FAQ Topics

Help and information

Where's my order?

Track your order
All you need to do, is log in to your 'Account' and select the order you wish to track. If your order does not have a tracking number, please contact one of our agents who will be able to help you.

Estimated delivery date
Depending on the method of shipping you selected at checkout, your order might still be within its 'expected delivery window'. Remember, unless you have selected an overnight service, delivery dates are an estimate so your order may arrive slightly before, on, or slightly after your estimated delivery date.

I'm still waiting for my order
If your estimated delivery date has not elapsed, please allow a few extra days for your order to be delivered. This is especially important during busier periods like Christmas and seasonal sales. Our carriers are always doing their best to get your order to you, so make sure you keep an eye on your tracking link for the latest updates.

If your order doesn’t arrive, please let us know within 30 days of the date by which your order should have been delivered and we’ll do our best to help you.

Returns & refunds

How do I return a product I've changed my mind about?
Please contact us and we'll issue you with a return number and a return address. You'll need to include this number with your order. It is your responsibility to ensure that the parcel reaches our warehouse, so it's important that you use a tracked method wherever possible. If a parcel doesn't arrive at our warehouse, we regret that we won't be able to process a refund.

Do I have to pay for my return?
At present, we regret that we are unable to offer free returns unless a product has a manufacturer's fault or has arrived damaged.

How long do I have to return?
You have 30 days from the date your order was delivered to return it for a refund. *All returns are subject to our original condition and fair use policies set out in our Returns Policy.

Packaging your return
If you have items from more than one order that you'd like to return, you can send them back in the same parcel. Just make sure to let us know when you are requesting a return and we will issue you with the appropriate return number.
Please make sure that all items you have selected to return fit in one parcel. If all of the items don't fit into one parcel, you'll need to request a separate return and return your items in more than one parcel.

Please remember to package your order securely so that it is not damaged in transit. It's important to use the correct packaging for different products, for example, heavier notebooks must be sent back in a box while pens can be returned in a padded envelope.

Have you received my return?
If you're returning items from the UK, it can take up to 10 days (excluding public holidays) for your order to reach the warehouse and be processed. We'll send you an email as soon as we've completed your return.

How long does a refund take?
Refunds can take up to 10 working days to show on your account, depending on your payment provider. We will automatically issue your refund to the payment method you used to purchase your original order.

Can I return an online order to your shop?

We regret that we cannot accept online orders back to our store. Our online orders are fulfilled from a separate warehouse and our team members in store will not have access to your order details. You will only be able to return online orders back to our warehouse via post.

Can I exchange an order?

We’re no longer offering exchanges to our customers. All returned items will be refunded once they've been inspected by our warehouse team. If you need a different product, size or colour of an item, then you'll need to place a new order. 

• You have 30 days from the date you receive your order to return it for a refund.

• It can take up to 10 days for your order to reach the warehouse and be processed.

• Refunds can take up to 10 working days to show on your account.

Order issues

I've received a faulty item
We're really sorry if you've received a faulty item and we'd like to sort this out for you. Please get in touch with our customer support team who will be happy to help you further.

Please note that we are unable to send replacements for faulty items. All items are inspected on return, and those with wear and tear rather than a fault may not be refunded in full.

I'm missing a product from my order. What do I do?
We're very sorry that you're missing an item from your order and we'd like to help you.

Before you contact us, it's worth checking the following:

• The item(s) you ordered may be out of stock. Please check your email to see if we've sent you a message about this. It's worth checking your junk / spam folder too!

• If you've placed multiple orders within a few days of each other and they're all being shipped to the same address, it might be that these orders have been split into separate deliveries and will be arriving on different days. Please check your account to see if your orders have different tracking numbers.

If you've checked all of the above and you're still sure you have an item missing from your order, please let us know within 30 days of your order being delivered and we'll try our best to help you.

I've received an incorrect item, what do I do?
We're very sorry that this has happened and we'd like to make sure this is resolved quickly.

Please reach out to our customer support team and we will arrange for the incorrect item to be returned back to us. A refund will be processed back to your account and if you still want the order and your desired items are still in stock, please order them through our website as normal.

• It can take up to 10 days for your incorrect order to reach the warehouse and be processed.

• Refunds can take up to 10 working days to show on your account.

Payment types

How can I pay for my order?
You can pay for your order using any of the payment methods listed below:

• AMEX
• VISA
• Google Pay
• Apple Pay
• Mastercard
• Maestro
• PayPal
• Shop Pay

We take your security very seriously, therefore your details are safe with us. We also take fraud very seriously too, so all credit and debit card holders are subject to validation and authorisation by both us and the card issuer. To better protect our customers when making online payments you may be presented with 3D secure security measures when paying. This is dependent on your bank issuer and may require you to enter a password or get a security code via email or phone.

When will I be charged for my order?
The time at which you'll be charged for your order will depend on the payment method you selected at checkout.

If your card is authorised, payment will be taken immediately and you will receive an email confirming that your order has been successful. If you've selected one of our Buy Now, Pay Later payment options, you'll be sent an invoice within 24 hours of your order being placed. Your invoice will include details of when payment is due.

If your card is not authorised, payment will not be taken and we'll email to let you know that your bank or card issuer wouldn't authorise the payment.

Please remember that even if a payment isn't authorised, it may look as if The Journal Shop has taken the money due to some card issuers placing a hold on your account for a short period.

'Buy Now, Pay Later'
Please note: Some payment methods are subject to a soft credit check. These payment options give you extra flexibility when paying for your order, such as allowing you to pay after 30 days, or spreading the cost through instalments. If you choose one of these payment types, please remember to spend responsibly – sometimes, delaying or splitting up payments might not always be the best option. We want you to shop with confidence, so we’ve provided all the info you need on each of these payment options below.

