Frequently Asked Questions
How does shipping work?
All of our boxes of green coffee ship FREE - automatically - no minimums - no contracts - no code needed - within the Continental United States. Orders generally ship out the next business day. Please plan accordingly. Feel free to stock up, mix and match coffees and enjoy more savings with our automatic quantity discounts. Your boxes will arrive via FedEx ground. In multiple box orders, it is possible for some boxes to arrive later than others as each box has a unique tracking number and transit path.
For information about palletized LTL shipments, multiple pallet orders and contracting coffee, please contact us. We will send you tracking information via email after your order ships.Do you have Quantity Discounts?
Definitely! Stock up and save! When you order 3, 6, 12 or 24 boxes - even when you mix and match - you’ll see the price per pound and the price per box fall! Our discount schedule is:
• 3 boxes - save $19.50 (10¢/lb off)
• 6 boxes - save $58.50 (15¢/lb off)
• 12 boxes - save $156 (20¢/lb off)
• 24 boxes - save $468 (30¢/lb off)Can I place an order for a future ship date?
Absolutely! During checkout you can choose a shipment date up to 90 days in the future. You won't be charged until we're ready to ship your coffee. We will bill your credit card for the entire amount of your order 48 hours before your selected ship date. Selecting a future delivery date is a great way to hold coffee that you know you will want in the future, without having to pay for it up front and without accruing carry costs. A Note about PayPal Orders: Due to our agreement with PayPal, orders placed via PayPal must be billed within five (5) days of creation irrespective of the ship date.
Can I contract coffee?
Yes and No. Genuine Origin operates on a standard retail model: You want something, you go online, you buy it and we ship it to you. (Versus the traditional model, where you contract coffee, ask for it to be sent to you in portions — i.e., released — and get charged for “storing” it in a warehouse.) With Genuine Origin, every order has one shipping date, and that’s when we send it to you. Want 10 boxes “released” every month? Just create as many orders as you’d like deliveries. If you want to create a long-range plan for your roasting business that requires timing or volumes beyond those listed on our website, get in touch with our sales team or customer service. We will help you lock in prices, store coffee and get you all set up.
But if I don’t contract coffee, will it become unavailable?
If there’s a microlot that you love, and we have a limited number of boxes, you could set up multiple orders with multiple delivery dates, if you know you want that coffee but don’t want to buy it all (and pay for it all) at once.Another option is to select a community lot. While microlots are one-time offers, our community lots represent a flavor profile from a specific region or community of producers — maybe chocolate and cherry or floral and acidic. We bring together beans that we’re confident will create a profile our customers will love and want to consistently sell year-round, year after year. You can count on a fresh crop of each community lot arriving each year.
Can I order jute bags of green coffee from you?
Nope. All of our coffee comes in our standard 65-lb, rectangular cardboard boxes with handles, to make green coffee easier to move, carry, store, and stack.
Inside the boxes, the coffee is sealed in food-grade plastic bags that, in nearly all cases, are sealed in their origin country. Once they’re stateside, they’re stored in our temperature controlled, food-grade warehouse in our East Coast warehouse in Harrisburg, PA and our West Coast warehouse in Kent, WA or in our distribution center in Houston, TX.• Recycling Genuine Origin Packaging Materials
Genuine Origin green boxes are fully recyclable cardboard. Genuine Origin Polybags are #4 (LDPE—Low Density Polyethylene) recyclable plastic. These lighter plastics are now accepted for recycling at many locations. Go to Earth911 for more information or search the Earth911 Database to find a Recycling Center near you.
Sample Policy
Samples are 300 grams (0.66 lbs) of green coffee. We are a provider of high quality, specialty coffees for roasters. Samples are intended for roasters to evaluate our coffees before buying 65lb boxes. Samples are not intended to be a small batch solution.
We reserve the right to decline requests for samples, and the maximum number of samples per order is six (6) total, no more than two (2) per coffee. If you have sampled coffees and need assistance in selecting a coffee to purchase, please contact your sales rep, and they will be happy to assist you in your process.Why hasn’t my order shipped?
