Plenty of big-name stores amass die-hard loyalists who swear by their brands. Some shoppers flock toward Target’s red bullseye, others are lured to their local Walmart by affordable prices, and some love wandering Costco’s never-ending aisles. And all three retailers cater to their fans by offering membership programs that are packed with perks, some paid and some free. Bed Bath & Beyond is the latest retailer to offer store super fans a membership program: Beyond+ boasts free shipping and an automatic 20% off every purchase, in exchange for the $29 annual fee.
For those who swear by BB&B, the membership is a good opportunity to maximize your savings, as long as you use it enough to justify the fee. Even if you’re not Bed Bath & Beyond’s biggest fan, the membership is worth considering: From now until December 19, those who sign up for Beyond+ will receive a digital $29 gift card, essentially locking down the annual membership for free. You’ll have to use the gift card within 15 days of receiving it, but we’re certain the Bed Bath & Beyond super fans this program is right for will find something to spend the cash on. May we suggest our budget pick for best bath towel?
If you’re still on the fence, not to worry—we’ve pulled together a guide with everything you need to know about Beyond+, including all the perks and pitfalls.
How much does Beyond+ cost?
Beyond+ is fairly cheap in comparison with other membership programs like Amazon Prime ($119 per year) and Walmart+ ($98 per year). Any BB&B shopper can become a member for $29 a year. As of right now, there’s no option for a month-by-month membership.
What are the perks?
The two biggest benefits of becoming a Beyond+ member are continuous access to 20% off coupons (both online and in-store) and free shipping on most items with no minimum. For frequent BB&B shoppers, this can quickly add up to big savings—the 20% discount applies to your entire purchase, not just a single item, and can be used every time you make a purchase. As Bed Bath & Beyond’s most well-known promotion, those 20% off coupons are fairly easy to come across, but they oftentimes only apply to a single item rather than the entire order.
The guaranteed free shipping is a nice perk, but it’s not too hard to meet Bed Bath & Beyond’s current $19 free shipping minimum. In the past, BB&B has required shoppers to meet a steeper, $39 free shipping threshold; it’s unclear if the store has lowered its requirements just for the holiday season or if this $19 minimum is here to stay. If the shipping minimum does revert back to $39, Beyond+ becomes a better deal. Even if it remains $19, it would be nice to have the option of avoiding the $5.99 standard shipping costs on purchases under the threshold (if you’re the type of person who doesn’t look at the free shipping minimum as an opportunity to treat yo’self to unnecessary purchases).
Other perks included in the Beyond+ membership include 50% off Decorist design services, exclusive offers and member events, and a dedicated customer service line.
Are there any exclusions I should know about?
There are usually exclusions to most programs, which is why it’s always important to read the fine print (or why it’s important to let us read it for you). For starters, you won’t be able to combine other coupons with the 20% off promotion, which is something you’ll want to keep in mind when the store sends out its $10 off coupons. The BB&B website also includes a long list of brands and product categories that aren’t eligible for the 20% off promotion. Many of the brands excluded make some highly sought-after, Wirecutter-recommended gear, like the Vitamix blender and Dyson stick vacuums, so if you were planning to join solely to save on big-name purchases, you may want to reconsider. Other notable ineligible brands and categories include:
- Arlo, Breville, Dyson, Google Nest, Graco 4Ever Car Seats, iRobot i7 Series, Roku, Vitamix, Weber, and Wüsthof
- Diapers, wipes, formula, baby food, studio services, and alcoholic beverages
- Home and furniture installation services
- Gift cards
On the other hand, most BB&B items qualify for free shipping, though there may be surcharges on oversize or extremely heavy items (to maximize savings, we suggest selecting store pickup for those). Basket Items (cheaper items that BB&B considers shipping on their own to be too expensive) aren’t included as part of the free shipping perk, but they can be if they’re bought in tandem with other non–Basket Items or with multiple Basket Items.
Do I have to jump through hoops to cancel?
Nope, cancelling is very straightforward. You’ll just need to log in to your BB&B account sometime before the renewal date to cancel (or you can also call customer service and let them handle if you’d prefer). But that’s the thing—your Beyond+ membership will automatically renew for another year if you don’t intervene, so be sure to set a calendar reminder so you’re not on the hook for $29. You won’t be able to ask for your cash back if you’ve accidentally re-upped your subscription, either; the Beyond+ fee is non-refundable. That also means you won’t be issued a refund if you decide to cancel halfway through the year, so make sure you’re ready to commit before throwing down your card.
Is Beyond+ worth the money?
It really depends on how often you hit up your local Bed Bath & Beyond. Those 20% off coupons are fairly ubiquitous; at one point, cashiers would accept them even past their expiration dates. That’s not the case anymore, but the store still sends them out monthly to folks who are signed up to receive coupons. If you shop at the store once a month and routinely spend enough to hit the free shipping minimum, it’s not worth the annual fee—you’ll just be wasting money.
It’s also important, as our Deals editor Nathan Burrow notes, to shop around before settling on a retailer. “A 20% off coupon on a product that’s offered at a 20% higher price from Bed Bath & Beyond than from a competitor is obviously not a discount at all,” he says. “To get the most out of the program, you’d have to take advantage of BB&B exclusives or prices that are equivalent to those offered by others before the discount.”
But as long as you’ve done your due diligence to confirm that the price you’re paying is the lowest out there, Beyond+ is worth considering, especially if you love Bed Bath & Beyond and find yourself stress shopping the site often.
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