Frequently Asked Questions


Orders

Credit Card Payments Now Powered by Stripe

As of October 9, 2024, Adafruit has transitioned to using Stripe for all credit card payment processing. This change enhances security, expands accepted payment options, and offers new features for a smoother checkout experience. Customers will need to enter their credit card details to create a new saved card or update their existing payment information in their Adafruit account. AdaBox subscribers, however, don’t need to take any action at this time—your payment information remains securely stored.

I placed an order online using a credit card and now I have 2 (or more) charges on my card, why is that?

Adafruit's policy with credit cards is to charge only when the items are shipped. That means that we "pre-authorize" the card when the order is placed and actually charge your account when the order is shipped. A pre-authorization is a temporary hold to verify that funds are available when you place an order.  For some cards the "pre- authorization" appears as a separate 'charge' on the statement and disappears a few days after the order ships. That means that if we ship your order quickly you may end up with what appears like 2 charges. Pre-authorizations are typically removed from your credit card transaction history when the full charge processes and funds are withdrawn. However, in some cases, this process can take up to 4 business days. If you attempted to place an order and your card was declined, you may also see that noted in your statement. The main takeaway? The authorization hold initiated when you attempted to place an order should revert to zero within 1-2 business days.

Can I back order an item that is out-of-stock?

No. Because we cannot always predict when and how much inventory will become available, we cannot accept backorders. To receive an e-mail notification as soon as the out-of-stock product becomes available for purchase, simply fill in your email address on the product page and click the NOTIFY ME button. 

I received a back in stock notification but the product is still out of stock?

Some high demand items may sell out between the time you were notified and the time you attempt to add the item to your cart. If you want to stay informed, please sign-up on the product page to be notified via email when the product is available again. We appreciate your support and patience.

My organization is a US school, university, etc. and we would like to place a purchase order. Do you accept purchase orders?

Purchase orders are accepted from US educational institutions placing orders of $100 or more. 

To place a purchase order, create an account on Adafruit.com. If your institution is tax-exempt, please email us the most recent copy of your official tax-exempt form to [email protected]. We can provide a W9 if needed. Please be sure to include our information in the seller sections of the form if applicable.

          Adafruit Industries
          168 39th Street
          Ste 1905CC
          Brooklyn, NY 11232
          Fax: (917) 210-3397


We will let you know once you can place tax exempt orders. Please use this account to make all future tax-exempt orders. Tax-exempt status is account-specific, and will not automatically be available to other accounts for the school or organization.

If your institution is not tax-exempt, you are required to pay taxes on the order and indicate the charges on the official purchase order document.

Next, please log in to your Adafruit account and create a quote using the wishlist tool. Save the quote as a PDF and provide it to your school or institution to use as the basis for the official purchase order document. Once you have an official purchase order document, please move the items in your wishlist to your cart and proceed to checkout, selecting “Purchase Order - Check” as the payment option. After you place your order online, please send your official purchase order document along with your Adafruit order number to [email protected]. This is the fastest way to get your PO processed and will reduce errors and delays. 

My organization is Sales Tax Exempt - how do I make a tax exempt order?

If your order is exempt from sales tax, please email email us the most recent copy of your official tax-exempt form to [email protected]. We can provide a W9 if needed. Please be sure to include our information in the seller sections of the form if applicable.
          Adafruit Industries
          168 39th Street
          Ste 1905CC
          Brooklyn, NY 11232
          Fax: (917) 210-3397
The organization noted on your certificate should be shown as the Purchaser and Payer of Record listed in the company field on every order placed using this account.
Please use this account only every time you make a tax free order going forward -- tax exemption status is account-specific, and will not automatically be available to other accounts for the school or company. If you need to place an order that does not qualify for tax exemption please checkout as a guest or create a separate account.

I paid sales tax on my order but my purchase is tax-exempt. How do I get a refund?

If you do not set up a tax-free Adafruit account, you will be required to pay sales tax on your order. Refunds are possible only if you send us proper documentation by the 5th day of the month directly following the one in which you placed your order. For example, if you placed your order during the month of March, you need to send us your tax-exempt form by April 5th to receive a refund. After that time period has expired, you will need to contact the government office that manages tax collection in your jurisdiction in order to apply for a refund.

Why am I being charged VAT on my international order?

Please click here for information on international shipments and VAT policies.

I placed an order, and just found another super-awesome Adafruit product I want. Can I add this product to my order?

Here at Adafruit we ship out products crazy fast and can't modify, cancel, or combine orders once they are placed.


Kits

What is included in a kit?

Kits come with all the parts listed on the product page, including a custom printed circuit board and any preprogrammed chips. Batteries are not included unless indicated otherwise. Please read each product page carefully. Tools necessary for assembly, such as soldering irons, solder, pliers, etc. are generally not included.

I don't think I have the skill/tools to build this kit, can you sell me a prebuilt kit? How much will it cost for me to buy a fully built device?

We are only able to offer the kits and items as they are shown on the site. We are not able to offer any custom or pre-assembled products. Because of requests like this, we created a free jobs boards to connect those needing assistance with our talented community. This has worked out for many people - helping top businesses find staff and services, and helping makers showcase their skills: http://www.adafruit.com/jobs/

Do the kits come with instructions? Why are there no printed out instructions?

