How Do Candle Subscriptions Work?

What is a Candle Subscription?

A candle subscription service is a subscription box that sends customers new candles on a regular basis. These subscriptions allow candle lovers to discover new scents and brands every month without having to manually reorder.

With a candle subscription, you sign up with a company to receive monthly shipments of candles. Most subscriptions work on auto-renewing schedules so that a new box ships out at the same time each month. Subscription lengths can vary from month-to-month to 6 months or 12 months.

Some popular candle subscription brands include:

• Scentbird
• Scent Box
• Candlebox
• Scent Trunk

Candle subscription boxes provide an easy way for candle enthusiasts to regularly try out new scents and brands. The convenience of automatic deliveries makes it a popular option for candle lovers.

How Do You Sign Up?

Signing up for a candle subscription service is a quick and easy process that usually takes just a few minutes. Most candle subscription companies have online sign up forms on their websites that walk you through the process step-by-step.

First, you’ll select your subscription plan or frequency. Most candle subscriptions offer options like monthly, bimonthly (every other month), or quarterly shipping. You choose how often you want to receive candle shipments. Monthly plans tend to be the most popular.

Next, you’ll be prompted to provide some preferences or customize your subscription. Many candle subscriptions allow you to pick your scent profile or categories, like fruity, floral, spicy, fresh, etc. Some let you customize other aspects like vessel type, color, ingredients, and more.

Finally, you’ll enter payment and shipping information. Candle subscription checkout flows work just like any other online shop. You’ll input your name, address, email, and credit card details. Some subscriptions offer promo codes you can apply as well.

That’s it! After signing up, you’ll receive a confirmation email with subscription details. Then you just sit back and excitedly await your first monthly candle delivery.

Customization Options

One of the best parts of candle subscriptions is getting to customize your monthly deliveries. Most subscription services allow you to tailor your candles to your personal preferences.

Type of Candles

You’ll have options when it comes to the type of candle you receive. Some subscriptions focus solely on scented or non-scented pillars, jars, and tins. Others give you choices across many candle forms like pillars, containers, tarts, and votives.

Scents

Scent is a major factor in choosing candle subscriptions. Select your favorite scents from each month’s fragrance options. Popular scent categories include fruity, floral, fresh/clean, gourmand, woodsy, spicy, and seasonal.

Colors

The colors of your monthly candles can be customized too. Neutral tones like cream, tan, gray, and white are perennial favorites. Or pick vivid colors like red, orange, green, blue, purple and more based on your decor.

Containers

Candle subscription boxes allow you to choose different jar styles, shapes, and sizes. For example, you may prefer simple clear glass versus patterned or frosted. The containers selected can match your home’s aesthetic.

Subscription Frequency

When signing up for a candle subscription, you’ll need to choose how frequently you want to receive candles. The most common options are monthly, bi-monthly (every 2 months), or quarterly (every 3 months).

Monthly

A monthly candle subscription means you’ll receive a new candle each month. This is the most popular option since it provides a steady stream of new candles to try out. Monthly subscriptions tend to cost between $10-$30 per month depending on the brand and candle size.

Bi-monthly

With a bi-monthly subscription, a new candle will arrive every other month. The cost per shipment may be slightly higher than monthly subscriptions, but overall it’s less expensive since you’ll only be billed every 2 months. Bi-monthly subscriptions work well if you don’t go through candles too quickly.

Quarterly

Quarterly subscriptions ship out a new candle every 3 months. The cost per candle is usually higher than monthly plans, but it’s the cheapest option in terms of total yearly spending. Quarterly subscriptions are best for people who want to occasionally try new scents but don’t need frequent deliveries.

Pricing

Candle subscription prices vary widely, but most range from around $10 to $40 per month. Here are some factors that influence the cost of a candle subscription:

Number of candles – Subscriptions that include multiple candles per shipment tend to cost more. For example, a monthly box with 2 standard candles may cost $20 while a box with 4 might be $30.

Candle size – Larger luxury candles, like those in oversized jars, usually come with a higher price tag than smaller votive or tealight candles.

Fragrance options – The ability to customize your monthly scents sometimes comes with a slight upcharge. Subscriptions that send designer and signature fragrances also tend to cost more.

Brand – Premium candle brands like Nest, Voluspa and Jo Malone command higher prices. Lesser-known brands are usually more budget-friendly.

Shipping – Where you live can impact cost due to shipping fees. Subscriptions that ship worldwide or offer expedited shipping tend to have higher monthly rates.

With so many candle subscription options on the market, there are choices at nearly every price point. Consider what’s most important to you in a subscription to find one that fits your budget.

