FAQs

We find brands by shopping local stores, researching trade organizations and memberships, deep-diving on social media, and asking for recommendations (possibly from you).  The first thing we do is taste or test everything. If we wouldn’t buy it, it doesn’t pass go. At the same time, we hold it up to our Hive Five criteria to see how it stacks up. Then, for anything approved, we look at how it fits with the current assortment in terms of flavors, price points, and all that other good stuff.

Well first of all, we might not know about it! Please send a recommendation about your favorite brand and why you’d love to see it on Hive to brands@hivebrands.com. That said, we have some hard lines for our criteria like: 

Domestically sourced wherever feasible to cut down on the carbon footprint

People not companies, which generally exudes brands owned by large, international conglomerates

Recyclable packaging—if an alternative product is available in a lower-waste packaging we’ll pick that

Great question! We’ve set up a system of tags to help guide, but as with most things right now, it’s a work in progress, and we’re hoping we can help you with curated collections soon. If you have questions, every product’s ingredients are listed on the product page along with which, if any, of the top eight allergens the item contains. We have also included a close-up of the ingredient list from the packaging in the image carousels, so if you have a food allergy, we strongly recommend you double check the ingredients before making a purchase.

Fewer individual shipments means a smaller carbon footprint and less packaging waste. We can work together to limit the number of shipments we send by putting in place a minimum that means we won't be shipping off one single sponge or bar of soap at a time. Instead, we want to focus on the impact of each order and what we can all do to get to better.

We keep it simple. For orders shipping to the contiguous United States, order over $65 always ship free. Only need a few things? Not to worry because shipping for orders under $65 is only $7.95. Orders to Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico ship for a flat rate of $30.

If you ever run into any issue, let us know at hi@hivebrands.com.

Update your default shipping address at any time by signing into your Hive account. You can also confirm your up to date shipping address each time you place an order.

But we’ve all sent something to the wrong address. If you already placed an order and need to update the shipping address, reach out to us. We’ll do our best to correct it. 

We accept all major credit cards, PayPal, ApplePay, GooglePay, and ShopPay.

Keeping an eye on your order through your Hive account. Or check your shipping confirmation email to find your tracking link.

You’ll be asked to confirm your payment information each time you place an order, so you can update it then. Or manage your default payment through your account settings to save a few steps later.

Forgot your password? It happens. Click the “Forgot Password” link under the “Sign In” and follow the quick steps to reset your password.

Just click on the “Sign In” option on the homepage and follow the steps. All you need is a valid email address. You can do this at any time.

Reach out to us at any time with a copy of your tax exemption certificate.

If something doesn’t work you can return it within 30 days of delivery. Products need to be unopened and in the original packaging. Some items can’t be returned like perishable goods, cleaning products, and personal care items. But we can work with you to see if you’re eligible for a refund.

Contact us to set up a return.

We want you to receive exactly what you expect. Our goal is to lessen the need and hassle of a return. That’s why we provide so much detail on the brands and products we carry. 

We will never charge return shipping for an issue with the order. We provide free or discounted shipping on orders being shipped. We just ask customers to help with the cost of sending things back.

Return costs are based on the size, weight, and dimensions of the package. We make it easy by leaving it up to you to decide how you would like to ship your items back. Make sure to review our FAQs for items eligible for returns.

First, check a few things so we can make sure you get your package as quickly as possible:

1. Take a quick look at your shipping confirmation and make sure the address is correct.

2. Check around your home (Sometimes packages can be left in or by the garage, etc)

3. Check with neighbors to make sure it wasn’t left at the wrong place by mistake. 

4. Allow 48 hours for your package to be delivered. In some cases, a package can be marked as delivered even though it has not been dropped off at the door yet.

5. If you still haven’t found your package, please, contact us so we can help.

If you have a promo code, apply it at check out. But just a reminder, our bundles are not eligible for additional promotions, since they're already discounted.

For every eligible friend who uses your Hive referral link to sign up and complete their first purchase, you’ll receive $20 in credit. Some limits to note:

You can’t refer yourself, and you can’t use additional email addresses or fake accounts to earn credit.

