In 2018, we have launched our credit system: a special privilege ONLY available to the exclusive members of the ZenMarket Loyalty Program.
But now we have some news!
As of September 1st, 2023, we've been hard at work making your experience with us even more rewarding, and we're thrilled to announce some significant enhancements to our Loyalty Program including:
- Cashback in ZenPoints for International Shipping: To show our gratitude for your continued support, we've added a special feature. Now, you will be able to get Cashback in ZenPoints for international shipping, opening up a world of possibilities!
- Revamped Credit System: We've taken your feedback to heart and completely overhauled our credit system. Earning and redeeming credits is now smoother and more satisfying than ever!
UPDATE - FEBRUARY 2024
After carefully observing how customers use the new loyalty program, we have found some room for tweaks so that this program will be available for even more customers!
That's why from March 1st 2024, the following changes will come into effect:
- The loyalty tier calculation will be based on the total value shipped in the previous 4 calendar months instead of the previous 3 calendar months
- Some tier thresholds have been updated - see updated image below
We received a bounty of feedback about the new program over the last few months and found that there was a big opportunity to help customers get into the loyalty program and stay there.
To better serve our customers, we would like to take this opportunity to further explain our revamped Loyalty Program & Credit System!
What is the ZenMarket Loyalty Program?
The ZenMarket Loyalty Program is an exclusive program we developed as a thank you gift to all our loyal customers for their continued patronage of our service. Membership is granted automatically on the 1st of every month to customers who have shipped items of a total price of ¥15,000 (or more) within the previous 4 calendar months regardless of when those items were purchased.
At the moment, members of our loyalty program have the ability to make purchases and place bids on auctions using the amount of credit allocated, without first adding funds. However, the credit should be paid back within a month.
Not only that! From September 1st, 2023, those customers who have reached at least level 2 will also get Cashback in ZenPoints that can be used for international shipping!
How is my Membership Level determined?
Your membership level is determined based on the total price of the items you shipped over the previous 4 calendar months. This amount is recalculated on the 1st of every month, and your level can increase or decrease based on how much you have shipped with us during this period.
For example, if you shipped items of a total of ¥60,000 between November 1st, 2023 and February 29th, 2024, you will become level 2 member, have ¥20,000 of credit and be qualified for a 0.4% cashback in ZenPoints on the value of all items shipped as of March 1st, 2023.
What do you mean by "Cashback in ZenPoints"?
Starting level 2 and up, members will receive up to 1% of the price of the items they ship in ZenPoints. Please see below on how to use ZenPoints.
How do I use any ZenPoints I have earned?
Points are one of our new additions to the ZenMarket Loyalty Program. They are called ZenPoints. ZenPoints can be used to pay for international shipping. ZenPoints are applied automatically when paying for international shipping on a package. 1 ZenPoint is equal to ¥1.
What happens if I have both ZenPoints and funds on my account? Can I choose which one I want to use?
For now, ZenPoints can only be used to pay for international shipping and they will be automatically deducted from your account when you go to pay the shipping fee on a parcel.
Let's say you have 3,500 ZenPoints and ¥2000 in "Your Balance" and you have to pay for an international shipping of ¥4,500. After you confirm the payment, you will now have 0 ZenPoints and ¥1,000 in "Your Balance". In other words, you will have only had to pay ¥1,000 out of your funds balance.
If you want to learn more about our ZenPoints introduction, please refer to this blog.
How do I find out how much credit I have?
To find out how much credit you have, simply log into your account. At the top-right of the page, next to where your balance is, you will see a "Credit Limit". For example, in the image below, the account has ¥20,000 in credit. If you do not see this, it means that you currently do not have any credit available.
You can find out more information about your loyalty tier status on the levels tab on your account.
How do I use my credit?
Credit can be used just like funds, except that it can only be used for purchases and bids. It cannot be used to pay for international shipping costs or shipping insurance.
For example, if you have ¥20,000 in credits and ¥10,000 in funds like in the example below, you can purchase items or make bids of up to ¥30,000.