What’s Included

One of the best parts of a candle subscription is unboxing each delivery and discovering what’s inside. Subscriptions typically include 4-6 candles per box, providing enough to keep your home smelling fresh for weeks. The specific number of candles varies by company and subscription tier.

Along with the candles, subscriptions often include matches, wax melts, fragrance oils, or other complementary items. For example, Scent Boxes include 4-5 products like candles, car fragrance clips, room sprays, and reed diffusers. Some subscriptions offer different themes or scent profiles each month to provide variety.

Higher-tier subscriptions generally include more products per shipment. For instance, Dollar & Wick’s basic box has 4 candles while the premium box has 6. Reading customer reviews can provide helpful insight into exactly what arrives in different subscriptions.

Beyond the core products, subscriptions may also include small gifts like stickers, tea bags, candy, coasters, or other surprises. Part of the intrigue is discovering what extra goodies come along with your monthly candles.

Shipping

How quickly you receive your subscription candles and how much you pay for shipping depends on the specific company. Many candle subscription services offer free standard shipping within the United States. This usually takes 5-10 business days. Some companies also provide expedited shipping options for an additional fee, which shortens the delivery time to 3-5 business days.

For international customers outside the US, shipping costs and delivery timelines can vary greatly depending on your location. Some candle subscription companies ship internationally to certain countries for a flat rate fee, while others charge variable shipping rates based on the destination. Delivery times for international orders are generally 1-4 weeks.

When comparing candle subscription services, look closely at each company’s shipping policies, costs, and timelines. Factors like where you live and how quickly you want to receive your monthly candles can help determine the right subscription service for your needs.

Additional Perks

Many candle subscription companies offer additional perks and benefits to their subscribers beyond just receiving monthly shipments of candles. From rewards programs to discounts and referral bonuses, subscribers have the opportunity to unlock extra value and savings. Here are some of the additional perks to look out for:

Rewards Programs: Some candle subscription services have loyalty or rewards programs where subscribers can earn points for every purchase. As you accumulate points, you can redeem them for free products, discounts on future orders, or other perks. This incentivizes customers to continue their subscription over the long-term.

Discounts: Subscribers may get exclusive access to discounts and promotional offers. For example, there could be a subscriber-only sale each month with candles available at a reduced price. Subscribers may also get a discount on their first month or annual subscriptions. This makes the subscriptions more affordable.

Referral Bonuses: Many candle companies offer rewards when existing subscribers refer friends and family to sign up. For every new referred subscriber, the existing subscriber may get a credit, discount, or free product. This helps companies grow through referrals while rewarding loyal subscribers.

Taking advantage of rewards programs, discounts, and referral bonuses is a great way for candle subscription members to maximize the value they get from their monthly deliveries. Keep an eye out for these extra subscriber perks offered by popular candle brands.

Cancellation Policy

Candle subscription services understand that your needs may change over time. That’s why most offer flexible cancellation policies.

In general, you’ll need to provide advance notice to cancel your candle subscription, usually around 2 weeks before your next scheduled delivery. This gives the company time to halt shipment of your next box.

As for refunds, most candle subscriptions are non-refundable. Once your order is processed and shipped out, you won’t get money back if you decide to cancel. However, some companies may provide prorated refunds depending on when you cancel.

Make sure to check the specific cancellation policy before signing up. This will outline the notice period required, any exceptions for refunds, and the process for unsubscribing from the service.

Popular Candle Subscription Brands

Candle subscriptions have exploded in popularity in recent years. Here are some of the top candle subscription brands on the market:

1. Candles by Victoria

Candles by Victoria offers a monthly candle subscription box with artisan soy candles. Subscribers can choose from scents like lavender, eucalyptus mint, and rose. The candles are hand-poured in the USA using premium ingredients.

2. ScentBox

ScentBox offers over 400 different candle scents to choose from. Subscribers can fully customize their monthly box and change scents each month. The soy candles are clean burning and dripless.

3. Scentory

Scentory has candle subscriptions that are tailored to your personality and home style. Subscribers take a quiz to determine their seasonal candle selections. The soy and coconut wax candles are non-toxic and high performing.

4. Basic Candle

Basic Candle offers a minimalist style candle subscription focused on exceptional scents. Subscriptions come with one hand-poured soy candle per month in simple packaging. Scents range from fresh cotton to tobacco and vanilla.

5. Goose Creek

Goose Creek lets you customize your monthly candle subscription down to the wax type, vessel type, scent style and burn time. Subscribers can choose between soy, paraffin or a beeswax/soy blend.