Facebook PixelIpsy Announces $1.99 Handling Fee
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Ipsy Announces $1.99 Handling Fee

Kai Green
ByKai GreenJun 10, 2022 | 57 comments

Ipsy
4 overall rating
1813 Ratings | 300 Reviews

Ipsy has announced that they'll be adding a $1.99 handling fee to monthly Glam Bag shipments and quarterly Glam Bag X shipments. In an email sent to active subscribers this morning, the subscription service points to rising inflation as the reason why:

Like most others in our industry, we are seeing rising inflation impact our entire supply chain; nearly all of our suppliers and partners have recently raised prices. In light of these industry-wide shifts, we will be adding a $1.99 handling fee to monthly Glam Bag shipments, starting with July shipments, to help us process your bags. 

Ipsy is offering subscribers a limited time chance to save 20% if they switch to an annual plan by July 1. They note that subscribers also have the option to pay with Afterpay, which spreads the cost over four interest-free payment installments that are payable every two weeks. In addition, beginning with the August shipment, the GBX quarterly price will increase to $58.

Here's what else to know:

  • A $1.99 handling fee will be added to all Glam Bag & Glam Bag Plus monthly shipments in the US & Canada, beginning with the July shipment.
  • A $1.99 handling fee will be added to all Glam Bag X (GBX) shipments, beginning with the August shipment.

Here's what email says in full:

Since launching the Glam Bag over 10 years ago, we’ve built an incredible, unique community. We wouldn’t be here without you, so we want to be transparent about the issues we’re facing and how they may affect your membership. 

Like most others in our industry, we are seeing rising inflation impact our entire supply chain; nearly all of our suppliers and partners have recently raised prices. In light of these industry-wide shifts, we will be adding a $1.99 handling fee to monthly Glam Bag shipments, starting with July shipments, to help us process your bags. 

While we wish we didn’t have to make this change, it will allow us to continue bringing you the best products at the best prices (saving Ipsters almost $450/year). 

To help offset this, we’re offering you a limited time chance to save 20% by switching to a Glam Bag annual plan by July 1, before the handling fee goes into effect. Plus, you can now pay with Afterpay, giving you the flexibility to spread the cost into four interest-free installments, payable every two weeks. 

Thank you for being part of this amazing IPSY community. We can’t wait for you to see all that’s to come.

So, what do you think? 

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Kai Green
Kai Green
Kai Green is a freelance writer who loves happy surprises, which is why she loves subscription boxes. She has a favorite box every week and gets almost TOO excited about packaging. When she isn’t thinking about subscriptions she thinks about entertainment, pop culture and BTS. Her most fervent wish is that a BTS box becomes a reality.

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57 comments

Amy

The handling fee was bad enough on shop orders, just raise the price of the bag don’t slap a sneaky extra fee on.

Shady.

Either way not worth the new price, but they lost trust too

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Khristina

I’ve been a member since 2014 and I’m cancelled today after noticing the extra charge to my bank account. It’s bad enough they hiked prices up a short time ago, but this is ridiculous. I’ve checked everywhere and I had not been notified in writing about any extra charges starting in July. I was already close to cancelling my subscription because when Ipsy started the “pick an item for your bag” it solidified my suspicion of not ones single product was chosen because of my profile survey. Whatever item I chose for my bag, the rest was pre-chosen from their stupid postcard insert. It’s a shame because I really used to love this service.

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Shauni

Been an Ipsy customer for years. Was unaware of the $16.00 price increase until I checked my bank statement. I hate that have to cancel my subscription.

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Cheryl

I cancelled both my Glam Bag and Glam Bag Plus this week after being a member for 3 1/2 years. I’ve been paused on both since January and received a Glam Bag this month (June) which had only one product I really enjoyed/wanted. They don’t pay attention to my profile (says “adventurous,” I get brown eye shadow ad nauseum) and I get the same product types over and over and over. This plus the late spoilers, no name/made in China junk brands and the price increases finally made me pull the plug. Too much work to remember to pause every month. I’m not convinced Ipsy will ever again approach the quality of their heyday despite the “we’re making improvements for you” messages. It was fun while it lasted, but it’s most definitely not fun–or a good value–any more.

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Joyce

Where are the July spoilers for Ipsy Plus! The month is almost up

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Christina

MSA has been really late with the ipsy spoilers. Sashy Beauty on Youtube has spoilers on the ipsy plus for july. Not a cute bag in my opinion.

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L

I skipped for July. Holding out for 1 last X bag in August… then probably canceling. The prices are getting ridiculous. The better option might be quarterly X bag only + flash sales. (Better products/brands). Glam bag is dollar store junk practically. Plus is a close second.

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Erin

Can anyone tell me if you’re still able to skip a month if you have the annual plan? I like this option and don’t know if I’ll lose it if I go annual. Can’t find this info ANYWHERE on Ipsy or MSA.

