note: If you choose to have in-stock items ship now and backordered items later, a shipping/handling charge may apply to each shipment.
Accidental Backorders:
This is when our website indicated that there was stock available for your order, but we were actually out. D'oh!
We work very hard to keep our stock numbers accurate. This type of backorder is rare, but there are a variety of issues that can lead to inaccuracies. We apologize for any inconvenience. We will ship all in-stock items right away, with the backordered items shipping as soon as they are available. They will ship via the same shipping method you selected during checkout. You will not be charged additional shipping. A second order number will be generated to accommodate the accidentally backordered items.
When you place your order, it will enter through a series of steps during fulfillment.
General
We currently ship via the United States Postal Service (USPS), FedEx, and UPS.
FedEx and UPS do not deliver to PO Boxes. If your shipping address is a PO Box, please select a USPS or Economy option or your package will be returned to us at your expense.
All Domestic orders are shipped “Signature Not Required” by default, however, the shipping company may decide to require a signature depending on the value or destination. If you want your order to be sent with a signature required, please contact Customer Service. If a “Signature Not Required” package is left at the door, but isn’t there when you get home, neither SparkFun nor the shipping company can be held responsible.
International shipments signature requirements vary by carrier and destination. If you have questions regarding your particular shipment, contact Customer Service.
We fill all in-stock orders as soon as possible. Please see our Same-Day Shipping section for specifics. Once your order is ready to ship, a Shipping Confirmation email, with tracking information if applicable, will be sent.
We cannot be held responsible for damaged, lost, or stolen packages. We will file claims for those that are insured. Please contact us directly to initiate a claim.
Domestic orders for $75+ worth of goods will have the option of free shipping by the least expensive method available. If the shipping charge comes to more than $500, you won’t see the free shipping. Contact Customer Service to make arrangements. Very sorry, but at this time we do not offer free shipping to international addresses.
For orders under $75 or faster shipping options, we charge a $2 handling fee plus the estimate from the carrier.
For an estimate before checkout, please add the items you intend to order to your cart, then click “calculate shipping” from the Shopping Cart page. This will provide a list of estimates for the shipping methods available to your selected destination.
If you have a FedEx or UPS account, you may choose to use it to cover the shipping charges for your order. To do so, enter your account number in the appropriate field during checkout. We will then charge only our standard $2 per-order handling fee, and will submit the shipping charges to your account. Please note: Your contracted rates may vary greatly from ours. The shipping estimate you see at checkout has no relation to what you will eventually be billed. Please do not enter your FedEx or UPS account number unless you are absolutely certain you want to ship on your own account instead of ours.
The following services are available for an additional charge:
FedEx and UPS do not normally deliver on Saturday, but can for an additional charge of $15. If you would like your package to ship on a Friday for delivery Saturday, please follow these steps:
You’ll receive an email with your tracking information as usual. Delivery is usually made by noon on Saturdays.
If your package is en route to an incorrect address, we can contact FedEx or UPS to update the delivery address (USPS does not offer this service). The base fee is $10 for FedEx and $11 for UPS. There may be additional charges depending on how far away the new delivery address is from the old one. Please call Customer Service as soon as you are aware the package needs rerouting.
This service also applies to packages needing to be stopped and returned to us.
Please Note: Package Rerouting and returning is done at the discretion of the shipper. If the package is too close to the delivery address, it may be delivered before the reroute/return instructions are received. We will make the request, but cannot guarantee that it will be honored.
See our Local Pickup section for details.
This is for shipping addresses within the United States. We offer 14 options:
FedEx does not normally deliver on Saturday, but may for an additional charge. See our Saturday Delivery information for details.
UPS does not normally deliver on Saturday, but may for an additional charge. See our Saturday Delivery information for details.
Please Note - Priority and First Class Mail packages are NOT insured. In the case a package is lost or damaged in transit, SparkFun is not responsible for replacing the order.
SparkFun’s Economy Shipping option, also known as UPS SurePost, is carried by UPS to your city, then usually handed off to the United States Postal Service for delivery with standard mail. UPS may also choose to make delivery on their own. This shipping option will deliver to PO Boxes.
