Frequently Asked Questions
Before contacting us, see if the answer to your question is below. If there are any problems with your order or subscription, please contact us. We want to make sure you are 100% happy with your purchase or subscription. For questions about your particular order, website problems, or subscription changes, please email us.
Volume 41 was mailed to subscribers on February 2, 2024.
Need to update your subscription? Learn how on the Updating Your Account page.
1. How do I subscribe to the magazine?
The safest way to order a subscription is to order online. You can also download and print an order form.
There are 3 subscription options:
If you are having trouble ordering or using the website, please try switching to a different device, like a different computer, phone, or tablet.
Email us if you want to switch to a different type of subscription.
Sorry, we can't take your credit card number over the phone, however you can pay for your subscription safely through the website using your credit card, PayPal, Google Pay, ShopPay, or other options, depending where you live. If you can't subscribe online, you can send a check for $39.99 plus applicable local sales tax to our address at Beachcombing Magazine / Etched by the Sea Inc, PO Box 1910, Capitola CA 95010.
If you live outside the U.S. you will be charged a one-time shipping charge on top of the subscription price. This charge covers shipments of your magazine for the whole year, and like the subscription charge, is only charged once per year.
Gift subscriptions
You can learn how to give a gift subscription in 6 easy steps ›
To purchase a gift subscription, order a subscription (Premium Subscription, Print+Digital Subscription, or Digital-Only Subscription) and put YOUR name, email address, and mailing address as the billing address and the RECIPIENT'S name and address as the shipping address. If you want to manage renewals, addresses, and your payment method in the future, please create a website account using YOUR email address.
Please do not put your recipient's email or name as the billing contact or you will not be able to see, update, or cancel the subscription in the future.
Subscriptions are set to automatically renew, but if you do not want your gift subscription to renew next year, just let us know and we will cancel the automatic renewal.
2. How do I renew my subscription?
Your Beachcombing subscription is a continuous subscription, which means it will automatically renew at the end of your current subscription for your convenience. We do this because most of our readers don't want to miss an issue.
Prior to each annual renewal, you will be sent a reminder email letting you know that your subscription is about to renew. If you do nothing, your payment method will be charged for another year's subscription. Or, you can log into your beachcombing.com Account to cancel your subscription, update your payment method, or update your address. On your renewal date, you'll receive another email indicating if your payment went through or if the charge was declined.
Please make sure you are receiving our emails (see number 3 below) so you get these notifications.
If you do not want your subscription to renew automatically every year, you have complete control over your subscription and can change or cancel this feature at any time. Please let us know before your renewal date and we'll turn off automatic renewal. If your subscription was automatically renewed and you want to cancel, please cancel it on your Account page or let us know and we'll cancel and refund your order.
If you have already subscribed and you order another subscription to renew instead of letting the magazine automatically renew, you will be signed up for an additional subscription and you will receive multiple copies of the magazine. You will not extend your existing subscription. Before you make a duplicate subscription, please check on your subscription status on your Account page. Log in with your email and password, or create an account using your subscription email address if you don't have an account yet. (You are not required to create an account when you purchase a subscription so it is possible that you don't have an account even though you have a subscription.) Creating an account allows you to check on and modify your subscription, address, and payment information.
3. How do I update my address, credit card, or cancel my subscription?
You can update your address, change your credit card information, and cancel your subscription on your Account page. Full instructions are on the Updating your account page.
Updating your address(es)
Log in with your email and password* — or create an account if you don't have one — then click on "Manage Subscriptions" to edit your billing email or credit card information or click on "Edit addresses" to edit the magazine mailing address.
Be sure you are changing the correct addresses. There is an address associated with your beachcombing.com account, a billing address, and a shipping address. Please make sure you are changing all the correct addresses. Please contact us if you have trouble making your changes and we'll be happy to help.
Once you have completed all the steps, please email us or contact us so we can process your purchase.
If you update your address after we have sent your magazine to your old address, please make sure your old post office has the new address as periodicals are forwarded for 60 days. We usually have that latest issues for sale in the shop in case you waited more than 60 days to update your address.