Please don’t submit other people’s email addresses on the registration page. Every new user needs to register themselves. 

The limit for credit is capped at $1,000 per calendar year – that’s per individual, not per email account.

For a complete list of rules and regulations, please see our referral page.

Use your custom Hive referral link to share with everyone you know. Do not post your link or code on affiliate sites; credit from posting on affiliate sites will not be honored.

For a complete list of rules and regulations, please see our referral page.

Shopping with our gift cards is simple: to redeem your gift card, just enter the unique code from your card into the Gift Card/Discount field at checkout. Our gift cards don’t expire and can be used on as many orders as you’d like until your balance runs out. To check your gift card balance, just log into your account page or view it here.

We use FedEx ground shipping for all orders shipping in the contiguous United States. Orders shipping to P.O. Boxes, Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico will ship through FedEx Smartpost which can add to the transit time.

We ship from the Hive warehouse closest to you to cut down on transit time and carbon footprint. If the zipcode you see does not match the region where you are shipping, please click that icon to update it. Note: inventory availability may change based on your location.

Absolutely! Simply click the zip code in the upper right corner of the site and enter the correct zip code to update your location. 

We’re sorry for the confusion here. This means that the product is available to ship from a warehouse that is not assigned to your shipping address. We’re working to update the site so you won’t experience this in the near future.

We’re sorry for the inconvenience here. This means that the missing product is only available to ship from a warehouse that is not assigned to your shipping address. We’re working to update the site so you won’t experience this in the near future.

Sign into your Hive account and select “Manage Subscriptions.”  You can find this in the account dropdown, on the homepage or in your account overview, so long as you are signed in. From there you can customize the contents of your box, skip or reschedule your next shipment and update your account details. 

To add products to your existing box, login to your account and shop the site as you normally would. Simply select "Subscribe and Save" instead of "Add to Bag" from the product page. Anything you add will default to a one month frequency and will ship in your next scheduled monthly box. You can manage the frequency and delivery date at any time by signing into your Hive account and selecting “Manage Subscriptions.”

No, you can add as many (or as few) products as you'd like to your Autoship. We only ask that your total is at least $35 - this helps to minimize waste and cut down your carbon footprint. You can review and manage what’s included in your account - just click “Next Shipment.”

Sign into your Hive account and select “Manage Subscriptions.” You see all the items you’re subscribed to in the “My Subscriptions” tab and see what’s shipping in your next box in the “Next Shipment” tab.

Sign into your Hive account and select “Manage Subscriptions.” You can update the frequency of individual items by going to the “My Subscriptions” tab and then clicking on the "Frequency" dropdown next to the item. 

Sign into your Hive account and select “Manage Subscriptions” and then head to “Next Shipment.” You can remove an item from your next month’s box by clicking “skip” next to that product. 

You can select between one, two, or three-month shipping frequency for any product.

Currently, there's no ability on the site to add one-time products to your next shipment (we're working on it!). You can either add them as a subscription to remove later or you can send us an email at hi@hivebrands.com with any one-time items you'd like to add and we’ll take care of it!

Your monthly box is set up to ship up to once per month on the date you select.  You can see the ship date by signing into your Hive account and selecting “Manage Subscriptions” and then head to “My Subscriptions.” Right at the top, under My Subscriptions, it says “Next Shipment” and a date. If no date is shown that means your box does not meet our $35 order minimum.

Yes, you can update the shipping date of your next shipment in your account - click “Next Shipment” then “Reschedule” to set a new shipping date or “Skip Shipment” if you want to take a month off.

You can also update the frequency of individual items by going to the “My Subscriptions” tab and then clicking  on the "Frequency" dropdown next to the item.

You can update the shipping address for your monthly box at any time by selecting “Manage Subscriptions” in your Hive account and visiting the “Shipping Address” tab.

Click the black “>” next to the address you wish to update. Changing the address here will change the address for all deliveries associated with it.

You can update the payment method for your monthly box at any time by selecting “Manage Subscriptions” in your Hive account and visiting the “Billing Information” tab. 

