Hesperian
Book order FAQs
How can I order a book?
Who can use online ordering?
Is my credit card information secure?
Who gets a discount?
What is a "Poor Country Price"?
When will I get my books?
Do you offer overnight shipping?
How do I place an international order?
Where can I buy a translation?
When I purchase books online, can I also make a donation?
Is my purchase tax deductible?
How can I find out if my book has been shipped?
Why does the shopping cart ask me for a password?
Why do you ask for the CVV2 number from the back of my credit card?
Do you share my personal information with other organizations?
How can I order a book?
You may order books online, via phone or fax, by e-mail, or by regular postal mail.
By phone: Call (510) 845-4507 or (888) 729-1796 (toll-free in US).
By fax: Please complete our printable order form and fax to (510) 845-0539
By e-mail: Please contact us at bookorders@hesperian.org
By post: Please mail your order to:
Hesperian Foundation
1919 Addison Street, #304
Berkeley, CA 94704 USA
Who can use online ordering?
Online ordering is available to all customers paying with Visa or Mastercard. For rush orders, or orders requiring special shipping options, please order by phone by calling (510) 845-4507 or (888) 729-1796 (toll-free in US).
Is my credit card information secure?
YES. Hesperian uses a secure online ordering system provided by Authorize.net. Your credit card and personal information is transmitted using SSL technology. We do not save your credit card information once your transaction has been completed.
Who gets a discount?
Anyone who purchases 5 to 99 copies of a single title receives 20% off on that title (not the whole order, just that title). For orders of 100 to 199 get 25% off. For orders of 200 to 299 get 30% off. For orders of 300 to 499 get 35% off, and for 500+ get 40% off. These discounts apply only to Hesperian's book titles, not our pamphlets, nor the titles on the "Health & Empowerment" bookshelf. We also offer discounts of 12% to 18% when you purchase our Book Sets. All of these discounts are listed on our downloadable order form, and will automatically appear on your on-line order.
Bookstores, please contact us directly to get your standard industry discounts. They will not compute on-line.
What is a "Poor Country Price"?
"Poor Country Price" is a discount that applies to certain orders from low-income individuals or organizations in developing countries whose income is generated in the economies of those countries. If you think that you may qualify for a Poor Country Price please contact us before placing your order.
When will I get my books?
All orders received Monday-Sunday will be shipped the following Wednesday via UPS and Thursday via the Postal Service. Your books will be packed with care by our team of volunteer book packers. If you need your books sooner than our regular service allows, please call us Monday - Friday between 8:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. PST for information on alternate shipping methods and prices.
UPS is the most dependable way to ship in the US. They guarantee delivery, and the shipment can be tracked if anything goes wrong. It will take no more than a week for the books to get to you anywhere in the US.
Media Mail is the cheapest, and the slowest, way to ship in the US. Delivery is not guaranteed by the US Post Office, and if the shipment is lost it cannot tracked. We therefore cannot be responsible for books sent by Media Mail. It will take 10 days to two weeks for the books to get to you.
Priority Mail International (PMI) is the best way to ship internationally. The US no longer offers surface mail shipping, so PMI is the cheapest method available. It cannot be tracked, so we cannot be held responsible for non-delivery, but the success rate for delivery is high. It will take two to three weeks for the books to get to you almost anywhere in the world.
If you absolutely must have delivery guaranteed, with a trackable shipment, Express Mail Guaranteed is your only option. Shipments can get to you anywhere in the world in as little as 3 days, but sometimes take as long as 9 days.
Do you offer overnight shipping?
Yes, domestic overnight shipping is available online: Please allow an additional 24 hours for processing. You may also place your order by phone, fax or e-mail. Domestic orders can be delivered through either UPS or the U.S. Postal Service. International orders can be delivered in 2 to 3 days via "Express Mail" offered by the U.S. Postal Service. For both domestic and international express shipping, additional handling charges may apply.
How do I place an international order?
If paying by Visa or Mastercard, you may submit your order online or by phone, fax or e-mail. If paying by check or money order, please use our printable order form. Payment must be made in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank.
On-line, please be careful filling out the 'Ship To' portion of our order form. If you are shipping to an address outside of the United States, you MUST fill in the "OtherStates/Province" field on the order form. If there are no provinces in your country, type in an "x." There must be something in the field or it will be rejected. If you have difficulty filling out the order form, please contact us by email at bookorders@hesperian.org and we'll be happy to help you.
International orders are usually shipped by the US Postal Service, Priority mail. The shipping cost is US$16 for one book, and US$32 for 2 books, US$42 for 3, or 4 books. Priority shipments take between one and two weeks. We do not bear liability for postal shipments because they cannot be tracked. For faster service, select Global Express, this takes about a week to get to you, anywhere in the world. If you know someone in the U.S. who will be traveling to your location and is able to carry books to you, we will be happy to ship to them here in the US. Shipments within the US are made via UPS, and cost $8 for the first book, and $1 for each additional book.
Where can I buy a translation?
Hesperian publishes English, Spanish and sometimes French versions of our books, which you can find in our online bookstore. If you are looking for a title in another language, please visit our translations page for a list of publishers and their contact information.
When I purchase books online, can I also make a donation?
Yes you can. When you purchase your books online, you will be asked if you would like to make a gift. Your donation will allow Hesperian to send life-saving healthcare information to communities that need them most.
Is my purchase tax deductible?
Since you are receiving merchandise in exchange for your money, book purchases are not tax deductible. However, charitable donations to Hesperian are 100 percent tax deductible. After making a donation, you will receive a Thank You note with all the information you need to claim a tax deduction.
How can I find out if my book has been shipped?
You will receive an email confirming the shipment of your online order. If you have ordered by phone, fax, or mail, or if you have any questions, feel free to contact the book order department at (510) 845-4507 or (888) 729-1796 (toll-free in US), or e-mail us at bookorders@hesperian.org.
Why does the shopping cart ask me for a password?
When you place an order, you have the option to set up an account or to order without setting up an account. If you set up an account, you can use your password to access your shipping, billing and discount information the next time you order online, which makes repeat ordering faster for you.
Why do you ask for the CVV2 number from the back of my credit card?
As an additional security measure, we ask for the three-digit number located on the signature strip on the back of your card. Because thieves who steal credit card numbers typically do not have access to the account's CVV2 number, by providing us with this information, it proves you have the card in hand.
Do you share my personal information with other organizations?
No, we do not share your information with anyone else. It is totally secure with us.
