Guide
Free shipping and cash on delivery: how to avoid the extra fees
How do I get free shipping and avoid cash on delivery fees?
Most stores ship for free once your order reaches a set amount, and that amount is usually worked out after the discount, so check the total after entering the code. Cash on delivery adds a fee at most of the stores that offer it, and you avoid it by paying ahead with a card or mada. If you order often from one store, a delivery subscription such as noon One may spare you the fee on each order.
Key points
- The free-shipping threshold is usually worked out after the discount, so a code can drop you below it.
- Add an item to reach the threshold only if you need it and its price is close to the shipping fee.
- Cash on delivery adds a fee at most stores that offer it, and that fee is usually not refunded if you return the order.
- Paying ahead with a card or mada saves you the cash on delivery fee.
- Delivery subscriptions, such as noon One and ToYou's plan, help people who order often from the same store.
How is the free-shipping threshold worked out?
Most stores set an amount: once your order reaches it, shipping is free, and below it you pay a shipping fee. At Namshi, for example, your cart only needs to reach SAR 200, and at Al Majed Oud free shipping starts from SAR 99.
The key question: is the threshold counted before the discount or after it? The answer: it is usually counted after the discount, so check the total. In other words, the store mostly looks at what you will pay, not at the sum of the prices before the code.
Some stores have extra details. At Styli, for example, the threshold applies to each shipment on its own, and one order may reach you in more than one shipment. So your order may pass the threshold, and you still find a fee on a small part of it that shipped alone.
Look at the shipping line on the checkout page after you enter the code, not before.
Why can a promo code cost you free shipping?
Because the code lowers the total, and it may lower it below the threshold. Your cart is above the line before the code and below it after, so the shipping fee comes back.
In that case, do the sums yourself: how much did the code save, and how much did shipping add? If the shipping fee is bigger than the discount, the order with the code costs you more than the order without it.
- Add the products to your cart and see whether shipping is free.
- Enter the code, then look at the shipping line again.
- If a fee appears, compare it with the discount.
- Pick whatever saves you more: the code with the fee, an item you need that lifts you over the line, or the order without the code.
Should you add an item to reach free shipping?
Sometimes it's worth it. If you need another product from the same store and its price is close to the shipping fee, adding it gets you something useful instead of paying that money for shipping alone.
But don't buy what you don't need to save a small fee. If the extra item raises your order by much more than the shipping fee, you have spent more, not saved.
It helps if the extra item is something you buy regularly. You order it now, instead of ordering it in a few weeks and paying for shipping again.
Group your small orders from the same store into one, instead of paying for shipping every time.
What does cash on delivery cost, and why does paying ahead save you money?
Cash on delivery is convenient, but at most stores that offer it, it isn't free. The store adds a fee to your order in return for letting you pay at the moment of delivery. Nice One, for example, explains that this fee is for paying later, not a delivery charge.
You avoid the fee by paying ahead with a card, mada or Apple Pay. At Namshi, for example, there is no fee for paying by card or with your wallet credit, so the difference stays in your pocket.
Keep in mind that the fee usually doesn't come back. At noon, what you paid for cash on delivery is not refunded after delivery, and at Styli you don't get it back if you return the order later.
Some stores also hide this option in certain cases, such as delivery to a pickup locker. If you can't find it at checkout, check the delivery method you picked.
Before choosing cash on delivery, look at its fee on the checkout page and compare it with what the code saved you.
Free delivery and cash on delivery at our stores
From our store guides. What you see on the checkout page has the final say.
| Store | Free delivery and its fee | Cash on delivery | Best code now |
|---|---|---|---|
| noon | — | Offered for SAR 18, as long as the order is no more than SAR 6,500 | CHI |
| Namshi | Once the order reaches SAR 200; below that you pay SAR 30 | Offered, with SAR 34 added to the order | MUT |
| Nice One | When your order is over SAR 300 inside Saudi Arabia, or over SAR 1,000 for other Gulf countries | Costs SAR 28 and works only inside Saudi Arabia | T31 |
| Styli | When one shipment comes to SAR 149; under that, the fee is SAR 12 | Offered with an extra fee, and hidden when the cart holds global shipping items | AXA |
Is a delivery subscription such as noon One or ToYou's plan worth it?
A subscription helps people who order often from the same store. Instead of paying a delivery fee on each order, you pay a fixed amount, and the fees drop off eligible orders.
noon's subscription, noon One, is SAR 29.99 a month. Subscribers skip the delivery fee once a noon Express order passes SAR 50, and in Riyadh an eligible order over SAR 100 can arrive the same day for free. If you have never subscribed, the first 7 days cost nothing, which is enough to see whether you order often enough for it to pay off.
If you hold the SAB noon Visa card, it includes noon One free for two years, as long as you activate it within the first 12 months after activating the card.
ToYou has a subscription that gives you free delivery with no cap on the number of orders, but only from selected stores. Before you subscribe, open the subscription page in the app and make sure your usual restaurants and stores are on the list. Its price changes with offers.
The sums are simple: if what you pay for delivery in a month is more than the subscription price, the subscription saves you money. If not, pay the delivery fee when you need it.
What does same-day delivery cost, and when do you need it?
Fast delivery is an extra service, and it usually has its own fee and minimum. At Namshi, for example, same-day delivery costs SAR 24 and is offered on orders above SAR 350. There is also next-day delivery for a lower fee, on orders above SAR 200.
When you pick either of these at Namshi, the usual shipping fee is dropped and you pay only the fast option's fee. You can pay it from the credit in your Namshi wallet.
So ask yourself before you pick it: do you really need the order today? If it can wait, standard delivery may be free for your order.
What should you check on the checkout page before you confirm?
Stores change their thresholds and fees from time to time. That's why we show the figures in a table built from our store guides, but the store's checkout page has the final say. Before you press the pay button, check these lines:
- The shipping line after you enter the code, not before.
- The payment method: did it add a fee to the order?
- The delivery method: a fast option changes the fees, and delivery to a locker may hide cash on delivery.
- The final total: this is the amount that matters, not the price on the product.
Questions and answers
Are the shipping terms the same in every Saudi city?
Not always. At noon, the delivery cost varies from one city to another, and Mumzworld has areas it counts as remote, where the delivery time changes. You see the fees for your address on the checkout page.
Why did cash on delivery disappear from the checkout page?
The reason may be the order itself or the delivery method. At noon it isn't offered if the order is above SAR 6,500 or if you pick delivery to a locker. At Nice One it is switched off while you still have an earlier order you didn't receive. And some stores don't list it among their payment methods at all, such as iHerb and Temu.
Do I get the shipping fee back if I return the order?
Usually not. At Namshi you get back only the price of the items, and at noon what you paid for shipping is not refunded after delivery. So if you are unsure about a size or colour, count this fee before you order.
Do I pay VAT or customs when an order from abroad arrives?
At iHerb, VAT and customs are paid when you order, so the courier won't ask you for money. At Temu, the total includes VAT and customs, but it is an estimate, and if extra charges are added, you pay them.
Does picking up from a branch or pickup point spare you the delivery fee?
At some stores, yes. Sephora lets you order on its website and collect at selected branches at no charge, and at Temu collecting from a pickup point is free.