Please note: If you set up your subscription using Shopify’s ShopPay one-click payment, PayPal Express or any other one-click payment provider, you will be directed to that platform to update your credit card details. 

We ask that all Autoship orders meet a $35 minimum order value to help control waste and cut down on your carbon footprint. If your order doesn’t meet that threshold, check out Best Sellers and New Arrivals to add some of our favorites to your next Autoship box.

You can add products directly to your existing box by logging in to your account and shopping the site as you normally would. Simply select "Subscribe and Save" instead of "Add to Bag" from the product page.  

Not everything on Hive is eligible for Autoship & Save. Products that are inherently reusable, like water bottles and dog toys, for example, are not included in the program. Occasionally makers let us know that a product we carry is being discontinued or cannot be re-ordered, so we remove it from the Autoship program. 

It’s possible you checked out as a guest and still need to create an account. Click “Sign In” in the upper right corner of Hive’s site, click the white “Create an Account” button and create your account using the email address you used to place your order. Once your account is created, your previous order(s) and subscriptions should populate.

Autoship orders come with a 10% savings. At this time, we are unable to apply promo codes to autoship orders. If you have a store credit or gift card you wish to apply, please respond to your order confirmation email with the details and we’ll take care of it!

Prices fluctuate based on a variety of factors. While prices cannot be “locked in” and may change, subscribers will always have the 10% subscription savings applied. If you add a product to your Autoship box while it is part of our Sweet Deals monthly promotion it will return to its regular price after the sale ends. You will always receive 10% off the lowest one-time purchase price shown on the site.

You can adjust the frequency or remove individual products for your entire box in the “My Subscriptions” tab of your Autoship Account.  To adjust the frequency of an item, use the dropdown next to Frequency. To unsubscribe from an item, click “remove product” under that item.

If you’d like to skip a product in your next box, visit the “Next Shipment” tab and then click “Skip” next to the item you wish to skip. If you need to adjust the timing of your whole box, you can set a new shipping date using the “Reschedule” link at the top of the “Next Shipment” tab or “Skip Shipment” if you want to take a month off.  <br><br>

You can also cancel all upcoming Autoship deliveries in your account. Go to the  “My Subscriptions” tab of your Autoship Account and click “Manage” in the upper right of that page and then “Cancel Box”. On the next screen you will be asked to enter a cancellation reason so we can work to improve the program. Thanks in advance for your feedback.

<br><br>Please note: canceling your subscription will not cancel any orders that are currently in processing. If you'd like to request a cancellation of an order that has been placed, please, contact our Customer Care team at hi@hivebrands.com

No, cancellation is free and can be done anytime before your next delivery ships.

The short answer is a company that helps us help you recycle as much packaging as possible. The long answer is that TerraCycle is a social enterprise focused on eliminating waste—all waste. They work in 21 countries using innovative techniques to ensure that nearly everything they touch can be recycled. We’re working with them to collect traditionally hard-to-recycle packaging materials and turn them into new products, helping to divert millions of pounds of valuable resources from landfills all over the world.

With our partnership, we offer prepaid envelopes to our shoppers so it's easy to separate and return packaging that might otherwise end up in the trash.

Oh, that’s easy. Simply add to your bag from this page or within the cart - the price you helps to offset the cost of processing your material (a pretty good deal if you ask us). You’ll receive an envelope in your order which you’ll need to keep, fill, and send back to TerraCycle for processing. The postage is prepaid, so just seal it up when you’re ready and drop it in the mailbox. And yes, the plastic bag you’re sending back is a part of their program, too.

We prioritize “right-sized” packaging. Which means your box is efficiently packed to make sure we’re making the most of the space and not mailing oversized boxes. The boxes themselves are 60% post-consumer waste recycled content, 40% virgin material from Sustainable Forestry Initiative-certified forests, and printed with non-toxic ink. And yes, they’re always 100% recyclable. All void fill is 100% post-consumer waste recycled content, and 100% recyclable, too.

We know how you feel. It can be complicated, but we’ve put together this guide to help you better understand the whole process.

