What Is ShopRunner and Which Credit Cards Offer It?
This article was last updated Jun 23, 2020. Terms and conditions may have changed. For the most accurate information, please consult the issuer website.
Perhaps one of the most attractive features of Amazon Prime is the free two-day shipping that comes along with the membership. But what if you want to enjoy that same benefit on purchases made at merchants outside of Amazon? That’s where ShopRunner comes in.
ShopRunner lets members enjoy free two-day shipping and free returns on eligible items, including apparel, jewelry, luggage, electronics, fitness equipment and much more, from over 100 stores. While a ShopRunner membership comes with an annual fee, it is possible to receive a complimentary membership from some credit cards or a PayPal or Yahoo account.
We break down what you need to know about ShopRunner, including how it works and how you can enroll.
What is ShopRunner?
ShopRunner is a membership service that offers free two-day shipping on all eligible purchases made from participating retailers. Members also receive free shipping on returns of eligible items purchased from retail partners. Just know, the two-day shipping timeframe starts when the eligible item is shipped, and not when the item was ordered.
ShopRunner stores include more than 100 retailers – ranging from apparel and sporting goods to cosmetics and food merchants, such as:
- 1-800-Flowers
- 1-800-Baskets
- Bloomingdale’s
- Brooks Brothers
- Cheryl’s Cookies
- Clarisonic
- Cole Haan
- Elizabeth Arden
- Fanatics
- Harry and David
- Kate Spade
- Kiehl’s
- Lancome
- NBA Store
- Saks Fifth Avenue
- Sam Edelman
- Taylormade Golf
- The Popcorn Factory
While the cost of shipping is waived by ShopRunner, the order payment, fulfillment, shipping and returns are processed by the store.
Is ShopRunner free?
ShopRunner charges an annual membership fee of $79 – which will automatically be renewed at the end of your subscription year. You may, however, qualify for a free membership if you have an eligible American Express, Chase or Mastercard credit card, or if you have a PayPal or Yahoo account.
American Express
American Express offers ShopRunner to its U.S. consumer and small business cardmembers when you enroll at shoprunner.com/americanexpress. Your ShopRunner account will remain active as long as you maintain an eligible American Express credit card.
Note, if you have an existing ShopRunner account and enroll in the benefit through your credit card, ShopRunner will cancel the existing ShopRunner account. Any prepaid and unused portion of your membership fee will be refunded to you within two to four weeks of enrollment.
Here are some American Express cards that offer ShopRunner:
- Blue Cash Preferred® Card from American Express
- The Amex EveryDay® Credit Card from American Express
- The Platinum Card® from American Express
- Delta SkyMiles® Gold American Express Card
Chase
Eligible Chase cardholders can receive a free one-year membership to ShopRunner when they enroll at shoprunner.com/chase by February 28, 2021. Here are some of our recommendations for best Chase credit cards:
Read: Best Chase Credit Cards
Mastercard
Complimentary ShopRunner membership is an ongoing benefit available to World Mastercard® and World Elite Mastercard® members, as long as your eligible card account remains open. You can verify your eligibility for the ShopRunner benefit by entering your card account number at shoprunner.com/mastercard.
PayPal
Paypal members are eligible for a free one-year ShopRunner membership when they enroll at shoprunner.com/paypal.
Yahoo
Yahoo members can receive a complimentary ongoing ShopRunner membership by signing up at shoprunner.com/yahoo.
How does ShopRunner work?
After signing up for your ShopRunner membership, you can take advantage of free shipping by following these steps:
- Shop online for items from a ShopRunner partner store.
- Check to see if the item qualifies for free two-day shipping by looking for the ShopRunner logo before adding the item to your cart.
- Sign in to your ShopRunner account at checkout.
- Before completing your order, choose ShopRunner as your shipping option, and receive free two-day shipping on your eligible items.
Note, there may be a minimum order amount – typically $25 – to qualify for free shipping. Also, some items may not be eligible for the benefit.
If you want to return an order placed through ShopRunner, either use the return label included in the package by the store or log in to your ShopRunner account and download a prepaid return label. All items are returned directly to the store from which the item was purchased, and refunds are issued by the store.
See the return policy for each ShopRunner store here.
Is ShopRunner worth it?
If you order items from one of the 100+ stores within the ShopRunner network at least one time per month, you can easily get your money’s worth from ShopRunner’s $79 annual membership fee. And if you have a credit card that offers a complimentary ShopRunner membership – that’s even better. But keep in mind that the credit card may charge an annual fee of its own.
For example, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card, which offers a free ShopRunner membership, charges an annual fee of $250.
That said, the Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card also offers several other valuable benefits that can help offset that amount, including your first checked bag free, an annual companion certificate and a fee credit for Global Entry and TSA Precheck.
Read our Delta SkyMiles® Platinum American Express Card Review.
If you enroll for a complimentary membership with a participating credit card, know that you aren’t required to use that card for your purchase.