Canceling your subscription
You can cancel your subscription on your account page. If you cancel your subscription before your first issue is mailed, we are happy to issue a full refund. After that, we offer partial refunds, minus a processing fee, on a case-by-case basis. For the quickest refunds: Please cancel through your account page or email us with your cancellation request. For the slowest refunds: If you dispute the charge through your credit card, it can take up to 2 months to get a refund from your credit card company. We have no control over how long it takes.
We don't require you to create an account when you subscribe, so if you didn't create an account, you can do so by clicking on the Create one link. If you created an account but you can't remember your password, click the "Forgot password?" link.
No password?
You can now log into your account without a password. On the Account page, under Need help accessing your subscriptions?, click Click here. Enter the email address associated with your subscription. Click Send login code. You will receive a 4-digit authentication code by email and/or text message. Enter the 4-digit code into the passwordless login screen.
We have detailed steps on updating your account ›
You can also send us your old and new addresses via email. Address changes can take up to 8 weeks to take effect (see #4 below) so please be sure to notify us as soon as possible of your new address.
*Passwords
You have two different passwords. One password is for your account, so you can log in and check on your subscription. You set up this password when you made an account on the website. If you didn't make an account when you subscribed, please create an account using the email you used on your subscription.
The second password is for subscribers to access the online version of the magazine. This digital edition password code is printed on your mailing label and emailed you with every new issue and changes every year. Please let us know if you have lost this password and which issue you are trying to access.
For both of these passwords to reach you, you need to make sure you are able to receive emails from BeachcombingMagazine.com and be on our email list at http://eepurl.com/grkiGb. See the next paragraph if you don't get an email when you create and account or reset your password, or if you haven't received any emails from us. Your computer may be set up to block emails from beachcombingmagazine.com. If you opted out of "marketing" emails when you subscribed, you will need to manually sign up at http://eepurl.com/grkiGb to get the digital edition passwords.
We do not sell your email address to anyone.
Not getting our emails?
We send you emails about your account, subscription, orders, credit card payments, and your password for the digital edition of the magazine through our website and an email service provider. You can sign up for these emails at http://eepurl.com/grkiGb. If you aren’t receiving emails or they are going in your junk folder, please add the email addresses info@beachcombingmagazine.com and subscriptions@beachcombingmagazine.com to your email address book and to the safe sender’s list in your email program.
Be sure we are on your safe senders list ›
Yahoo and AOL Users
If you use Yahoo Mail or AOL it might be time to get a new email address. AOL started in 1983 and it's feeling its 40+ years. Yahoo started in 1997 and is now almost 30 years old. These older email services are not as stable as Gmail, for example, which has 1.8 billion monthly users and gets plenty of support. If you change your email address, please let us know so we can still reach you with your order notices and passwords.
4. When will my magazine subscription start?
You can start a subscription (Premium Subscription, Print+Digital Subscription, or Digital-Only Subscription) any time of the year. Premium Subscriptions start immediately with the latest issue. Depending when you place your order, it might take 4-8 weeks before the first Print+Digital Subscription magazine is mailed out and you get the email for the first digital edition, as the mailing list must be sent to the printer several weeks before mailing and we mail every eight weeks.
Can't wait for the first issue? Choose a Premium Subscription or you can buy the current and back issues in the Beachcombing shop or contact one of the retail shops that carry the magazine.
Printing and delivery is now taking almost twice as long due to labor shortages and disruptions in the paper supply chain. The USPS has recently slowed the target delivery time for periodicals. Our goal has always been to have the continental U.S. Print+Digital Subscription magazines delivered by the beginning of the first month listed on the cover and have the worldwide magazines delivered by the beginning of the second month listed on the cover. We order a limited number of extra copies of each issue so that you can purchase the current issue if you subscribe after the subscription cutoff date.
Following are order and renewal cutoff dates throughout the year:
- Orders from September 22 to November 21 start with January/February issue, which mails in December.
- Orders from November 22 to January 21 start with the March/April issue, which mails in February.
- Orders from January 22 to March 21 start with the May/June issue, which mails in April.
- Orders from March 22 to May 21 start with the July/August issue, which mails in June.
- Orders from May 22 to July 21 start with the September/October issue, which mails in August.
- Orders from July 22 to September 21 start with the November/December issue, which mails in October.
