Shutterfly saying goodbye to free storage for non-paying customers

November 11, 2022November 11, 2022 Gary Pageau BorrowLenses, MyPublisher, Shutterfly

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Personalized product leader Shutterfly is notifying lagging customers that, due to an upcoming change in its 2023 Terms of Service, there is no longer free lifetime storage unless a purchase is made. The move is consistent with many other photo services, like Google Photos and Shoebox, which ended free unlimited storage of photos.

At one time (and prior to its current ownership) Shutterfly‘s marketing promotions emphasized long-term free photo storage as a core offering. In the year 2013 – in which Shutterfly went on a buying spree (BorrowLenses, R&R Images, and MyPublisher) – the company purchased cloud-based photo-organization company ThisLife.

Below is the message from the customer email:

We’ve missed you. You’ve trusted us to store and protect your photos since 2013, but we’ve noticed you haven’t ordered anything in several years. We want to let you know that we’re making some changes to our photo storage offering.

Starting in 2023, our free photo storage will only be available to active Shutterfly customers. Don’t lose your cherished images. Simply make a purchase to remain active — no minimums — at least once every 18 months to protect your photos and continue to enjoy unlimited storage.

Act now to keep your account active! Order within the next 5 days, and we’ll give you 50% off your order of $29 or more*.

We’ll keep your memories safe, while you treat yourself or someone else to picture-perfect prints, mementos and gifts.

FAQs

Why am I receiving this email?
There hasn’t been a purchase from this account in more than five years. We are updating our Terms and Conditions in 2023 to require an order – even if it’s small – at least once every 18 months to keep your account active and continue enjoying our unlimited photo storage.

What do I have to do?
No action is required, but we encourage you to place an order soon to maintain your active participation status.

What happens if I don’t place an order?
You will receive future communications with specific information about your photo storage account in the coming months.

Written by Gary Pageau

Gary Pageau is principal of InfoCircle LLC, continuing his marketing communications career. InfoCircle LLC is a marketing and communications consulting firm, specializing in business-to-business markets. For nearly 25 years, he was with PMA International, serving most recently as Publisher, Content Development and Strategic Initiatives. His primary responsibilities included overseeing the Association’s editorial department, marketing research unit, education and corporate relations department.