Kepler's FAQ's

How do I create a Kepler's account?

  1. Direct your web browser to https://www.keplers.com

  2. Click the orange LOGIN button in the upper right corner

  3. Under “USER ACCOUNT”, click on “Create new account”

  4. Type in a username you’d like to use for your account (e.g.: johnsmith123)

  5. Type in your email address (e.g.: [email protected])

  6. Click the box next to the text that reads, “I’m not a robot”

  7. Click on CREATE NEW ACCOUNT

  8. Sign in to the email you used to create your account and look for a new email from Kepler’s Books
    ​​​​​​​      ​​​​​​​​​​​​The subject line will read “Account details for ____ at Kepler’s Books”

  9. Click on the link in the email

  10. Click on the button that says LOG IN 

  11. In the text box labeled “PASSWORD,” type in the password you’d like to use for this account

  12. Type in the same password into the box with the label “Confirm password”

  13. Scroll to the bottom and click on SAVE

  14. Click on the Kepler’s Books and Magazines text logo in the upper left hand corner of the page

  15. You are now logged in to your account!

To sign out, click on the LOGOUT button in the upper right hand corner of the page

How do I sign into my Kepler's account?

  1. Direct your web browser to https://www.keplers.com

  2. Click the orange LOGIN button in the upper right corner

  3. Enter your username 

    1. This is NOT your email address associated with your account, it is specific username you created for keplers.com

  4. Enter your password

  5. Click LOG IN

  6. The menu will allow you to access your past orders, wish list, billing information, and more

    1. To navigate to the Kepler’s home page, click on the Kepler’s Books and Magazines text logo in the upper left hand corner of the page

      1. From there, you can search for books using the search box next to the orange magnifying glass

How do I place an order?

  1. Sign into your keplers.com account (see above)

  2. You can search for books using the search box next to the orange magnifying glass  at the top of the page 

    1. You can also click on STAFF PICKS under the search bar to see recommendations from Kepler’s staff or hover your cursor over BROWSE to access other useful book-browsing menus

  3. Once you’ve accessed a book you’d like to purchase, click on to add the book to your virtual shopping cart

  4. After you’ve added all your desired titles to your cart, click on the cart symbol in the upper right corner of the page:

  5. Click CHECKOUT

  6. Check that the email address listed is the same as the one to which you'd like to have your order confirmation emailed."

    1. This email should be the same email address as the one you used to initially create your account

  7. Click NEXT

  8. Enter the address to which you’d like your books to be shipped

  9. Click NEXT

  10. Select the shipping method you’d like to use by clicking on the circle next to its corresponding text

  11. Click NEXT

  12. If you have a physical gift card or gift code, under PAYMENT METHOD, select KEPLER'S GIFT & GIFT CODES                

    2. Click on the blank box that appears, and type in the full 12 digit number on the back of the card, or the 16 digit gift code.

      2. You can enter up to 2 gift card numbers/gift codes, separated by a comma and NO SPACES. 

    3. Be sure to select the box CHECK GIFT CARD BALANCE in order to continue. 

  13. Enter your credit card information

    1. If paying with a gift card or gift code, you will only have to enter in credit card information if the balance is not enough to cover the entire purchase, including shipping and tax

  14. Click NEXT

  15. If you are a Kepler’s Literary Circle member, enter your phone number by clicking on the white text box underneath the words “Membership ID,” then click NEXT

    1. If you are not a Literary Circle member, click NEXT

  16. Enter the billing address associated with your credit card, then click NEXT

  17. Type in any comments you’d like staff to see by clicking on the white text box under the words “Order comments”

  18. Click REVIEW ORDER

  19. Review all the information you’ve entered

    1. If it all looks correct, click SUBMIT ORDER

    2. If you need to make an edit to your information, click BACK

  20. Your order will be sent to one of our online order specialists, and you will receive a confirmation email at the email address you provided. Thank you for supporting Kepler’s Books and Magazines!

Shipping FAQs

Q: Does Kepler’s offer tracking for online orders?
A: A tracking number can be requested at [email protected]. Please provide your five-digit order number. 

Q: How do you calculate shipping costs?
A: Shipping costs are based on what Kepler’s is charged by our distributors and the mail carriers. The total shipping charge will automatically update based upon the number of books in your order. Any order of $150 or more will receive free Media Mail shipping.

Q: I am buying books for a friend/family member. Can I ship the books directly to them?
A: Yes, you can. The shipping address and the billing address do not need to match. As long as the billing address matches the credit card used for the purchase, the books can be shipped anywhere in the United States or to select U.S. territories. 

