Frequently Asked Questions

WHAT METHODS OF PAYMENT DO YOU ACCEPT?
We accept payment by Visa or Mastercard, but you don't need a credit card to shop with us - we accept payment by EFT and direct deposit too.

PLEASE EXPLAIN YOUR DELIVERY OPTIONS?
Delivery (to main city centres in South Africa only) is free on orders over R1500. If your chosen address falls into what is deemed an "outlying area" by our couriers, we will contact you with a quotation. Postage is free on all orders over R1500, anywhere in South Africa. If your order is under R1500, shipping will be calculated during the checkout process. Shipping costs depend on where your books are being delivered to, and start from R90 for delivery, and R60 for postage. Please click here for more information.

Our offices are based in Randburg in Johannesburg, so if you live or work nearby (or don't mind driving across town), you are more than welcome to collect your books from us (between 9am and 4pm, Monday to Friday) once you have placed your order and you have received an SMS from us to let you know that your order is ready.

HOW DO I KNOW IF YOU HAVE A BOOK IN STOCK OR NOT?
We keep very limited stock at any one time, so we might not always have every book you require in stock (new stock is arriving on a daily basis though).

Most books are ordered from their respective publishers on demand, which can take from seven days to eight weeks, depending on where in the world the book is published, and whether the publisher holds loal stock or not. If there is a note alongside a product that clearly states that we have the item in stock, we are able to ship within 24-48 hours of receiving your order.

Please familiarise yourself with the delivery times listed alongside each textbook before you place your order - we don't want you or your children getting into trouble if your books are not in stock, especially if you're ordering at the last minute and the new school term is about to start. We know how rushed being a parent can be at times! Alternatively, please give us a call to check if we have stock, or email your book list to us at  customercare[at]redpepperonline.co.za

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO PLACE MY ORDER?
The ideal time to order books for school, college or university is in October or November of the year preceding your child's new academic year. Publishers often run out of stock by late December, meaning that books are being reprinted in January and WILL be delayed. If your child's school or college has partnered with us, we will always hold stock of their prescribed books up until mid-December. Once our stock runs out, we will order top-up stock if parents are still ordering, but there may be delays depending on publisher availability, especially where books need to be imported from overseas.

WHERE DO I BUY E-BOOKS?
E-books are available to purchase and download from our Snapplify store. You can click here to visit our Snapplify store now. 

Please click here to view step-by-step instructions (whether you're technically-challenged or not) on buying e-books and setting up your tablet or smartphone to use the Snapplify app.

NEED MORE HELP?
We have real, live human beings working here at Red Pepper Online, so please give us a call (between 9am and 4pm, weekdays only) on 011-958-2474 if you are stuck, or if you have some specific questions. You are also more than welcome to send an email to one of the Peppers in our Customer Care team at customercare[at]redpepperonline.co.za

Happy shopping, and we hope that you enjoy your online experience with South Africa's friendliest online bookshop!