5. When will my subscription issue arrive?
If you have a Premium Subscription your magazine is mailed via USPS First Class Mail from California. For U.S. subscribers, Print+Digital Subscriptions are mailed directly from our printer via USPS Periodicals Mail from New Hampshire.
Magazines to Canadian subscribers are shipped directly to Canada Post, who then delivers magazines to Canadian addresses. All other non-U.S. magazines are sent via an international shipper through the U.K. to the EU, where the magazines are sorted and sent to your country’s postal sorting center.
Once it leaves the printer, your country’s mail service is in charge of delivering your magazine to the address we have on file on the subscription cutoff date. The U.S. Postal Service does not guarantee the delivery of Periodicals Mail within a given number of days. Your magazine takes up to 4 weeks to arrive in the U.S. and 8 weeks to arrive in other countries, including Canada. It can be even longer depending on the state of the postal service in your country. Delays in the postal service in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand can add another month to delivery time. Thank you for your patience.
In the U.S., delivery time depends on the address, mail volume at central processing offices, and can even vary between different zip codes within the same city.
If you live in the continental U.S. and your issue is late, we ask that you wait until the last day of the month following shipment to contact us. View a map showing typical delivery times for periodicals in the United States. To see a map of the current status of USPS service, including weather delays and other closures, view the USPS National Map.
If you live outside the continental U.S., please wait until the last day of the second month following shipment to contact us.
You can check on the status of your subscription and update your address and payment info by logging into or creating an account ›
If you experience delivery delays in multiple months, please contact your local post office so they can investigate and track down the source of the problem. If you continue to have problems, please consider purchasing a Premium Subscription or purchasing individual issues, which are sent in an envelope via First Class Mail or let us know if you want to switch to a Digital-Only Subscription. Report a delivery issue ›
6. When will my magazine subscription end?
Your subscription includes 6 issues. A code at the top of your mailing label shows your digital edition password and the last issue of the magazine on your current subscription.
If you have any corrections or questions about your subscription, please
email us.
7. Can I purchase back issues of the magazine?
A limited number of extra copies of each issue are printed and are available for purchase on the Shop page, after all subscriptions are mailed. The only way to guarantee that you won't miss an issue is to order a subscription (Premium Subscription, Print+Digital Subscription, or Digital-Only Subscription) , because once an issue is sold out, it is no longer available. Please see the Retail Shops page for a list of Beachcombing retailers who carry the magazine as they may have copies of back issues available. Many of the Beachcombing articles from sold-out issues are available for reading online.
8. When will my order arrive?
If you order a back issue of the magazine, stickers, or other beachcombing gifts, your order will usually be shipped via U.S. First Class Mail within a week. If you are in the U.S. and order two or more back issues, they are shipped via U.S. Media Mail. Delivery time depends on where you live.
We typically mail orders on two days each week. Please follow up with an email if it's important that your Priority Mail order go out immediately and we will try to make it happen. Because we have no control over the delivery times of the postal service in the U.S. and internationally, we can't guarantee delivery dates.
9. What if my magazine is damaged or never arrives?
We are happy to send U.S. subscribers a replacement issue if your magazine is damaged in transit or never arrives and we still have the magazine in stock. We can't always provide a replacement copy for your magazine as we only order a limited number of extra copies of each issue. Please send us a photo of the damage within 10 days of receipt of your magazine and request a replacement copy or to ask us to extend your subscription by one issue.
Due to the high cost of international postage, we cannot offer replacement copies for missing or damaged magazines outside of the U.S. but we will issue a partial refund on your subscription. Thanks for your understanding.
If your issue frequently arrives damaged and your mailbox is sufficiently sized and protected from the weather, or if you frequently miss issues, please check with your local post office so they can investigate and track down the source of the problem. If you continue to have problems, please consider switching from a subscription to purchasing individual issues, which are sent in an envelope via First Class Mail. Report a delivery issue ›
We do not ship subscription orders in plastic bags as doing so would create thousands of pieces of plastic trash, some of which could end up in our waterways. Our international shipping service sometimes adds plastic bags to protect them on their long trip overseas. If you would like to have your magazine sent in an envelope via First Class Mail, please order individual issues from the online shop.
