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FAQs - ordering

Troubleshooting

What does Shutterfly mean by “prints best up to…” when I am ordering my pictures?
How long will it take for my order to arrive?
What does Shutterfly mean by “not suggested for printing” when I am ordering my pictures?
Why is tax being charged on my order?
How do I know if my order has been processed or shipped?
I have items in my cart, and the promotion I had before isn’t being applied.
Can I cancel or change my order after I place it?
My order failed due to a credit card problem. How can I provide a different credit card number?

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Q: What does Shutterfly mean by “prints best up to…” when I am ordering my pictures?
A: When you order pictures, you may get a “prints best up to…” message. This indicates that the picture’s resolution is acceptable for the print sizes that are listed. We recommend comparing the resolution of your picture (by clicking Picture info next to the ‘prints best up to’ link) and comparing it to our resolution guidelines. Using these resolutions as a guide will help you print the best pictures possible.

Please note that our recommendations are based ONLY on the overall resolution (i.e., image size) of your picture, and not on the overall quality or clarity of the original picture. We are not and cannot be responsible for the original picture being blurry or out-of-focus, even if there is sufficient resolution to be ‘recommended’.

Our resolution recommendations are as follows:

Image Resolution Maximum print size
less than 640 x 480Only wallet-size prints recommended
640 x 480Absolute minimum resolution for 4x6
(results will vary)
1024 x 768Minimum recommended resolution for 4x6
1152 x 864Minimum recommended resolution for 5x7
1600 x 1200Minimum recommended resolution for 8x10 or larger

We also recommend that you use the least amount of jpeg compression possible. (This is a setting on cameras that is sometimes called “quality” or “compression”.) While high resolution and low compression will increase transfer times, they will produce the best results.

Pictures that fall below our recommended resolution guidelines may look okay when viewed online, but will appear blurry and pixellated - that is, the image will appear in blocks, with jagged rather than straight edges - when enlarged and printed.

To check the resolution of your pictures once you have them transferred to Shutterfly, go to the ‘Picture details’ page and click the Picture info link.

For large-format prints (11×14, 16×20, and 20×30), our recommendations are similar to those for an 8×10, although you may wish to help ensure the best possible print by using an image that is 3 megapixels or larger.

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Q: How long will it take for my prints to arrive?
A: The Shutterfly photo lab typically processes orders within 24 hours. Once the order is shipped, the time in transit depends upon the chosen shipping method.

Our Next Day option provides next business day service to most areas of the country. Next Day orders placed before 6:00am PST will generally be printed and shipped the same day. (Please note that 2-day and next day orders are picked up or delivered on weekends. Therefore, 2-Day orders shipped on Thursday will not arrive until 2 business days, and Overnight orders shipped on Friday will not arrive until the next business day. Orders placed Friday afternoon through Sunday night will usually be shipped the next business day.)

We also offer 2-Day service. 2-Day orders placed before 6:00am PST will generally be printed and shipped the same day.

Standard shipping typically takes about 4 days, but can range between 2-10 business days, depending upon your location. Please be advised that increased security measures have resulted in some shipping delays.

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Q: What does Shutterfly mean by “not suggested for printing” when I am ordering my pictures?
A: When you order pictures, you may get a “not suggested for printing” message. This means that the resolution of your picture is too low for the size of print you want. We recommend checking the resolution of your picture (by clicking Picture info next to the ‘not suggested’ link) and comparing it to our resolution guidelines. Using these resolutions as a guide will help you print the best pictures possible.

Please note that our recommendations are based ONLY on the overall resolution (i.e., image size) of your picture, and not on the overall quality or clarity of the original picture. We are not and cannot be responsible for the original picture being blurry or out-of-focus, even if there is sufficient resolution to be ‘recommended’.

Our resolution recommendations are as follows:

Image Resolution Maximum print size
less than 640 x 480Only wallet-size prints recommended
640 x 480Absolute minimum resolution for 4x6
(results will vary)
1024 x 768Minimum recommended resolution for 4x6
1152 x 864Minimum recommended resolution for 5x7
1600 x 1200Minimum recommended resolution for 8x10 or larger

We also recommend that you use the least amount of jpeg compression possible. (This is a setting on cameras that is sometimes called “quality” or “compression”.) While high resolution and low compression will increase transfer times, they will produce the best results.

Pictures that fall below our recommended resolution guidelines may look okay when viewed online, but will appear blurry and pixellated - that is, the image will appear in blocks, with jagged rather than straight edges - when enlarged and printed.

To check the resolution of your pictures once you have them transferred to Shutterfly, go to the ‘Picture details’ page and click the Picture info link.

For large-format prints (11×14, 16×20, and 20×30), our recommendations are similar to those for an 8×10, although you may wish to help ensure the best possible print by using an image that is 3 megapixels or larger.

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Q: Why is tax being charged on my order?
A: Items shipped to California destinations are subject to California state sales tax on both the cost of the merchandise, and any shipping/handling charge.

Prepaid Print Plans are not themselves taxed; but when prepaid prints are redeemed, tax will be charged if they are being sent to a California destination. The tax will be charged on the unit price of each s print, plus on any related shipping/handling charges.

When tax applies, the tax rate is a base rate of 7.25%, plus an additional percentage based on the county (in California) that the shipment is going to. This usually works out to a total rate of about 8.5%.

Items shipped to destinations outside of California will not incur sales tax.

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Q: How do I know if my order has been processed or shipped?
A: After you submit an order through the Shutterfly website, you will be taken to an order-confirmation screen, with an order-confirmation number. You will also receive an order-confirmation email with this same number. As soon as the order ships, you will receive an email confirming shipment.

To check your order status, sign in to your Shutterfly account and click ‘Order history/status’ on the My Shutterfly page. You will see a history of all your orders. You will also see the status of any orders that are currently being processed.

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Q: Can I cancel or change my order after I place it?
A: Due to the highly-automated nature of our system, it is impossible to change an order once it is placed. However, there is a 30-minute window once you have placed an order in which it can be cancelled.

If you wish to cancel your order (for instance, if you notice an incorrect shipping address in the confirmation message) then you can cancel it by signing in to your account, and going to the Order History page. If it is within 30 minutes of when you placed the order, you will see a link that you can click to cancel the order.

Please note that once 30 minutes has passed, your order will be processed and it cannot be cancelled.

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Q: My order failed due to a credit card problem. How can I provide a different credit card number?
A: It is not uncommon that orders fail due to credit card authorization. (A typographical error in the card number or expiration date is the most common cause of this.) If your order is not processed because of this, there is a window of 3 days in which you can update your credit card information and resubmit the order. To resubmit your order:

Sign in to your account and go to the order history page. You will see a list of all your orders. Next to any failed orders, there will be a link that says ‘Change billing info and re-try this order’. Click this link to be taken to a secure page where you can update the billing information. Update this information (if you wish, you can have the changes saved to your account) and click the ‘Re-try order’ button. Your order will be resubmitted (through our secure server as always).

Please note that at this time, it is not possible to:

  • Reorder previously-completed orders that have shipped or that you have cancelled
  • Change shipping methods, addresses, or content of orders that are in process

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