Q: Can my books be gift-wrapped?
A: Yes! We offer complimentary gift-wrapping. In the "order comments" of your order you can let us know what books you'd like gift-wrapped. 

Q: What type of box should I expect my book(s) to arrive in?
A: Your book(s) will arrive in a brown package or box, depending on the number of titles ordered. The box will have the books and a packing slip inside. 

Q: Is my package insured?
A: Yes. All packages shipped by Kepler’s are insured by the mail carrier.

Q: How long will my book(s) take to arrive?
A: The amount of time it takes for your book(s) to arrive will depend on a few factors, including which distributor warehouse it is coming from and any delays in shipment from the mail carrier. The shipping times for standard media mail shipping is 7-10 business days. If it is longer, you will be notified when the order is processed. 
(Due to the situation with COVID-19, there have been delays with warehouse processing and shipping via USPS, UPS, and other delivery services. We apologize for the longer than usual shipping times). 

Q: I used expedited shipping, but my book has not arrived and it’s been several days later. Is something wrong?
A: Due to the current situation related to COVID-19, our distributor and USPS have been experiencing delays. Shipping times might be longer than normal.

Q: I only received a partial shipment of my books. What’s wrong?
A: This could be due to two common causes. 
One is that our distributor ships from a primary warehouse in Oregon and a secondary warehouse in Tennessee. Occasionally, books are only available in the Tennessee warehouse. If an order is partially shipped from each of the two separate warehouses, the books from Tennessee will take longer to arrive. Rest assured, all of your books are on their way!
Secondly, on occasion, books will be backordered at the distributor. This usually is due to a book going through a reprint. We do our best to communicate when a book is backordered, including an expected date of shipment, if provided by the publisher. If this is the case, the rest of the order will ship first, with the backordered title shipping separately when it becomes available.

Q: How do orders for author events work?
A: If you are unable to attend an event but would like a book signed by the author, Kepler’s is happy to get a book signed for you. Please indicate in the “ Order Comments” field whether you would like to book personalized to you. We will have the book signed for you at the event, and it will be shipped out in the following 1-2 business days. You will be provided with a tracking number at that time. If there are any restrictions concerning the signing (book limits, signatures only, etc), they will be communicated to you before your order is processed.

Q: Am I a Literary Circle Member?
A: The Literary Circle is an annual paid membership with Kepler’s Books. All members earn $10 toward their next purchase for every $100 spent on books, and receive invitations to annual member sales. There are additional benefits for higher levels of membership. Your membership number is your phone number associated with the membership. Online orders can be applied to the accruement of points. Please put your membership number in the appropriate field when placing an online order and your points will be added to your account.  

Contacts & Support

Questions about book orders: [email protected]

Customer Service and book questions: [email protected]

Questions about having a book carried by Kepler's: [email protected]

Questions about having a children's book carried by Kepler's: [email protected] 

Questions about events contact Kepler's Literary Foundation: [email protected]

For information on proposing an event to Kepler's Literary Foundation click here

Email Kepler's Literary Foundation about events: [email protected]

Living Wage Initiative FAQ

An Overview: 

Kepler’s Living Wage Initiative was started in 2012 as a core tenet of the Kepler’s 2020 Project to restructure and transition Kepler’s to a new sustainable model. At that time, the starting wage of an entry-level bookseller was $9 per hour. 

Today, the starting salary of an entry-level bookseller is $20 per hour, and we’re so proud to have made these strides. There is, however, more work to be done. The living wage for a single adult in San Mateo county is now $34.69 per hour.

More detailed information about our Living Wage Initiative is available below in our FAQs. We appreciate your support and welcome your ideas and suggestions on continuing to move toward paying living wages. 

FAQs:

What is the Living Wage Surcharge?

  • Kepler’s adds an optional surcharge of 3% to help pay living wages to our staff. We can waive at time of sale or refund this charge up to 30 days after your purchase. 
  • We launched our living wage surcharge in 2021 with broad support from our community. A survey of our customers indicates that 95.6% of our customers support a living wage surcharge.

Is this surcharge mandatory?

  • No! Please let us know if you would like to opt out at any time. 

How does Kepler’s use the money raised from the Living Wage Surcharge?

