ASOS Singapore guide (2019) - promo codes, student discounts & more

I'd like to think I'm something of an ASOS expert. I've shopped there since I was a wee teenager with embarrassing dress sense. From the promo code "seasons" to the return policies, I already knew everything that I had to research for this article.
The only new piece of wisdom I found was from Clara, who told me that ASOS actually stands for "as seen on screen" (ikr????). Apparently, back in the 2000s when the site first launched, ASOS mainly sold clothing inspired by celebrities. So like, say, a dress similar to one the Olsen twins were seen wearing, or something like that.
ASOS has come a long way since then, and it has (thankfully) shaken off that cliche concept. Today, ASOS is better known for selling high street fashion apparel at an affordable price tag.
ASOS is pretty generous when it comes to dispensing discounts - they literally have promo codes for almost every occasion imaginable.
TLDR? 5 ASOS SHOPPING HACKS
If you're lazy to read about the promo codes, delivery fees and etc in detail, here are our top tips for shopping on ASOS in a nutshell:
"PERMANENT" ASOS PROMO CODES - FREE EXPRESS SHIPPING & 10 PER CENT STUDENT DISCOUNT
First things first, there are only two "permanent" promo codes on ASOS - one for delivery, and one for students.
ASOS promo code (Singapore) | Discount |
EXPRESSSING | Free express shipping over US250 |
Unique promo code for each user | 10% off for students |
FREE EXPRESS SHIPPING FOR ORDERS ABOVE $250
There are 2 types of delivery (more on that below), but the more premium of the two is the express option. It usually costs $45 to get your order delivered in 3 working days, but if you spend $250 it's free with the promo code EXPRESSSING.
The only sian thing is that you can't stack promo codes, so if you're using storewide discount code, you can't get free express shipping even if your order is above $250.
The consolation is that standard shipping is quite fast and reliable too, lah. It is trackable, and takes 7 working days at most.
10 PER CENT OFF WITH YOUR UNIQUE ASOS STUDENT PROMO CODE
ASOS has a special 10 per cent off perk for students, but it's only for the university kids. Anything level below that (e.g. primary to junior college) and you don't qualify.
It seems that all you need is a school email address, so I'm not sure but it may just work for poly students. If you've ever tried it, please tell me how it goes.
You'll first need to have an ASOS account. Then, you must apply through the ASOS website. When it's done, ASOS will send you a unique student discount code for use with your account.
SEASONAL ASOS PROMO CODES - UP TO 30 PER CENT OFF STOREWIDE
As mentioned above, ASOS is quite generous in releasing seasonal storewide promo codes for shoppers. And when I said there's one for seemingly all the observances in Singapore, I wasn't joking.
I tried compiling all the ASOS sales campaigns in 2018/2019, but there were just too many. Instead, here's a list of the holidays ASOS usually celebrates (with promo codes):
Typically, how big the discount is depends on how big of a deal the holiday is in Singapore. For example, during the Chinese New Year of the Pig (Feb 2019), there was 30 per cent off storewide with the promo code PIG30.
Similarly, there was a 30 per cent off with promo code HAPPY30 which coincided with the recent Ramadan and Hari Raya season (May 2019).
However, when it comes to public holidays that just aren't very festive - like Labour Day - the discount usually hovers around 20 per cent.
There's usually no minimum spend required, and it's applicable for use even on sale items.
ASOS DELIVERY FEES
There are two ASOS shipping options:
Delivery option | Delivery fee | Notes |
Standard delivery (7 working days) | $10.30 | Free for orders above $45 |
Express delivery (3 working days) | $45 | Free for orders above $250 (use promo code EXPRESSSING) |
You don't need to pay for international shipping to Singapore unless your order is under $45. It's 100 per cent stamp-plus-chop not worth it to order on ASOS if you can't spend at least $45 - shipping will be $10.30, which is pretty dang expensive.
But for most people, $45 is an easy minimum spend to hit. Just get a dress or two and you're probably good to go.
Although the lower tier option, ASOS's standard delivery is comparable to premium courier services that you typically costs extra at other e-commerce sites. It's trackable (so no worries about lost mail), and will take only up to 7 working days to arrive.
The premium option is express delivery within 3 working days, which costs $45. I personally don't think it's worth paying so much for unless you really need your stuff urgently.
ASOS RETURN POLICY
My absolute favourite thing about ASOS is their returns policy. ASOS allows you to return almost everything, as long as it's in its original condition (tags and all) and it's within 45 days of you receiving your order.
If you return it before 28 days, you will get a refund. From the 29th to 45th day, you will get voucher to use on ASOS instead.
This policy is awesome because I'm in between sizes for clothes and shoes. So what I like to do is order stuff is 2 sizes and return the one that doesn't fit.
Returns are also super convenient because now they partner with Aramex and NinjaVan to do courier pick-up wherever you are. For FREE.
Seriously, even your returns get collected at your doorstep at zero charge. How great is that?!
RETURN EXCLUSIONS
Most items - clothing, shoes & accessories - can be returned, but those that can't will have a note stated in the product page. It's usually an issue of hygiene, like earrings, for instance.
Items like underwear, swimsuits and makeup will have a '+' on the product page to indicate that you can't return it if you remove the original hygiene seals and wrappings.
This article was first published in MoneySmart.