Cider, checked: cute, cheap-ish, and a 14-day clock on returns.
A sign-up discount, app-only points, a friend’s referral link and one free return per order. Here’s the order to use them in, and where the savings stop.
Cider sells trend pieces that look a step up from SHEIN, at prices a step up too. The best savings come before your first order: use a friend’s referral link or the sign-up offer, and shop in the app so you earn Cider Club points. After that, the fine print matters. U.S. returns are free for the first return per order, but you get only 14 days from delivery, so try things on fast and send them back in one box.
Ways to pay less at Cider, checked
01 / Deals- Price7Above SHEIN, below most mall brands
- Style8Fast on trends, less clutter than the giants
- Quality6Mostly synthetics; knits and denim vary
- Returns6First return free, but only 14 days
- Loyalty value6Useful but app-only and hard to price
- Founded
- 2020
- Return window
- 14 days from delivery
- Free returns
- First return per order (U.S.)
- Loyalty
- Cider Club, in the app
Cider savings
A referral gets new customers 20% off and free shipping on their first app order, and the friend who sent it gets $20 off. If someone you know shops Cider, ask for their link before you sign up.
Joining with your email or in the app brings a first-order discount of up to 15% in the U.S. The exact amount changes, so check what shows at checkout. Expect to use this or a referral, not both.
Standard shipping is free once your cart passes a set total. Cider has moved that line several times, so check the banner or checkout before you add filler items.
Points come from orders, reviews and filling in your profile. Redeem them in the app for coupons, free shipping or reward items worth up to $40. Points last 12 months.
Cider runs a student discount through verification partners like UNiDAYS and Student Beans. The rate changes, so compare it with the sign-up offer and use the bigger one.
What’s good, what isn’t
02 / ReviewWorth it for
- A tighter, more styled range than SHEIN or Temu
- First return on each U.S. order ships free with a prepaid label
- Referral and sign-up offers make the first order clearly cheaper
- Curve sizing and a body-size tool on the site
Watch out for
- 14 days to return, counted from when your last item arrives
- A second return on the same order is at your cost
- Most fabrics are polyester, spandex and other synthetics
- Points, tiers and rewards live in the app, not on the website
Good fit if you want
- Shoppers who want trend pieces with a more put-together look
- First-time buyers who can get a friend’s referral link
- People who try things on the day the parcel lands
Skip it if
- You want natural fibers or clothes built to last years
- You often need a few weeks to decide what to keep
- You want the very lowest price per item
First order: referral beats the sign-up pop-up
Cider’s best discount is the one you get only once. A friend’s referral link gives you 20% off plus free shipping on your first app order. The regular sign-up offer is up to 15% off. Use one or the other, not both, and put your biggest planned cart on that first order.
After that, shop in the app. Cider Club points only show up there, and so do the tier perks. Spend $150 to reach CiderPal and $500 to reach CiderBFF. Free-shipping coupons go from 1 a year to 2, then 6, and the top levels add early access. Points expire 12 months after you earn them, so spend them rather than hoard them.
Returns: 14 days, one free label
In the U.S. you get 14 days from receiving all items to start a return. The first return from an order is free and comes with a shipping label. A second return from the same order costs you the shipping. Items need to be unworn, with tags and original packaging, and any shipping you paid on the order isn’t refunded.
The practical rule: open everything the day it arrives, try it all on, and send back what doesn’t work in one parcel. Split returns and slow decisions are how a cheap order stops being cheap.
Sizing, fabric and the “made to order” pitch
Letter sizes run differently from style to style, so check the garment measurements on each product page and compare them with a piece you already own. Cider has a Curve range and a body-size tool. Pre-order items take longer to ship than in-stock ones, so check the date on the product page if you need something by a weekend.
Cider says it produces in small batches and cuts styles that don’t sell, which should mean less deadstock. It hasn’t published data on materials, emissions or factory audits, though, and most pieces are synthetic. Treat it as fast fashion with a smarter supply chain, not a sustainable brand.
Cider vs the alternatives
03 / Compare| Cider | SHEIN | ASOS | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price level | Low to mid | Lowest | Low to high |
| What it sells | Own trend label | Huge own-label range | Own labels + brands |
| Free shipping | Above a set minimum | From $29 | From $20 with Premier |
| Free returns | First return per order | First return per order | 28 days, account holders |
| Loyalty | Cider Club (app) | Points + SHEIN Club | ASOS.WORLD |
Pick Cider for styled trend pieces a notch above the ultra-cheap sites, SHEIN when price per item is all that matters, and ASOS when you want name brands and a 28-day window to decide.
Before you check out
04 / Tips- Ask a friend for their referral link before you create an account.
- Put your biggest planned cart on the first order, while the discount is largest.
- Try everything on the day it arrives. You have 14 days from the last item’s delivery.
- Return everything from one order in a single parcel so the label stays free.
- Compare garment measurements with clothes you own instead of trusting the size letter.
Cider questions people actually ask
Does Cider have free shipping?
Yes, standard shipping is free once your order passes a minimum. Cider has changed that amount over time, so check the banner or checkout for the current number before you add extras.
Are Cider returns free in the U.S.?
The first return from each U.S. order is free, with a prepaid label. If you make a second return from the same order, you pay the shipping. The original shipping charge isn’t refunded.
How long do I have to return to Cider?
14 days from receiving all items in the order. Items must be unworn, with tags attached and in their original packaging.
How do Cider points work?
Cider Club is free and runs in the app. You earn points from orders, reviews and your profile, then swap them for coupons, free shipping or reward items worth up to $40. Points expire after 12 months.
Is Cider sustainable?
Not in any way you can verify. It makes small batches and drops slow sellers, which can cut waste, but most fabrics are synthetic and it hasn’t published material or factory data. It’s fast fashion.
More fashion brands we’ve checked
All Fashion →
ASOS
Own labels plus big brands. Premier and free returns, with a fair-use catch.
SHEIN
Rock-bottom prices. Know the shipping, points and return rules.