It may show up as “Economy” or “Economy Light”. This is an internal distinction based on the estimated weight of your package, and will not affect delivery time. Typical delivery time frame is 5-10 business days.
Only allowed for orders up to $300 in value. Economy is not an insured shipping method. As such, SparkFun is not responsible for replacing the package should it be lost in transit. It will show tracking online only up to the point the package is handed off to the USPS.
This is for any shipping address outside the United States. We offer 7 options:
Please Note - First Class Mail International packages are NOT insured. In the case a package is lost or damaged in transit, SparkFun is not responsible for replacing the order.
SparkFun’s International Economy Shipping option, also known as FedEx International Mail Service (FIMS), is carried by FedEx to your country, then handed off to the local postal service for delivery with standard mail. This shipping option will deliver to PO Boxes.
Shipping time varies greatly depending on destination. Delivery is usually made in 2-4 weeks, but can take as long as 6 in some cases.
Only allowed for orders up to $300 in value. Economy is not an insured shipping method. As such, SparkFun is not responsible for replacing the package should it be lost in transit. There is no tracking available for this shipping method.
For All International Shipments:
All duties and taxes for international shipments are the responsibility of the customer. SparkFun Electronics is not responsible for any extra charges once the original package has been shipped. If the customer refuses to pay these extra charges, the return shipping and any additional fees will be taken out of the cost of the order, with any remaining funds being refunded to the customer. In the event that the extra charges exceed the value of the order, we may charge those amounts to the credit card originally used for the order.
SparkFun guarantees to ship your order the same day you place it IF and ONLY IF your order meets ALL the following criteria:
If your order does meet all the listed requirements, we guarantee shipment of your package that day. If it doesn’t meet them all, we may still get it out the same day, but no promises.
Definitions:
Time - The timestamp on your order must be before 2PM Mountain Time to qualify. An order placed at 1:59:59PM counts, 2:00:00PM does not. Orders placed at 2PM and later will be considered to qualify for the next business day. The time used is the timestamp on your order, which will be displayed once your order is placed.
Shipping Method - We guarantee most, but not all, of our available shipping methods. All options from FedEx and UPS qualify, as do USPS Express Mail, USPS Express Mail International, and USPS Priority. We do NOT guarantee Economy, International Economy, USPS First Class Mail, or USPS First Class Mail International. These will be processed within 2 business days of placement.
Business Days - Business Days are traditionally defined as the weekdays of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Excluded are the weekend days of Saturday and Sunday, as well as any Holidays. You can see a list of the weekdays SparkFun will be closed for Holidays here. Additionally, SparkFun may be unexpectedly closed for inclement weather, off-site company events, zombie apocalypse, etc. In the event of such closure, SparkFun will post notice of closure on the front page of our website as soon as possible. If SparkFun does need to close unexpectedly, that day will not be considered a Business Day, even if the zombies have gotten into our server room and we are unable to update the site to tell you about it.
In-Stock - Your order must contain only in-stock items to qualify for same-day shipping. If we don’t have it, we can’t ship it to you. There is the potential that your order will contain an Accidentally Backordered Item. In this case, we can only guarantee the ship date on all remaining items in your order, and ship the Accidentally Backordered Item(s) as soon as possible. Please see our Backorder Policy for more details.
Paid in full - Only orders paid in full at the time of placement qualify. This limits payment methods to Credit Card and most PayPal transactions. Orders paid with a PayPal “echeck” do not qualify. Orders paid entirely with a Gift Certificate do qualify. All other payment methods do not qualify for same-day shipping. At this time, we do not guarantee same-day shipping for Net30 orders.
Exception - While rare, there is the chance that your order will go to an Exception status, instead of the normal New Order status. You will be notified upon placing your order if your order is an Exception. Most orders that do go to Exception, and otherwise qualify, will be cleared quickly and shipped within the same-day time frame. Because some will require additional information from the customer, though, we cannot guarantee it. You can see our Order Status Information section for more details.
Order Value - In order to ensure the quality of very large orders, we need to exclude orders valued at $1200 and up from this guarantee.
