---
My snail mail offered 25% off on the first order from Google Express.
For some reason this piece of mail didn't make it into the recycling bin with the rest of my junk mail. (I probably saw something shiny.)
Cut to two days later—Groupon had a $15 for $40 coupon for the new Google service—$25 off is enough to capture my attention. (View the Groupon deal here) AND THEN... Ebates announced (in it's little pop-up window) a 6% cash back on Groupon purchases. 1-2-3 (drink).
This was enough to get me to check out the Google Express site (which interestingly, automatically connected to my Google account—I'm not sure if that's creepy or hella convenient.)
Turns out, they're offering a 3 month free trial. Which is pretty generous. I mean, I know they're hoping you'll either love the service or your short-term memory does a total nose dive & you to forget to cancel the subscription in time. Generously (she says rather sarcastically), Google says that if you cancel after you've been charged for your subscription, you can still use the service until your cycle ends (but, sorry, you can't get your money back—so very sorry—hey look! something shiny!).
On the plus side, if you refer a friend, they get $15 off their first purchase, and you get a $15 referral fee. That is, if you can get your referral link to work—mine just says:
"Something's not right with your referral link. Questions? Contact us."
And that contact link? Yeah, it's about as helpful as the rest of Google's "help"—which is to say, not at all. First, It leads to a FAQ page full of questions that aren't relevant to your issue (but you read through the whole damn list just in case). THEN you start reading through some of the answers that *might* SOMEHOW be tangentially linked. But that's a total waste. And what's your only recourse? Clicking on the NO button when they ask "Was this article helpful?" A hollow gesture—no matter how forcefully you click on that mouse button.
Okay, so, to recap
- 25% off first purchase code (received in the mail)*
- $15 for $40 Groupon coupon (savings of $25)*
- 6% cash back from Ebates on Groupon.com (90¢ cash back on $15)
- Free 90 day trial
- Referral Rewards (if you can get your referral link to work)
The test
For the sake of this test, I chose the Groupon coupon option.
What I bought:
- Scott 1000 36 pack of toilet paper from Costco (price: $21.89)
- GNC Pet glucosamine cat treats from Petsmart (price: $15.49).
Total with tax was $40.39. I applied my Groupon code which took $40 off the total, leaving me to pay 39¢. So the total for my purchase was $15 (the price I paid for the Groupon coupon) plus 39¢.
Basically, I just got myself a mess of free toilet paper and a 10¢ discount on the mega bag of cat treats that we usually buy. PLUS, I get 90¢ added to my Ebates total (which, admittedly isn't much, but someday I'll get my $5 payout check from them).
How prices compare
At my local Costco the price is $21.89, unless it's on sale, then it's $18.89-ish.
The Petsmart website lists the price for the GNC Pets Ultra Mega Hip & Joint Health cat chews as $14.99 + shipping ($14.24 if you sign up for their auto ship program—which incl. free shipping). That's 50¢-$1.25 cheaper than Google Express). Likewise, the smaller bag of the treats is $6.99 ($6.64 with auto ship) while Google Express is charging $7.99. So, not really cheaper there.
Our local store, when they have the treats in stock, charges $15.49.
Our local store, when they have the treats in stock, charges $15.49.
How it works
Google has teamed up with 21-ish stores, including Costco, Whole Foods, Walgreens, Petsmart, Kohl's, Fry's, Sur la Table, Payless shoes, Wayfair, Bed Bath & Beyond, L'Occitaine, and more.
You access these stores through the Google Express portal, choose the items you wish to buy, add them to your shopping cart, and when you're ready, you check out.
You can add items from multiple stores to your shopping cart, but you have to meet the minimum order amount for each store separately. If you order something that costs $12 from Costco, and something that costs $3 from Walgreens, you'll incur shipping charges from both stores. If, however, you order a minimum of $15 from each store, then your shipping is free.
The site is pretty good at letting you know if you've met the minimum—so there shouldn't be any surprises.
When you get billed, it's through Google Express (you'll even get a little emailed Google Express receipt), although the debits from your bank account will show the individual stores and prices. AND, it could take up to a week for Google to apply whatever discounts you use—so don't be surprised if you see the full amount from each store showing up in your online bank register.
When you get billed, it's through Google Express (you'll even get a little emailed Google Express receipt), although the debits from your bank account will show the individual stores and prices. AND, it could take up to a week for Google to apply whatever discounts you use—so don't be surprised if you see the full amount from each store showing up in your online bank register.
Do you have to have a Costco membership?
In most states, you don't have to have a Costco membership in order to purchase items from Costco, but Google Express will charge you a 10% service fee. (It shows up in the shipping field.)
Unfortunately, if you live in one of the following states, you won't be able to shop Costco (through Google Express) without a membership:
- Arizona
- California
- Colorado
- Idaho
- Montana
- Nevada
- South Carolina
- Utah
- Wyoming
Yes, but, is it cheaper than going to the store?
Not really.
I mean, as far as I can tell, Google Express offers some discounted items, but mostly products reflect each store's company pricing. Pretty much, things are the same prices as you'd find online. In scrolling through some of the offerings, it looks like the discounts are based on what's actually on sale in your local store (I compared some of the Costco prices to the things in my local flyer)—so you're not getting discounts just because you're a Google Express member.
You'll save on your first purchase if you use one of their promo codes.
The breakdown
- Membership cost: $95 annually or $10 monthly ($120/yr).
- What you get:
- Free shipping if minimum order is met.
- Minimum order varies by store, but is usually around $15
- When you access a store through the Google Express portal, a banner at the top of the initial page will inform you what the minimum required amount is. If you haven't met the minimum, the check out page will show you the amount to be charged for shipping.
- Cold groceries and bulky items don't qualify for free delivery—as such, are not applied to the minimum order totals.
- Shipping time depends on the store but is usually 2, 3, or 4 days.
You can also opt to use Google Express and not be a member. In this case, you get charged a minimum of $4.99 for shipping.
So, what's the point? Why do this?
Well, on your first order at least, you could save a little money (especially if using a coupon code or a Groupon coupon)—and since there's a free 3-month trial, you don't have to shell out the initial $10 or $95.
After that, it feels more like it's a convenience factor. You don't actually have to get in the car and drive to the store or deal with parking or people. For some that may be worth the $95 right there.
It's worth it if you like the convenience factor & you think you'll spend $300 or more (in $15+ increments) over the course of the year.—that basically covers the $4.99 shipping costs if you weren't a member.
If you want to get really nit-picky, you can factor in the amount of gas it'll save you by not having to drive to the store. Although, if we're being honest—you're still gonna' drive to the store.
How does it compare to Amazon Prime or Thrive Market?
It doesn't. Not really.
You get more services with Amazon Prime & Thrive Market is cheaper than Google Express' Whole Foods option.
You get more services with Amazon Prime & Thrive Market is cheaper than Google Express' Whole Foods option.
Amazon Prime
- Costs about the same as Google Express.
- You get free shipping on Prime eligible items. And, of course, Prime now has Prime Pantry, a subscription grocery service that may or may not save you money.
- Prime also gives you access to other services, like video and music streaming, gaming, etc. So Prime definitely gives you more for your buck than just free delivery on limited items.
Thrive Market
- Focusses specifically on organic, healthy foods (like you'd get a Whole Foods), so their niche is narrower than Google Express.
- Their prices are cheaper than Whole Foods and they offer coupons and deals all the time.
- Their annual membership fee is $59.95. So, if you're only buying organic groceries, then Thrive is going to be the better deal.
No comments:
Post a Comment