  • 100% of the funds from the Living Wage Surcharge are used to increase compensation and benefits for all staff members. Already these funds have helped us:
    • Increase our starting wage from $16 to $20 per hour.
    • Increase our average wage $24.14 to $29.13 per hour.
    • Start a 401k program available to all of our employees with a company match.

What’s the gap between Kepler’s staff current compensation and living wages?

  • A new bookseller earns a starting wage of $20 per hour. The living wage for a single adult in San Mateo county is $34.69 per hour. There are similar gaps in compensation of more experienced staff with higher responsibilities.

Why doesn’t Kepler’s just raise prices?

  • Publishers set the price and print it on the books. This makes it logistically challenging to change the prices on thousands of books. Adding a living wage surcharge is our solution for this problem. 

How much is the 3% charge on an average transaction?

  • The average surcharge on a $29 hardcover book is $0.87. 
  • The average surcharge on a $17 paperback book is $0.51. 
  • The average surcharge on a $6 greeting card is $0.18. 

This is great! How do I opt in to support living wages at Kepler’s?

  • Simply by shopping with us! You can also join our membership program, attend our events, make a donation to our nonprofit, and encourage your organization to purchase books from Kepler’s.

How do I opt out of this surcharge?

  • Just let us know at the time of purchase. A refund may also be requested from our staff up to 30 days after your purchase. 

I would like to request a refund, how do I do so?

  • A refund may be requested from our staff up to 30 days after your purchase. Please contact us at [email protected] or 650-324-4321.

How else can I help Kepler’s close the gap between current wages and living wages?

  • You can support Kepler’s by becoming a Literary Circle member, shopping regularly at Kepler’s, attending Kepler’s events, donating to our nonprofit organization, and encouraging your friends and family to do the same. 

Why shouldn’t I shop for my books on Amazon and pay lower prices?

  • The money you spend at Kepler’s helps us continue our 70-year track record of being the intellectual and cultural hub for our community and support the livelihood of our hardworking staff. 

Additional Living Wage Initiative Information: 

Kepler’s Living Wage Initiative was started in 2012 as a core initiative of the Kepler’s 2020 program to restructure and transition Kepler’s to a new sustainable model. At that time the starting wage of an entry-level bookseller was $9 per hour. 

Kepler’s new leadership team realized that our biggest asset is our staff. A community bookstore will never be able to match Amazon on technology, efficiency, speed, prices, or breadth of book selection. Everything community bookstores are known for – curation, customer service, events, knowledge of books, community focus – directly depends on the caliber and energy of the bookstore’s staff.

We built support in our community by helping people understand that if we wanted to have an A team, we had to at least pay B-level wages.It was unrealistic to pay D-level wage and expect A-level performance. Since then Kepler’s has implemented several high-impact programs to improve its financials and improve wages and benefits for our staff. These include:

  • Spinning off our award-winning events program into a new nonprofit called Kepler’s Literary Foundation that’s funded by ticket sales and donations
  • Strengthening our Literary Circle membership program
  • Building a healthy Business-to-Business book sales program
  • Implementing an optional living wage surcharge

As a result of these innovations, our team’s hard work, and our community’s generous support, we have been able to steadily improve wages. The starting salary of an entry-level bookseller today is $20 per hour. The living wage for a single adult in San Mateo county is $34.69 per hour. We have our work cut out for us. We appreciate your support and welcome your ideas and suggestions.

Order FAQs

Q: What is your return policy? 
A: 

We value you as a customer, and it is important to us that you are completely satisfied with each purchase. Items may be returned directly to the store or shipped to the store.  We do not accept returns on travel and test prep books, magazines, or sale merchanise. 

Items must be:

  • Returned within 30 days of purchase 
  • Accompanied by a receipt, packing list, or other proof of purchase.
  • In saleable condition

Returns will be credited using the method of initial payment.  

Shipping charges will not be included in the total refund amount unless the wrong book or a damaged book was shipped.

Q: What happens if I do not pick up my order?
A: We hope you will pick up your order quickly, though we understand that’s not always possible.

  • You will receive emails when your order is ready, after 14 days, and a final reminder before your order exceeds our holding period.  
  • Your items are no longer returnable 30 days after your order is ready for pickup. 
  • Any items unpicked up after 90 days will have exceeded our holding period and will be returned to our shelves.

Q: What happens if I need to change or cancel my order?
A: Just let us know! Whether you realize you already have that book at home or just need your order shipped, you can always reach out to us and we're happy to help. Contact us at [email protected] or by calling the store at 650-324-4321 (For online orders be sure to have your five digit order number handy!).