Klarna
Can only be used by customers who meet the following conditions:

• aged 18 or over
• with a billing and delivery address registered in the UK

Please note that Klarna will perform soft searches with credit reference agencies, on application to use the payment method, to determine if you are eligible. These soft searches do not impact your credit file, either at application or if a payment is missed or late, and are only visible to you and Klarna.

When do I have to pay Klarna for my order?
• Klarna will send you an email within 2 days of your order being placed with payment instructions.

• You'll have 30 days to complete the payment online. You can pay at your convenience, with no extra cost via credit or debit card.

• You'll receive a reminder two days before your payment is due, and you'll also receive email reminders. If you do not pay for your order on time, you may no longer be able to access Klarna’s payment options for future purchases

• If a payment is late, Klarna will contact you over a period of several months to try and arrange repayment of the outstanding balance. If after a period of several months you have not repaid, Klarna may use a debt collection agency to recover the outstanding balance. 

I'm having trouble paying with Klarna at the checkout?
This may be for a number of reasons and we've listed some of them below to help you:

• Klarna may have rejected your application to pay on account. In this case, we recommend contacting Klarna or choosing another payment method.

• Klarna may not have been able to check your details using the billing address you've provided. Please make sure that your billing address is the same address that all of your credit / debit cards are registered to.

• Have you missed a required field at checkout? Usually, these fields are marked with an asterix and you won't be able to proceed unless you've completed those fields.

• You may have outstanding statements on previous Klarna payments.

• If you haven't used Klarna before and you're shipping to a different address to your billing address, the payment may be declined.

If you're still having trouble paying with Klarna at the checkout, you'll need to contact Klarna Customer Service. Klarna are an independent payment provider and The Journal Shop have no influence over whether your payment with Klarna is accepted or not.

Promotional codes & discounts

How do I apply a promo code?
When you're ready to checkout, click your basket (the icon at the top of the page) and then click 'checkout'. You'll be presented with a split screen - on the left you'll be prompted to enter your shipping and billing details and on the right, you'll notice a box that says 'Discount code'. You need to enter the code in this box exactly as it was given to you and without any spaces. Type, or copy and paste the code into the box.

Once you've entered the code, click on 'Apply' and it will add the code to your order. When the code has been applied to your order, you'll see the promo value and the total of your order will change to reflect the code.

My promo code isn't working
If your code isn't working, it might be for one of the following reasons:

• You're using the code more than once. Remember, you can only use one promo code per order so if you've used it against a previous order, you won't be able to use it again.

• Promo codes and discount codes cannot be used to purchase gift cards

• Has the promo code expired? The terms of each promo code are unique to that code and will vary. Make sure you check when you receive any codes as some might only be valid for certain items and the majority will have expiry dates too.

If you're still unsure as to why your code isn't working at checkout, please contact us and we'll be happy to help you.

Technical issues

I'm having trouble signing into my account
If you want to see or track your orders, you must sign into your account before you checkout.

If you've received a message telling you that your password and / or your username has not been recognised, please make sure to check the following things:

• Make sure you're using the same email address and password that you signed up with
• If you've forgotten your password, click on the 'forgot your password?' link on the login page (you can access this page by clicking on 'Account'). You'll be prompted to enter your email address and we'll send you an email with a link that will allow you to reset the password for your account.

If your issue isn't password related, please contact our customer support team and make sure to give them as much detail as you can about the issue. Please include any screenshots or error message(s) you're receiving. It is also helpful for our agents to understand what you've done to try to resolve the issue - remember, the more information they have, the better placed they are to help you.

I'm having trouble accessing your website - what should I do?
We're sorry you're experiencing technical issues. We've put together some information which might help you so before you contact us, please try the following:

Delete your cookies
You may need to delete your cookies. These are small files which are stored on your computer to let us know who you are the next time you visit us. On most internet browsers, you can delete cookies by going to 'Tools' or 'History'. If you're not logged into your account, deleting cookies can clear any saved items you might have and items in your shopping bag. If you want to come back to these items, it's best to make a note of the product name and code.

Restart your browser
Restarting your browser is a useful tool and can help overcome the issues you're having in accessing our website. To do this, close your browser window, open it again and visit our website. If you're on Windows or Mac and you're worried about losing any open tabs, click on the three dots in the top right hand corner, and then on Settings. Scroll down to On startup and make sure that Continue where you left off is selected. This will preserve your tabs on restart of your browser.

Update your operating system
We suggest using the latest version of your operating system to ensure that you don't experience any issues when visiting our website.

If you've tried all of the above and you're still experiencing issues, please contact our customer support team and make sure to give them as much detail as you can about the issue. Please include any screenshots or error message(s) you're receiving. It is also helpful for our agents to understand which browser you're using and whether you're using the latest operating system on your device.

Products & stock

When will an item be back in stock?
We'll always try to keep your favourites in stock, but occasionally an item will sell out. If you'd like to know when it will be available for sale again, you can choose to be notified if the item comes back into stock.

How do back in stock notifications work?
Simply go to the product page of the item you want to receive a notification for. Select Notify Me. If the item comes back into stock we'll let you know by email.

When will I be notified?
We won't be able to let you know when or if you'll receive a stock notification. We try our best to replenish products as quickly as they sell out but sometimes, there might be a short wait for some items and on some occasions, a decision may be made to discontinue the item.

If you've received a back in stock notification, you'll need to be quick as we cannot guarantee how long the item will be back in stock for.

If the item goes back out of stock again before you've purchased it, you'll need to sign up to be notified again.

I have a question that hasn't been answered here

Please contact us and we'll do our very best to help.

Get in touch

Have questions about your order, or a general enquiry?