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About Shipping


What Our Shipping Messages Mean

The shipping messages on the Barnes & Noble.com web site tell you how quickly products are expected to be ready to leave our warehouses. Please note that our shipping messages do not indicate when items will arrive at their final destination -- only when items are expected to be packed and ready to leave our warehouse.

After you have placed your order, we will check our inventory and then send you an email containing your order summary and the dates we expect your merchandise to be packed and ready for shipment. Once your order is ready to leave our warehouse, we will send you an email confirming that it is ready to ship.

The total time it will take to receive an item is determined by adding the time shown in its shipping message to the number of days your shipping method will take. To learn more, see Delivery Times, Shipping Rates, and Tax Information.

Not all warehouses operated by Barnes & Noble.com, our affiliates, or our third-party suppliers are open 24 hours, 7 days a week throughout the year. Since our merchandise can ship from different warehouses, the time and day that you place your order may affect when your order is ready to ship. For example, an order placed Saturday afternoon may not ship until Monday morning.

Here are the shipping messages used on Barnes & Noble.com:

Usually ships within 24 hours

This shipping message is used for merchandise that is in stock in the warehouses of Barnes & Noble.com and its affiliates.

Usually ships within 24 hours -- Same Day Delivery in Manhattan

This shipping message is used for merchandise that is in stock in the New Jersey warehouses of Barnes & Noble.com and its affiliates and can be delivered on the same business day that it was ordered. Some restrictions apply. See details.

To be eligible for Same Day Delivery in Manhattan, each item in your order must be marked "Usually ships within 24 hours -- Same Day Delivery in Manhattan" on the product page. If any items in your order are not marked with the Same Day message, your order will not be eligible for Same Day Delivery in Manhattan. Orders must be placed by 11 a.m. ET, Monday through Friday, to qualify. Same Day Deliveries are made until 7 p.m. ET. Orders placed on New Year's Day, Good Friday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas are not eligible for Same Day Delivery.

Please Note: Used & Out of Print Books from our Authorized Sellers, Gift Cards, Gift Certificates, PC & Video Games, Barnes & Noble Membership, Prints & Posters, and orders shipped to P.O. Boxes do not qualify for Same Day Delivery.

FAST&FREE DELIVERY

This shipping message appears on the product pages for merchandise that is in stock in the warehouses of Barnes & Noble.com and its affiliates. These items carry the FAST&FREE DELIVERY message because they can be delivered throughout the U.S., excluding Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and U.S. Protectorates, in 3 business days or less, or to certain Manhattan, NY, ZIP codes on the same business day that they are ordered.

Orders containing items marked "Usually ships in 1-2 weeks" and unusually sized or overweight items are not eligible for Fast Delivery, nor are items without the following icon on the product page:

FAST&FREE DELIVERY

Oversized items are subject to special shipping and handling charges that will be listed during Checkout. To see these rates, see our Oversized Items shipping chart.

Certain rules apply. To learn more, see FAST&FREE DELIVERY.

Usually ships within 1-2 business days

This shipping message applies to Used & Out of Print Books from our Authorized Sellers and to Gift Cards. In the case of used books, we use this message to indicate that the seller providing the item will have the merchandise packed and ready for shipment to the customer within 1-2 business days of receiving the order. This message is also used to indicate that Barnes & Noble Gift Cards will be packed and ready for shipment within 1-2 business days. Business days are Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Usually ships within 2-3 days

This shipping message is used for in-stock merchandise stored in the warehouses of certain fulfillment partners that ship directly to our customers. It is also used for merchandise purchased from third-party suppliers that do not ship directly to customers on behalf of Barnes & Noble.com; this merchandise must first be delivered to a Barnes & Noble.com fulfillment facility, and then shipped to our customers.

Pre-order

Barnes & Noble.com allows customers to pre-order merchandise that has not yet been released by suppliers, which include publishers, studios, or record labels. The release date is provided by the supplier and indicates the date the product is scheduled to be available for shipment. Release dates are subject to change by the supplier; such date changes will be updated as we receive them.

Usually ships within 1-2 weeks

Barnes & Noble.com makes a limited number of products available when they are on back order at third-party suppliers. In these cases, the product will be offered on the site with the 1-2 week shipping message.

Usually ships within 3-5 days

This shipping message is used for certain Print on Demand (POD) books, when items are printed "on demand" after the order is placed.

Immediate Delivery

Online Gift Certificates are sent automatically via email to the designated recipient's address as soon as the transaction is complete.

Available for Download

This message is used for Digital Products that are delivered electronically after purchase. Digital Products are things such as Digital Magazines, PDF files (SparkNotes and Quamut Charts), Audiobook MP3s, and similar items that are not "physical." After you complete your B&N.com purchase, you will receive two emails from BN.com, usually within 5 minutes or less of placing your order. The second email will have a personalized link and easy-to-follow instructions on how to download and enjoy this item.

Subscription starts in 6 - 10 weeks

We use this message for all print magazine subscriptions. Publishers need time to process a new printed magazine subscription. Please allow 6 to 10 weeks for your first issue to arrive by mail.