Free Coin Shipments, Waiting Room for US Mint Customers

Most US coin collectors probably already know about the free-shipping promotion from the United States Mint. It’s been in place since late July and lasts through September 30, 2013, at 5 PM ET.

Until then, orders placed through the US Mint’s website will not be charged for standard shipping. That’s a $4.95 savings. Additionally during the time, the cost of expedited shipping has been cut by $4.95 to $12.95. Orders not placed through the Mint’s website will incur the normal shipping fees. Also, the promotion does not apply to international shipments.

When the US Mint introduced the promotion, officially entitled its "Sizzling Summer Savings," it noted it was to encourage Web-based sales and that the period was an ideal opportunity for customers to try out new website features that would be rolled out in August.

Some of those new features have since been explained, with a rollout of a new shopping cart and online waiting room coming Friday, August 30, 2013. The US Mint has offered images of the new changes, which are shown further below and may be enlarged with a click.

Many of the shopping cart improvements are based on customer feedback, according to the Mint, with pages offering more information yet easier to read. One of the major changes, the addition of the online waiting room, is to:

"Alleviate web system slowdowns and crashes that can occur when a high-demand product is released," the US Mint said.

During a high-demand product release, customers entering the online store will have the option to continue through to the Mint’s waiting room or return later. If the waiting room is selected, customers will see a display offering how long it will be before they can enter the store.

Four US Mint provided images show and describe the online shopping changes.