FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Who profits from this shop?

100% of the proceeds from the Wikipedia store go to the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit organization that operates Wikipedia and other free knowledge projects. The profits are earmarked toward our Merchandise Giveaways Program to reward those who have made an impact on the projects.

Why don't I get a t-shirt or other item if I make a donation?

At this time we don't offer gift premiums when you make a financial contribution to the Wikimedia Foundation. However, we do try to offer the lowest possible price on the merchandise in the shop.

 

Are purchases tax deductible?

All of the purchase price of the item goes directly to funding the cost of the merchandise and the shop overhead, therefore we're not able to provide a tax receipt for any of the purchase. You can make a donation to the Wikimedia Foundation, which may be tax deductible in the country where you donate from, by visiting donate.wikimedia.org.

Where do your products come from?

We only source merchandise from socially responsible businesses with ethical manufacturing practices. Our branded products are manufactured in the United States, China, India, Pakistan, El Salvador, and Guatemala. Unless otherwise mentioned all apparel decoration is done in the United States on blanks from the above countries.

Will my order get to me without any issues?

We use USPS (United States Postal Service) and FedEx for deliveries inside the United States and abroad. All of our shipments leave the United States and will likely spend time in the customs for the country where the shipment arrives. We cannot provide any customs clearance estimates, but in most cases shipments may spend anywhere from one to three days in customs.

Why don't you accept my currency?

Right now we're able to show dozens of global currencies to give you a sense of how our prices convert into other currencies. We're working to implement new payment systems that will allow us to accept not only different currencies, but also dozens of different regional payment systems.

Why does shipping cost so much?

Shipping products internationally is always going to cost more than a domestic shipment. We've created the 'Wikimedia flat-rate global' shipping option, which is $15 USD, to provide a cost-effective way to send a shipment anywhere in the world. In some cases your shipment costs could be well under $15 USD, but when it isn't, and when your order is under 5lbs (about 2.2Kg), we provide a subsidized flat rate so customers in all parts of the world can purchase products at a reasonable rate.

We're Wikipedia - why can't we make our own t-shirts!?

Right now we want to make sure we have a minimum collection of high-quality, durable, and high-value products with the Wikipedia and Wikimedia project marks. We're actively looking at services that would allow small-batch printing of user-submitted designs, and soon we will begin to offer limited-edition user-submitted designs posted on Wikimedia Commons.

Will my shirt fit? How do you think about sizes?

We've worked hard to ensure that the sizes we offer will work for many different shapes and sizes of customers from all over the world. We offer products that come in a range of shapes, including Unisex and Womens' styles in a full range of typical U.S. style sizes (small through 4XL).  As we introduce new products, we'll add even more information about product fits and sizes.

Where can I learn more about the merchandise efforts of the Wikimedia Foundation?

You can check out the information and discussion pages on Meta-Wiki, our project-wide collaboration wiki.