Distributors - Distributor orders don’t qualify. Sorry folks.
Does not require modification - Your order must be valid to ship as you placed it. If any changes are required to your order before it is able to be shipped, it is disqualified from the same-day shipping guarantee. These changes may be intentional, such as you needing to add an item or correct a shipping address, or unintentional, such as providing an invalid FedEx account number or an address deemed undeliverable by your selected shipper.
If your order qualified but didn’t ship same day: We will be working hard to meet our guarantee, but sometimes, reality won’t allow it. In the case that we do not meet our guarantee, we will automatically upgrade your shipping method by one step, and ship it the following business day. For example, if you place an order on Monday with UPS 3-day and we fail to get it out that day, we will ship it Tuesday with UPS 2-day shipping, no additional charge. If you’ve already selected the fastest shipping method available with a particular shipping company, we will ship it with the same shipping method on the following day and refund your shipping/handling charges in full.
Packages can be returned to us for many reasons. Depending on the reason for return, there may be additional charges applied to your order. Please read below for more information!
Packages can be returned to us for missing or incorrect address information. Please take a moment to check and make sure your address book is up to date. There is also an order review page where you can double check this information. If the carrier you select charges us to return the package, we will deduct that from your refund if you want to cancel or if you choose to re-ship the package it will be added to the cost of the re-shipment fee.
Packages can be returned to us if they are refused at customs for any reason. Sometimes we choose to get these packages back. If there are any customs fees and shipping charges to return your order, this will be deducted from the refund (if you want to cancel the order) or added to the re-shipment fee if you want to re-ship the order. Please see our Shipping Policy for additional information regarding international orders
Please note that if your package is marked to be returned to SparkFun, it could take longer than expected to receive as these packages are not marked as a priority from the shipping company. Sometimes it can take a couple of weeks before we get them back!
If you think your package is going to be returned to us, please send us an email to customerservice@sparkfun.com so we can note your order and wait for its return!
The currency converter is a utility that will display SparkFun prices in most common currencies.
The default currencies are:
Converting Currencies
To display prices in your currency of choice, click on the currency dropdown menu at the top of the page, next to your username. By default, it will say “$ USD”. If you don’t see your desired currency in the list, click “More Currencies” and you’ll be taken to the currency preferences tab on your account settings, where you can select from a much longer list.
Please Note: The function to display prices in currencies other than US Dollars is for convenience only. All charges will be submitted in US Dollars when you make payment and converted by your financial institution at that time. This may result in the actual charge showing up as slightly different than the total due shown in your preferred currency.
You may pay by any of the following methods. United States funds only. We do not accept C.O.D. orders.
We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and Discover.
If you select PayPal during checkout, you will be redirected to that website, then back to ours to complete your order.
Use this option to get your order in the system now and handle payment later. It’s also useful if you need a quote to get a purchase approved. Place the order with this option and use the resulting invoice as the quote. Then the order is sitting right here waiting for you once payment is available.
If you no longer need the order as placed, please contact Customer Service so we can cancel it.
This option is not available for guest checkout.
Send your check or money order to:
SparkFun Electronics
6333 Dry Creek Parkway
Niwot, CO 80503
This payment option is for established Net30 customers, and can only be used for tracked/insured shipping methods or local pickup. Not established for Net30? Check out our Purchase Orders section.
This is a direct transfer from your bank to ours. Necessary information will be included with your Order Confirmation email. This option is not available for guest checkout.
There are no minimum orders! If you are willing to fork over shipping costs, we will gladly send you a $0.15 diode.
All orders with a Colorado shipping address will include Colorado sales tax on the merchandise portion of your order, unless you provide us with an exemption permit or Colorado resale tax form. Tax is calculated based on the shipping zip code.
We do not charge sales tax for orders with a shipping address outside Colorado.
Gift Certificates are sent from Gifter to Giftee by email. We do not send out a physical certificate. In order to send a Gift Certificate that you have purchased, please follow the “Send Gift Certificate” link from the My Account screen.
Read more about gift certificates as well as purchase them here.
SparkFun will be closed the following days in 2014-15. No orders will ship these days, but you can still place an order through the website as usual.