Subscription Boxes: Maximizing the Experience

Despite hidden charges and additional fees you may encounter with subscription boxes, you will still definitely come across good deals that are hard to pass up. If the cost is within your budget, the boxes can be shipped to your location, and you love the products included, why not take the leap? Any prepaid subscription that comes out cheaper than just ordering a box month on month is already saving you money.

Here’s a tip, though: Before you do it, check out the competition. Truly unique subscription box services are rare; often there will be similar offerings from other companies. Once you’ve narrowed down the choices to a few services, look for referral and rewards programs! That’s the real deal breaker.

Springing for a prepaid subscription will often allow you to take advantage of small discounts, but that’s just the beginning. With referral and rewards programs, you can increase your savings and maximize your subscription box experience beyond just getting a box every month.

Benefits and Bonuses

Sometimes, it’s a one-off to get you started; like the 10% discount Farm to People gives on your first order if you join their mailing list. Sometimes, the rewards are long lasting and take immediate effect. Once you subscribe to Julep Maven boxes, for example, you get site-wide free shipping–which means that your monthly packages and any other purchases you make in Julep’s online store will be checked out without a shipping fee. Julep Mavens also have access to limited edition and seasonal products that they can purchase online.

Refer A Friend

Referral programs are a common promotional tactic used by subscription box services, because it always benefits them. Successful referrals mean more subscribers, and translate to more profit for them–likely more than what they lose by rewarding you for bringing more business to them, anyway.

How does it work? The main requirement is that you spread the word about the service; you can tell your family and friends about it. Sometimes referral links will be generated for you to email to people; and sometimes a referral link can be automatically posted for you through your social media with just one or a few clicks of a mouse button. Your friends need to click on your link in particular; if they type in the Internet address themselves, use a different referral URL or just Google the service’s name, it won’t count. Some programs count signing up for a website account as a successful referral, but sometimes the referred party needs to actually subscribe or purchase something first.

Looking Out for Number One

Once a successful referral is confirmed, the rewards roll in for you. These can come in several forms. You can avail of a discount on your next item or subscription purchase, or even be awarded store credit that you can use to get something you like shipped to you for free. For example: Bespoke Post gives you $25 in store credit, which you can put towards the cost of your next box. You get a similar deal with Trunk Club; once a referred friend spends at least $50, you are credited with the same amount. Specific rewards like in-site credits with a single function can also be given to you; that’s the case with toy rental and online store, Pley.

A Win-Win Situation

The best kinds of referral programs are the ones that benefit everyone concerned: the service, the referrer and the referred. The companies gets new subscribers, you get a reward, and each referred party gets something too–typically a discount of some sort. For example: You can get a free POPSUGAR Must Have monthly box if you get three people to sign up using your referral link; and the people you refer all get $5 off their first purchase. Winc‘s version is similar but straight to the point, with you getting $26 in credit–about two wine bottles’ worth–and each successfully referred friend getting $13. Kiwi Crate even gives you and the people you refer the same reward, basically. Successful Kiwi Crate referrals get you $10 in credit, and new customers $10 off their first subscription.

Earn Points and Get Rewards

While referral programs already provide a lot of value, for some services this promotion is just part of a much larger program. Some companies–typically ones with huge online stores–have a whole points system in effect, with many ways to earn points within the website. These, in turn, can be exchanged for different rewards. Birchbox gives you 50 of its points for every successful referral; Bulu Box does the same. ipsy gives you 250 Points, but your have a time frame of 24 hours to get people to sign up using your referral link.

Other Ways to Earn

You can also earn points by simply purchasing items from a service; whether or not it’s connected to a subscription offer. For example, every $1 spent on something from the Birchbox Shop is equal to 1 Birchbox Point. ipsy not only gives you 100 points just for signing up, but it also gives you points for reviewing their Glam Bags and single product reviews. Bulu Box takes its Points and Rewards program to the limit, though; as it really presents customers with multiple ways to earn points. You get some for completing your user profile, some for surveys you complete, some for purchasing sale items, and even some for sharing promotional links on social media.

Spending Limitations

Each service has their own special rules when it comes to using points. Sometimes, points are converted into store credit. Every 10 Birchbox Points is equivalent to $1 that you can spend in the Birchbox Shop–though you can’t renew your subscription this way. Likewise, every 50 points earned with Bulu Box is worth $5 of store credit. Note that points translate to credits and not actual cash.

Not all points are used this way, though. ipsy, for instance, releases seasonal or limited-run bonuses in the form of items you can add to your monthly Glam Bags. Each time you take part in a bonus, you pay a certain amount of points.

Easy Extras Only If You’re Extra

To make sure that you take part in every special offer and promotion takes effort, and usually referrals and rewards only really work for you if you are passionate about either the product itself, or the potential savings you will enjoy. If you’re not too keen on keeping up an online presence or making a habit of checking your user account on the subscription box service’s website, referral links won’t be pushed hard enough and points will expire. Even store credit won’t do much if you aren’t a regular online shopper. While these promotions can sound exciting, they’re not unusual–we encounter relatively similar tactics every day; with supermarkets, coffee shops, and the like–and they’re all the same in the end. No effort, no gain.

That being said, whether you’re the type of person to go all out or not, you should always look for big prepaid subscription discounts. Those are always worth it.