Sure thing, just contact us to request a new one.

USDA Organic is a great certification that helps us gain insight into the practices of a lot of farmed products, but it might not paint the whole picture. Since organic growing practices have a lower crop yield, and organic-certified growers don’t represent a large percentage of farms, a brand may not be able to source 100% reliable quantities of organic ingredients all the time. 

Another common misconception is that “organic” is synonymous with “pesticide-free.” That’s not the case. Organic crops are often sprayed with pesticides. The constraint here is that they’re probably not synthetic pesticides. And actually, naturally-derived organic varieties can sometimes be more toxic than their synthetic conventional counterparts. On top of that, organic pesticides break down more quickly and so have to be sprayed more frequently.

Don’t get us wrong though. We’re not saying “don’t shop organic.” We just want you to know that there’s no perfect way to evaluate farming practices. And there are a  lot of factors to consider when looking at a product for sustainable qualities. So, while we’re definitely relying on certifications like USDA Organic to help inform our onboarding criteria, we leave the door open to non-certified ingredients as part of a more holistic vetting process.

You can see your project name and learn more about it on your account page.

Good question. Before we dive in, we want to emphasize that we absolutely share your environmental concerns about plastic, and we always have our eyes peeled for better solutions in all packaging. We make it one of our top priorities to cut out unnecessary plastic, especially when more environmentally-friendly options exist. When we do carry plastic, it is weighed against several considerations: Is there a better, commercially viable alternative out there for this product right now? If the answer is no, we then ask: Is this a key product, and if so, what are the other benefits that might come with it? Answers to this question may include zero waste practices in the manufacturing or amazing causes to support. Finally, we ask: Is there an existing solution for when this packaging is done?

Wherever possible, we seek out the most broadly-recyclable plastic types (#1 PET and #2 HDPE). That way, there's a higher chance that it’ll make it back into the recycling system. When something is not curbside recyclable, like a chip bag or film, we use our TerraCycle partnership. TerraCycle finds end-of-life uses for almost every material you can think of. You can opt into the program at check out. We also look for recycled content when vetting products. This is an important part of the recycling industry. We recognize that nothing is completely fool-proof and that things are constantly evolving, so we continue to be vigilant for the next great packaging breakthrough.

Here’s a list of some the benefits plastic can offer when we do have to choose it:

Plastic can help extend the shelf-life of food, keeping things fresh much longer, reducing food waste and reducing carbon emissions associated with growing crops at certain volumes to make up for the loss.

Plastic is lighter to ship than metal or glass, and it’s often more flexible, allowing for more efficient transportation with less of a carbon emissions footprint.

Plastic is a major source of revenue for the recycling industry, especially #1 PET and #2 HDPE. Although it’s not perfect, we believe recycling is an essential tool for diverting waste from landfills and from the environment. We focus on the most broadly collectable types to make sure it’s recycled as often as possible. 

When more people choose recycled and recyclable plastic, it encourages companies to innovate in the recycling space.

We want to be transparent and clear with you. As things stand today, the fact is: the consumer industry (and grocery shopping in general) would not be possible without some form of plastic (since all the existing plastic can’t disappear overnight and it does have uses). There are always pluses and minuses to the proposed solutions that exist, like the carbon footprint of shipping heavy materials or the higher risk of food waste. Even plant-based plastics rely on fossil fuels and farms to produce. And for those, there’s no widespread infrastructure in place to recycle them, so they end up in landfills, as well. Many “biodegradable” packaging options actually just degrade into smaller microplastics that then leak into soil and water systems, causing worse impacts than a traditional plastic packaging. So, when we say we really care about this issue and share your concern about plastics, we mean it. And we want to emphasize that we are constantly researching, learning, and striving, but our promise to you is to provide you with real information so that you can make an informed choice on what product criteria is most important to you. No gimmicks or PR stunts here. And if you come across a great brand that meets the Hive Five, and has awesome packaging, we want to hear about it (brands@hivebrands.com can help you there). So we really do thank you for your concern and your partnership as we continue to get to better!