10. Will my magazine be forwarded to me?
Once we send the magazine to the address on your order, the U.S. Postal Service or your local postal service is in charge of delivering your mail to that address. If you notify your old post office of your new address, periodicals are forwarded for only 60 days, and after that they are destroyed. The best way to ensure that your magazine arrives wherever you are is to let us know 8 weeks before mailing which address should be on your magazine, and let the old post office know where they should forward your mail.
We use the Shipping Address on your subscription to mail your magazine. Be sure to follow the instructions on updating your address so that you change your SHIPPING address and not just your BILLING address. You can update your address, change your credit card information, and cancel your subscription on your Account page. Log in with your email and password — or create an account if you don't have one — then click on "Edit addresses" to edit the magazine Shipping address.
If you will be at a different address for more than 60 days, consider purchasing Premium Forwarding Service from the U.S. Postal Service. Premium Forwarding Service is a paid service for U.S. residents who have different addresses during the year. With this paid service, all of your mail (including periodicals) is forwarded to you once a week using Priority Mail service.
11. Can I view the magazine online?
Your subscription comes with access to the digital edition of Beachcombing magazine, which you can view on computers, tablets, and phones. The digital edition is an interactive replica of the print magazine, with all the same photos and stories, and clickable links on many of the pages. When Beachcombing is mailed, we also email a link and password to current subscribers so that everyone around the world can view the magazine as soon as it is mailed.
Password for the digital edition: We use MailChimp to send subscribers the link and login information to view each digital edition of the magazine and to send news and special offers. If you aren’t receiving emails that you are expecting, make sure you have signed up and have given us permission to email you on our email sign up form. If you still aren’t receiving emails or they are going in your junk folder, add info@beachcombingmagazine.com and subscriptions@beachcombingmagazine.com to your address book and safe sender’s list in your email program. Learn about using safe sender lists in popular email clients.
You can articles from sold-out issues on the Beachcombing blog ›
12. How do I get my photos and stories printed in the magazine?
We are always looking for great beachcombing stories and photos of your beach finds! We love images of coastal décor; your best sea glass, beach glass, shell, fossil, historical, and other finds; coastal craft ideas; and the art, jewelry, and crafts you create with your finds. Take a look at the guidelines for submissions ›
13. What are the rules for giveaways?
For contest and giveaway information, please see the Giveaway Rules page.
Did we miss anything?
We are happy to answer your questions via email.
If we didn’t answer your question above, please email us or mail us at Etched by the Sea Inc, PO Box 1910, Capitola CA 95010. We try to return emails within 3 business days. You can leave a message at 1-833-224-5277 or on our Facebook and Instagram pages, but if you need a response, please email us. If you leave us critical information in a voice mail, the information may not be understandable. If you leave a message on Facebook or Instagram, we may not receive it for several days. Please email us with any important information.
Sorry, we can't take your credit card number over the phone or via email, however you can pay for your subscription securely through the website using your credit card, PayPal, Google Pay, ShopPay, or other options, depending where you live. If you can’t subscribe online, you can send a check for $39.99 plus applicable local sales tax to our address at Beachcombing Magazine / Etched by the Sea Inc, PO Box 1910, Capitola CA 95010.
Join our email list
For occasional emails with your digital edition password, magazine news, special offers, giveaways, and more, please subscribe to our email list ›
About Us
As a member of the International Sea Glass Association, we are committed to educating collectors, consumers, and retailers as to the properties and benefits of genuine, pure, unaltered sea and beach glass. We do not accept articles or advertisements from those who use or sell fake sea glass. As a member of the Sanibel-Captiva Shell Club we promote the study of mollusks and the shells they create. We have a no-live-shelling policy and do not accept articles or advertisements from those who use or sell shells harvested from live animals, including live sand dollars, sea stars, and sea urchins.
We share the awards that Beachcombing has won with our contributors, including our writers, photographers, artists, and beachcombers — plus the subscribers and advertisers who make it all possible!
We sometimes provide links on the Beachcombing website to make it easy to find or purchase products, some of which are on Amazon.com. As an Amazon Associate, we may earn from qualifying purchases made when you click and make purchases on Amazon, but please feel free to purchase items wherever it works best for you.
All policies, prices, terms, and conditions are subject to change at any time without prior notice.