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Brianne Malee Gilliam

Got the email been on fence about canceling and this may have just done it for me I may skip this month again but canceling seems to be in the near future they honestly don’t have anything keeping me anymore brands u have never heard of and yet they keep raising the prices and fees for this and that ect. I have had ipsy for probably 5 years now but they have REALLY GONE DOWNHILL AND ITS SHOWING lmao blaming inflation well if it comes down to gas or feeding my family guess ipsy will be the one to go 🤷‍♀️💁‍♀️

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VHenry

Canceled yesterday, I did receive the email. Price keeps going up and quality going down. I’ll probably switch back to Allure, wish Sephora Play still had a bag.

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LR

@vhenry – sephora has the ‘hello’ bags here and there for $10-$15 that you can buy…or the ‘favorites’ bags

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DoxyMama

Oh, and no. I didn’t get an email either.

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Kate

Same.

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DoxyMama

I’ve been an ipsy member for over 9 years. I just jumped through all the cancelation hoops to end my subscription. My bag was the worst ever this month….dollar store mascara, lip and tiny eyeshadow quad, a Laruce brush and a sunscreen. All made in China except the sunscreen (made in India). And they want to raise the price again? No. Just no. I’ll keep the GBP for now, but it’s likely to be on the chopping block as well (along with Allure and BoxyLuxe).

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Dawn

I never even got the new fee email. If it weren’t for MEA I wouldn’t know about it until I actually paid. Very sneaky

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Shay

I never got an email either… Found out whe I got charged on PayPal and looked it up and found this. Not happy. Probably canceling. Too expensive!

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Kimberly

Eyescream Beauty Bag is $12.50 and you’re guaranteed a palette every single month. I may try that next

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Kimberly Gonzales

Correction, there’s at least 1 palette in every ES Box ($25).

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Kristina

I think I will cancel Ipsy. I have product overload, and am loving Margot Elena, just received my second box, and am really impressed.

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Meaghan

Yeah, this is a bummer. Went from $12 a month- which was AWESOME to over $16 total in less than a year? Nah. The samples are so hit and miss, usually miss, tbh. I love the flash sales because I scour and research and snag some perfect finds. Probably going to just pause every month or honestly, I sell Avon and get a helluva discount for myself and will probably continue to buy my Belif skincare from myself and Avon instead of using Ipsy for my skincare try-out products. It’s not as fun sticking to the same products for me, but these companies offer so may bait and switches on prices…I cant!…I will miss the variety though…

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Dawn

My May bag has still not arrived. I am going to skip my bag monthly and keep my account active to shop flash sales. Ipsy has become cumbersome. I really wish they would keep the make up bag and forget about the extra $2 fee. Over the last few months, they have raised the price of add ons and started to add a handling fee to flash sale purchases. And all of the worthless Chinese junk brands have ruined this sub for me.

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Wendy

Love Ipsy, still the best value even with the additional shipping fee.

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Cathy A Galea

I am already on an annual sub but thinking of canceling because of the fact that my bag is always arriving late I didn’t get this e-mail yet

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Michele

I am glad I cancelled a few months ago. I was not impressed with stuff made in China. I only used 2 or 3 samples a month anyways.

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Brandi

That helped me pull the cancellation trigger immediately. Easy decision.

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Dawn

Definitely not worth $15. I considered upgrading to annual but the link would not load the page. This is probably a sign to stop spending so much on this crap. I will skip until I cannot any longer. I know it’s only $1.99, but I rarely like more than 2 samples. And gas prices are out of control. Something has to go.

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mel

Althought I like Ipsy, this month was a disaster for me, they sent me black nail polish for summer and a very dark eyeshadow…. with the new fee and taxes, they are now competing with Allure beauty box (that has 3 full-size products) and some other $21.00 boxes.
I have subbed to them for over 10 years and believe this was a bad decision on their part – I will miss them, but the value is not there anymore at that price point for samples.

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Melissa

I think that the “black” nail polish is actually a dark purple with glitter in it. Still pretty dark for summer, though.

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Di

Yep… that’s a wrap for me. There is no way a $2 increase is worth it for me. Smells greedy. Sucky!

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Cat

Welp, it’s the end of the line for me. I have subbed since their second bag ever and despite sub-par brands and price increases I never cancelled. I wouldn’t even care if everything was a smaller size, as long as it had solid brands I could try out.

I miss the OG Birchbox and Ipsy bags that had a variety of items from reputable brands, it didn’t even have to be prestige brands! Or when they sent newer indie brands I’d never heard of but were exciting to try. I don’t want relabeled junk from overseas or random “celeb” brands from people I’ve barely heard of.

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Brianne Malee Gilliam

Same had them for 5 years never canceled and they have to know they are going to lose valuable customers guess they will find out lol I’m skipping this month again but canceling is gonna happen in near future for me

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Preet

I’d rather pay a few more dollars and get the Allure box which always has a couple full-size products.

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mel

Me too! Or Look Fantastic/Tribe or the “Susan” box whose name is escaping me…

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snugglebear64

So Susan and the Allure is $23 & think it’s changing too! They guaranteed 3 full.size products per box.