All kits are documented online by our team of engineers. The link for the instructions is on the product page (tutorial tab). Having the documentation online allows us to update the instructions easily and provide large full color images.

How much skill do I need to have to build a kit?

Make sure to look at the instructions to get an idea. Most of our kits are pretty easy to solder, but require care (to not get the parts confused) and proper tools.


Shipping

Play video: Checking Your Order Status on Adafruit.com @adafruit #adafruit

Do you ship internationally? How much does it cost to ship to my country?

Yes! We ship most places that the postal service ships, including FPO/APOs. Submit your order to checkout to see what shipping options are available to you. If we do not currently ship to your location, please check out our distributors page to find an Adafruit reseller near you.

My order shipped internationally, and it's been more than 4-6 days, where is it? Is there a tracking number?

We offer both DHL and USPS for international shipments. DHL Express Worldwide provides tracking and is available for orders shipping to Canada (1-3 business days), Europe (2-4 business days), as well as to select countries across the globe (2-5 business days). If DHL shipping is available for your specific order and location, the option will show at checkout. Please contact us if you are having issues locating your DHL Shipment after 4-6 days. USPS First Class international is an untrackable service available for low value orders. Once it’s been sent it’s out of our control. There is no way to track it and there is no proof of delivery or shipment. It also doesn't have expedited brokerage, which means packages can "sit in customs" for up to 4-6 weeks. Please contact us if you have not received your package within this timeframe.

My order shipped domestically (within the US) and its been more than a week, where is it? Is there a tracking number?

We will email you tracking information soon after your order is processed. If it's been a few days and you have not received a tracking number, contact us!

I live on a military base overseas. Will you ship products to me?

Of course we will, and for free! We ship free to U.S. Military APO/FPO addresses via USPS Priority mail. No tracking, but free. Make sure to enter city as APO or FPO and for state choose AA, AE or AP from the dropdown menu. And to make things really precise enter your full name, grade, and PSC or unit number.

How do I return a product?

We can only accept returns of unopened kits and products, within 30 days of receipt (for international orders, 30 days from shipment). Any returns after 30 days are in store credit only. All returns are credited as store credit upon receipt for international orders or for Paypal / Credit card orders after 30 days of payment. We do not accept any returns after 3 months from the order’s ship date. Product returns from Purchase orders are store-credit only. Customers are responsible for return shipping costs unless the product arrives damaged or defective. For returns of items valued at $500 or more we charge a 5% re-stocking fee. We do not accept any returns from orders that are over 6 months old. Please contact us before returning any package! We're reasonable people and we hope you are too! Contact us if you have any issues and we'll do our best to help you out! Check out this customer support video for more details.


Other Frequently Asked Questions

How do I report a security vulnerability?

If you discover a site vulnerability or are a security researcher with a bug to report, visit and review: adafruit.com/reportingsecurityissues

Does Adafruit make, mint, endorse, purchase or use NFTs or ETH?

No, Adafruit does not.

Does Adafruit use ULINE packaging materials?

No, Adafruit does not.

Does Adafruit have any buying restrictions?

Please note some products are only available to customers who have verified their accounts and set up two-factor authentication. There are also quantity limits on some products.

I see the words 'Open Source Hardware' everywhere on your site. What the heck are you talking about?

Open source hardware is hardware whose design is made publicly available so that anyone can study, modify, distribute, make and sell the design or hardware based on that design. The hardware's source, the design from which it is made, is available in the preferred format for making modifications to it. Ideally, open source hardware uses readily available components and materials, standard processes, open infrastructure, unrestricted content, and open-source design tools to maximize the ability of individuals to make and use hardware. Open source hardware gives people the freedom to control their technology while sharing knowledge and encouraging commerce through the open exchange of designs. If any of our products include software or firmware to operate, we also provide all of the source code for your hacking pleasure.

What is a good way to find out about top-secret new Adafruit projects?

Watch our live Ask an Engineer show every Wednesday night at 8pm ET. Join live or watch previously recorded shows in our YouTube playlist.

I have this amazing project that I want to show you guys. Do you want to see it?

Absolutely. Join us at 7:30pm ET for our weekly show and tell (right before Ask an Engineer). To show and share your project, view the chat at https://youtube.com/adafruit or in Discord https://adafru.it/discord and look for the JOIN link to join. Have your project ready to show and keep your microphone muted until we call on you. See more at https://youtube.com/adafruit/live and learn more in the Adafruit Learning System

I have this awesome Open Source Hardware kit. How do I get it in the Adafruit store?

Send a note to [email protected]. Make sure to include as much information about your kit as possible (links to the product website, documentation, pictures, design files, etc).

How can I get an internship at Adafruit? I will work for free!

We don't do unpaid internships. Read more about why Adafruit does not have unpaid internships.

What is your favorite dinosaur?

The Quetzalcoatlus.

If I wanted to broadcast a binary message into space with the hope that it will someday be interpreted by an alien life form, what message should I send?

00000010101010000000000 00101000001010000000100 10001000100010010110010 10101010101010100100100 00000000000000000000000 00000000000011000000000 00000000001101000000000 00000000001101000000000 00000000010101000000000 00000000011111000000000 00000000000000000000000 11000011100011000011000 10000000000000110010000 11010001100011000011010 11111011111011111011111