Credit will be used automatically once you have exhausted your funds balance, and will be treated like having a negative balance on your account.
What can I pay for or not pay for with credit?
You can use credits to pay for everything (item costs, domestic shipping costs, ZenMarket service fees, and extra packaging fees for large products) except for international shipping and insurance costs.
Can I use my credit without using my balance?
This is not possible. If you have money in your account, it will always be used first, with the difference between your account balance and the purchase price being covered by your credits.
For example, if you buy an item worth ¥15,000 with ¥20,000 in credit and ¥10,000 in funds, you will have -¥5,000 in your balance. This is because all of your funds have been used to pay for the item and the missing ¥5,000 was covered by your credit. You can still use up to an additional ¥15,000 worth of credit without having to add funds, but please note that you are not allowed to ship items with a negative balance in your account, unless you have enough ZenPoints.
Do I have to pay back anything I buy with credit?
Yes, in the same way you must pay for anything you buy with a credit card, you must repay anything bought with ZenMarket credits.
How much time do I have to pay back any credit I have used?
You have a maximum of 1 month to repay the negative balance from the day of your transaction. Please also note that we cannot ship items to anyone with a negative balance unless you have enough ZenPoints to cover the shipping cost, so if you don't have enough ZenPoints but would like to ship out packages, please ensure you repay the credit amount.
Can I ship my items if I have a negative balance?
No, as a rule, unless you have enough ZenPoints to cover the international shipping fee, we cannot ship items to anyone who has a negative balance on their account. If you don't have enough ZenPoints, you will need to repay all the credit you have used before we can ship your items out with no exception.
Say for example you bought two items with credit but would like to receive item B first. You cannot repay just item B and have it shipped to you. You need to pay back the entire negative balance for both items before you are able to pay for shipping. To that end, it is impossible to use credit to pay for international shipping.
The items can still be shipped separately, it is just that you cannot ship any items if your balance is negative, unless your ZenPoints can cover the shipping cost of a parcel.
Is there a charge for using the credit?
No, there is no charge for using the credit system. All you have to ensure is that you pay back the credit amount that you have used before you send your package. You have up to 1 month to do so.
I am worried about the unauthorized use of my credit. Is it possible to reduce my credit amount?
Yes, the credit limit can be reduced to zero!
However, we cannot manually change the credit limit to a set amount because it won't be adjusted even when your account no longer qualifies for that level of our loyalty program (i.e your credit will not be able to increase or decrease with your purchases).
If you wish to remove the credit function from your account, just contact us via the message chat on your account.
Can you increase my credit amount? I ship high value parcels but not often.
From March 1st, 2024, our credit system will be calculated automatically based on the price of the items you buy and if they were shipped in the last 4 calendar months.
So if your items shipped in the last 4 calendar months are over ¥15,000 you will be granted level 1 of our Loyalty Program which includes a credit limit of ¥5,000. Please refer to the image at the top to see what do you need to increase your Loyalty Program level.
I shipped items over ¥60,000 and my credit remains at ¥5,000. What is wrong?
Please read the points below to understand how our system works.
1. How long has it been since today and the day your items were shipped overseas?
Our system recalculates the amount of credits in your account on the first day of every month based on the price of the products shipped until the last day of the previous month. For example, on 1st of March 2024, the system will calculate the price of items shipped between 1st November 2023 - 29th February 2024 (4 calendar months).
Please note that credits will not be recalculated in the middle of the month or on the day you shipped an item that surpassed a given loyalty tier threshold. The 4-month shipped value, and the credit allocation will be calculated on the first day of the next calendar month.
2. Have the items all been shipped within the past 4 calendar months?
Credits are awarded based on the price of the items shipped in the last 4 calendar months, not the total price of the items shipped since you have registered.
In other words, your credit amount for March will be determined on March 1st by adding up the total amount shipped in November, December, January and February.
On April 1st, your loyalty tier will be recalculated by using the total amount shipped in December, January, February and March.
We hope that we have been able to answer all your questions about our credit system! If you still have any doubts or further questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to us by contacting us here.