Orders generally ship out the next business day. Orders should be submitted by 11:59PM EST to be shipped out on the next business day. If you submit your order past our cut-off time or if one or more of the coffees you selected are afloat at the time of ordering, your order may be delayed. Orders scheduled with a future shipment date will ship out on the shipment date. If you have questions about your order status or need tracking information you can visit your Account Page or email us at info@genuineorigin.com
Pricing Shifts
The price of coffee is highly influenced by the Coffee Futures Market (C Market). The C Market price is the price the market is willing to pay for coffee at some point in the future and that price can go up or down on a daily basis. While we try to keep our pricing as stable as possible, because of the influence of the C Market, roasters may see prices shift from time to time. Changing our prices with C Market fluctuations helps us remain competitive, source the high-quality coffee Roasters expect from Genuine Origin and pay our partners and producers a fair price for their coffee.
What is an authorization?
An authorization is when a retailer checks to see if a credit card or other payment method has the funds available for the requested transaction. It will usually freeze those funds, guaranteeing they will be available when the card is actually charged. If you place an order more than 72 business hours in the future, we will reverse the authorization, unfreezing those funds. Every bank and lending institution is different, and yours may retain an authorization after Genuine Origin has reversed it, in which case it’s best to contact them. We will re-authorize your card 48 business hours before your shipment date, and charge your card only when your coffee leaves our warehouse.
Do you offer terms?
Our coffee is sold On Demand and all transactions require a credit, debit card, Afterpay account or PayPal account. Your card will not be charged until your coffee leaves our warehouse. And remember, credit cards offer terms; so, if you place an order the day after your credit card closes, you have up to 45 days until payment is due. Plus, credit cards offer great perks like miles (for trips with Genuine Origin to places like Peru and Tanzania)!
AfterPay Payment Option?
Buy the coffee you want and pay for it over 6 weeks with Afterpay. Genuine Origin is now proud to offer Afterpay as a payment option on carts up to $2000. Every item in your cart must be In-Stock (not Afloat) and you must choose a shipment date within seven days of your purchase. With Afterpay you can buy coffee across four payments over six weeks. Sign up with AfterPay now or the next time you check out at Genuine Origin.
What other fees apply?
If you require a lift gate for a palletized LTL delivery, a $25 charge applies. Otherwise, zip-o. There are no storage fees, no loading or palletizing fees, no warehousing fees and no taxes.
Can I return coffee?
Unopened boxes of coffee can be returned within 10 business days of delivery less any delivery charges and a $20 per box restocking fee. Buyers will be responsible for all return shipping charges. If it's our fault (eg - we sent you the wrong coffee), we will make it right. Please contact customer service at 646.828.8585 or info@genuineorigin.com to begin a return.
What if I need to change the ship date?
No problem! Just contact customer service at least 48 business hours before the original ship date, and we can change it.
Do you sell certified coffees?
We usually stock certified Organic coffees among our offerings. However, we also like to focus more on our internal set of standards called the Volcafe Way. Volcafe Way is not a certification, but it is a way for us to know that farmers are being treated fairly.
The majority of Genuine Origin coffees are sourced by teams at origin that work with producers to implement the Volcafe Way. It’s a system designed to maximize farmer prosperity while ensuring environmental and social integrity (because when farmers aren’t earning enough money to feed their families, it’s hard to talk to them about properly recycling water, for example). For our Volcafe Way program, we hired local people from coffee communities around the world and trained them in things like agronomy and small business planning. Today, they provide classes, individual attention and technical field assistance to interested producers in their communities, at no cost or obligation to the producers. The goal is win-win: Producers achieve higher-quality coffees and increased farm yields, which improve their bottom lines — and more high-quality coffees exist for us to deliver to roasters. Plus, more than a certification that customers can feel good about, it’s a philosophy that can be verified by third parties and that, while still just a few years old, is already showing real, data-backed results on the lives of producers and communities.Do you ever bring roasters to visit your operations in coffee producing countries?
Absolutely! We’re really excited about the work we’re doing and we want everyone to see it. However, origin trips are subject to availability. If you’d like to visit one of our teams on your own, during a time when we don’t have a formal trip arranged, we’d be delighted to help you arrange it. Please email us at info@genuineorigin.com.
Have other questions? Think there’s something more we should include here? Please let us know! Email info@genuineorigin.com.