Due to city and state ordinances, many retailers have gone bagless, meaning single-use bags will either be unavailable at checkout or cost a fee.* If a retailer charges for single-use or reusable bags at checkout, the app will prompt you to either input the amount of bags or ask for the bag fee amount, which can be found on the store receipt.** Your Shipt card will always cover bag fees should you have to purchase any type of bag when checking out.
*Note: Bagless stores are currently active in Austin, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Pittsburgh.
Generally, bag fees should be handled as follows:
- After processing the order, take a photo of the receipt and upload it to the app, which will then prompt for the bag fee (as shown below).
- Bag fees are generally found on the store receipt. Shoppers can ask the cashier the bag fee total if it can't be located on the receipt.*
*Note: Any bag that has a barcode to be scanned should be entered as a special request. This is for all Hawaii metros and any metro where the bags are purchased for more than $1. - Enter that total and continue processing the order.
- If no bags were purchased for the order, shoppers should put the fee total as $0.00 and finish processing the order.
Refer to the retailer-specific Shopper Hub article before arriving at the store to learn more about how bag fees are handled. All retailer articles can be found here.
Below are a few tips for handling orders at bagless stores.
- In your introduction text, let the member know you're shopping at a store that does not offer single-use bags at checkout.
- Make sure you have reusable bags on hand in case a member requests a bagless delivery or the store runs out of bags for you to purchase.
- Don’t forget - you can purchase reusable cooler bags on the Shipt Shop.
- If a member requests reusable bags for their order or the store only offers these types of bags, let them know you're happy to purchase bags to complete delivery. Be sure to communicate that the bags will be added to their order and reflected on their Shipt email receipt.
- The member may opt for a bagless delivery, in which case you should use your own reusable bags to transport their order. For these orders, we encourage the member to be home to receive the order or leave a receptacle out such as a box or cooler that you can leave the items in at delivery.
In areas where bag bans may not be in place yet, members might have preferences when it comes to shopping sustainably. Here a few tips to help you navigate these situations:
- Paying close attention to member notes is important - this may serve as an indication of what types of bags to use at checkout.
- In your introduction text, let the member know you’re shopping at a store that does not offer paper or plastic bags at checkout.
- If the member has questions regarding how they’ll be billed for the bags, you can direct them to Shipt Support.
- Try to use as few bags as possible without damaging items or causing bags to be too heavy to carry.
- If the store gives an option of paper or plastic, opt for the more sustainable paper or reusable solution.