Every site needs some FAQs!

What do we sell at MatchaAlternatives.com?

We sell antioxidant-rich loose leaf teas and tisanes (herbal teas). In total we have over 80 different teas and bundles! Such as:

	Super-caffeinated Yerba Mate (almost the same caffeine as coffee)
	Protein-packed Moringa Powder (antioxidants, vitamins & protein galore, a direct matcha substitute)
	Uber-antioxidant Honeybush and Rooibos (caffeine free for all-day-drinking)
	Sweet-and-smooth Green & Purple Tea (gently caffeinated focus)
	Delicate with boatloads of antioxidants White Tea (gently caffeinated focus)
	New-for-America Tulsi Holy Basil (a herbaceous decaf tea from India)
	Sleep-inducing Chamomile (compare our amazing chamomile with the dust you get in the supermarket!)
	Tea & Gift Bundles, ideal for sampling or if you don't know where to start
	Some gorgeous Teaware such as our glass pitchers and teapots.
	Finally, you can simply browse All Our Teas, or by All Collections (e.g. for sleep, caffeinated, fruity, iced, etc.).

Each one of these is available pure or in a host of blends, with only natural blending ingredients (e.g. citrus oils). We have a lot of information about each of our tea types on our website if you’re curious to learn more.

Do we sell matcha?

Nope! We sell alternatives to the matcha craze. We sell teas that are even better: tastier (not bitter, for one), cheaper and all still packed with antioxidants. Many have significantly more. 

If you want a direct matcha substitute, try our moringa tea powder, pictured – a beautifully green superfood for your cereal, latte or to drink straight. You’ll never go back to matcha after moringa! 

Learn more about Matcha and its rich history here, and why we are called MatchaAlternatives.com here

Are our teas Ethically Sourced?

YES! At Matcha Alternatives we are proud to source our teas from Ethical Tea Partnership (ETP) tea gardens. In doing so, our teas are carefully sourced from responsible suppliers who are part of this international program dedicated to providing a great product without harming the world in the process.

Where possible we go organic, but rest assured all the ingredients used in our blends are all-natural and free from artificial flavorings and colors. Read our full Ethics Statement here.

How fresh are our teas? How are they shipped?

We receive our tea shipments weekly - as fresh as possible, and are vacuum sealed. If stored correctly, our teas will retain their taste for up to three years! (Always store tea is a dark and airtight container or cupboard, as light degrades the tea removing the taste and antioxidants. After that they are still safe to drink, but won't taste of much!)

We ship our teas with the US Postal Service or UPS, and every order is fully tracked. We use cardboard boxes to prevent them being crushed or damaged during transit. No one deserves crushed tea!

Do we offer gift cards/vouchers/certificates?

Yes! Our eGift vouchers are 100% digital, meaning you'll receive a beautiful email with the voucher code that you can print at home. Optionally, we can send you a free, elegant and personalized eGift Certificate PDF to really impress. See link for details! 

Where are we based? Do we have a physical shop? Where do we ship?

We are an online tea store, selling within the USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, and parts of SE Asia (the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong). Naperville, Illinois is where we have our warehouse and our wonderful fulfillment team. Perhaps someday we'll have a physical shop, but not just yet!

We offer 100% free shipping in the USA, with no minimums in the lower 48. This is the wonder of the modern age: while Vien and I are traveling, we have an amazing fulfillment team in the US who pack and ship our teas as your order comes through. For Alaska and Hawaii there is a $46 order minimum for free shipping. You can find our international rates in the links here:

For our full Shipping & Delivery click here, and for our full Returns & Exchanges policy click here.

What’s the tea blog like? Should you subscribe?

Our MatchaAlternatives.com blog (which you're on right now) is a no-nonsense (but light-hearted) resource for everyone who is interested in herbal teas, ‘true’ teas and the science behind them. 

We go in-depth on the various teas available in our shop, but also explore the world of matcha, antioxidants and superfoods, and how these can all be incorporated into a healthy lifestyle. We also smash pseudo-science myths – it’s fun. The image shows a few of our recent posts, with many more on the way.

We publish every week or so, and YES, you should definitely subscribe! Plus, you'll receive a 15% voucher, just for subscribing. You read that right!

 

What are our prices like?

Almost all of our teas start at $6-7 for 1oz, which is about 12-14 cups of tea, which includes free shipping to your door - perfect for sampling! Then they get substantially cheaper per ounce for larger 4oz and mega 8oz packages.

We have a range of offerings from everyday to stunningly premium. Our teas average $0.37 per cup including shipping - far cheaper than a matcha where a standard cup of matcha is $1! And that’s drinking it at home, and doesn't even in include matcha shop's shipping costs.

We also have a cool bulk buy system: if you spend $50+, you get an automatic $4 off all teas in your cart. If you spend $100 you get $10 off tea, and if you spend $175 you get a whopping $20 off your tea purchase.

All this is on top of FREE shipping in the USA.

What should you do if you don’t drink loose leaf tea?

Never fear, we’ve thought of that – we sell some cool biodegradable DIY teabags that make it easy for teabag devotees to enjoy our teas. You spoon in some tea, and then chuck it into a mug or pot as normal. 

Or we sell individual tea balls, or in a set, perfect for mugs or pots.

Where should you start?

Tea Bundles! The easy way to explore our incredible selections. Because we know that you may not have heard of all our teas before, we’ve created a specific Discovery Selection that is a nice introduction to the less common but quite wonderful teas and their taste profiles (plus an included tea ball). Have a look!

Finally, you can simply browse All Our Teas, or by All Collections (e.g. for sleep, caffeinated, fruity, iced, etc.).

Where's the proof?

As promised, we with our Tea Expert & Herbalist have researched and researched, and found the following data from a whole host of robust studies. This is why Matcha Alternatives exists!

Disclaimer

And of course...all of the information regarding the herbs, botanicals, minerals, vitamins, etc., is information drawn from traditional use data or academic research and should be regarded as such. If you, the reader, has a health or medical concern, please consult your healthcare professional. The information found here is not meant to diagnose, treat, prescribe or cure and has not been evaluated by the FDA. The information here is for educational use only.