SparkFun will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday from 3pm on 11/23 through 11/27. Orders placed after 2pm on the 23rd will ship out Monday the 28th.
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 [email protected]
Need Technical Support? Check out our Technical Assistance page!
Accounting/W9 Requests: [email protected]
We tend to prefer email, but you may also call us at 303-284-0979. We are open Monday through Friday from 9am to 12pm and 1pm 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:
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 in New Order can be paused. If your order has already moved to a different status, you won’t be able to pause it. If you pause your order, it will no longer necessarily qualify for our Same-Day Shipping guarantee.
We offer Net30 terms to approved customers. We do not offer any other terms. To apply, download and complete the Net30 application and email it to [email protected].
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.
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.
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 everything is in stock and 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, and we will hold all in-stock items for you while we wait for the backordered ones to arrive. 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.
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.
Once you place your order, it will pass through a series of statuses during fulfillment.
New Order - This indicates we’ve received your order.
Picking - Your order has been printed, and we’re in the process of pulling your parts from the shelves. No changes to your order are possible once it is in this status or further.
Packing - All stock has been pulled for your order. It is now waiting to be packed up. No changes to your order are possible once it is in this status or further.
Shipped - Your order has been completely packaged and moved to our shipping dock. It’s ready to go! You should receive an email that your stuff is on the way to you (with a tracking number if your shipping method is tracked). Nope, no changes to your order in this status either.
Exception - This indicates your order needs human interaction before it can be released for shipment. This is often the case with lithium batteries, export control issues, and orders you have requested be paused for changes. Orders in Exception status usually get cleared quickly. We will contact you if we need additional information.
PayPal Waiting For Payment - Either we’re waiting for your PayPal echeck to clear (it takes a few days), or we’ve sent you a payment request (watch your email for a notification from PayPal.) Either way, once PayPal confirms payment, we’ll release your order for shipment.
Ready For Pickup - This applies to Local Pickup orders only. It means your order is at our front desk waiting for you to come pick it up.
Other - There are a few other order statuses, but they don’t apply to the vast majority of orders. If you have any questions, please email us and we’ll explain the state of your order.
We ship in-stock orders as soon as possible. This is often the day you placed it or the day after, but there are many situations where it will take longer. Please see the Same-Day Shipping section for details.
You will be sent at least 2 emails for each order you place:
See further information specific to your destination:
US orders over $75 ship free! You’ll see that option in checkout. For other shipping methods, price varies greatly. You can get an estimate with the Calculate Shipping button in your cart, or just enter checkout to see what we’ll charge. For orders under $75 or faster shipping options, we charge a $2 handling fee plus the estimate from the carrier.
We offer 4 shipping options to allow you to decide when you get your stuff. Days listed are from when the order ships. See our same-day shipping section for more detail.
FedEx does not normally deliver on Saturday, but may for an additional charge. See our Saturday Delivery information for details.
We don’t normally offer USPS or UPS shipping options, but you may see them in the following cases:
If your shipping address is in the state of Colorado, you’ll see Local Pickup as a shipping method in checkout. If you select this option, we’ll hold your order here so you can come pick it up. See our Local Customers section for more details.
FedEx and UPS do not deliver to PO Boxes. If your shipping address is a PO Box, please check the “This address is a P.O. Box” option when entering your address. You will then have the option to select a USPS option.
All US 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 require a signature for delivery, 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.
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.
Want to bill shipping charges to your FedEx or UPS account? Add your shipping account to your customer profile. Once verified by our customer support team, you will be able to select the account during checkout.
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.
We ship to your country! Unless you live in a country that is embargoed by the US government (currently Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria). We still can’t ship to Cuba normally, but that is theoretically changing sooner than later. Everywhere else is groovy.
Most international shipments will incur additional fees in the form of duties and taxes. These fees are your responsibility, and are in addition to the shipping cost we charge at checkout. See Duties and Taxes below for details.
For all international shipments, we charge a $2 handling fee plus the shipping estimate from the carrier.
For shipping addresses outside the US, 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.
All duties and taxes for international shipments are the responsibility of the customer. SparkFun is not responsible for any extra charges once the original package has been shipped. We can’t tell you exactly what the charges will be, but here’s a duty calculator to help with estimation.
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.
As mentioned above, we are not able ship anything to any address in the countries of Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, and Syria. Beyond that, we also sell some items that are known as “dual-use items”. These are products designed for civilian use, but that could be used for devious purposes in the wrong hands. The rules vary by item, but we’ll be in direct contact with you if we need further information. Please read our Export Compliance page for general information, and contact Customer Service if you have further questions regarding an item and/or its destination.
International shipments’ signature requirements vary by carrier and destination. If you have questions regarding your particular shipment, contact Customer Service.
Want to bill shipping charges to your FedEx or UPS account? Add your shipping account to your customer profile. Once verified by our customer support team, you will be able to select the account during checkout.
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.
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.
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 - Most of our available shipping methods qualify. Within the US, all options except SmartPost (the 3-11 day option) qualify. For international customers, all options except Economy qualify. Options that do not qualify will be processed within 1-3 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 $1,200 and up from this guarantee. Your order will be processed within 1-3 business days after any order verification, and/or modification has been completed and payment has been received.
Distributors - Distributor orders don’t qualify. Sorry folks. Your order will be processed within 1-3 business days after any order verification, and/or modification has been completed and payment has been received.
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.
Batteries - Lithium Ion and Lithium Metal are considered dangerous goods and take additional packing and paperwork in order to ship.
If your order qualified but didn’t ship same day: We work hard to meet our guarantee, but sometimes, reality won’t allow it. If you feel your order falls under this category, please contact us!
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 Ready For Pickup status, you will receive an email letting you know it is, well, ready for pickup. If your order is in another status, give us a call to find out why.
Your Local Pickup order will be available at our front desk for two weeks once it’s prepared. After that time, we will return those items to stock and provide you with a refund. Please contact our Customer Service team if you need to make other arrangements for your order!
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 |
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 either a) deduct that from your refund if you want to cancel or b) 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!
We will only hold a returned package for one week before we restock and refund (if applicable). If you are wondering where your order is, please also check your spam filter as we may be trying to get a hold of you!
If you think your package is going to be returned to us, please send us an email to [email protected] 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:
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. To request your customer account be exempt from Colorado sales tax please provide a PDF copy of your tax exemption certificate to Customer Service at [email protected]. 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 2016 and 2017. No orders will ship these days, but you can still place an order through the website as usual.