Subscription Boxes 101

Have you heard people talking about subscription boxes and wondered “What is a subscription box?” or “How do subscription boxes work?” In this Subscription Boxes 101 article, we’ll break down the basics of subscription boxes – what they are, what’s inside, and if they’re worth the money.

An Intro to Subscription Boxes

What are subscription boxes? Subscription Boxes are boxes that contain an assortment of products – typically with a common theme, such as beauty boxes, pet boxes, or food boxes.  These boxes are automatically delivered for the length of your subscription.

The majority of subscription box services keep each month’s specific box items a surprise. Some monthly boxes allow you to set subscriber preferences to personalize your box. A few fully customizable subscription boxes are available.

How Subscription Boxes Work

How often will I receive a subscription box?

Typically subscription boxes are sent out once a month, however some boxes are sent more or less frequently.

How much do subscription boxes cost?

The price of monthly subscription boxes can range from around $10 to upwards of $40 per box. If you purchase monthly subscriptions for 3, 6, or 12 months, there is usually a discount on the box price.

What’s Inside a Monthly Subscription Box

Are these just small freebies?

Most boxes provide a mix of sample-sized and full-sized sample products. Sample sized products are usually deluxe-sized. These are not usually the small freebies you often find on other sample sites.

There are some monthly boxes that deliver full-sized products every month. These typically have a higher cost and a higher retail value.

How many products will be in my subscription box?

The number of products in each box varies with each subscription box service. The majority of boxes deliver 4-7 products per box. We’ve listed the typical number of products included in each box on each listing page.