Question 1

What is an eTextbook?

Accepted Answer

An eTextbook (also known as a digital textbook or eText) is a digital, downloadable version of a printed textbook. eTextbooks can be read online or offline through any supported device (PC, Mac, Smartphone, or Tablet running iOS or Android, Kindle Fire, and Chromebook). eTextbook readers have interactive features including highlights, notes, flashcards and read aloud that allow for an engaging reading experience.

Question 2

How do I access my eTextbook after purchase?

Accepted Answer

Your eTextbooks are available immediately to you following your purchase. You can access your eTextbooks via a browser on VitalSource Bookshelf Online or through the VitalSource Bookshelf App. Note that your account and login credentials for VitalSource.com and VitalSource Bookshelf are  the same. If you wish to access your eTextbooks offline, you will need to download the Bookshelf app, see our Support site for more information.

Question 3

What devices can I read an eTextbook on?

Accepted Answer

Read your textbooks on any computer, tablet or mobile phone. VitalSource Bookshelf is compatible with both Macs and PCs as well as iOS, Android, Kindle Fire, and Chromebook devices.

Question 4

Can I access my eTextbook on more than one device?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You will be able to download and access your eTextbook onto 2 computers AND 2 mobile devices using the Bookshelf app.

Question 5

Do I have to be connected to the internet to read my eTextbook?

Accepted Answer

No! You can access 100% of your eTextbooks without an internet connection. To access your eTextbooks offline, you will need to download the Bookshelf app onto your computer, tablet or mobile device. To download the Bookshelf App,  visit the Support Site.

Question 6

Who do I contact for technical and account support issues with VitalSource and/or Bookshelf?

Accepted Answer

VitalSource Customer Support is available 24/7 year-round to accommodate your schedule.In the US and Canada, please call: 1-855-200-4146In the UK, please call: +44 800 802 1506In Australia and New Zealand, please call: +61 8 7111 3343In South Africa, please call: +27 87 550 4494In Ireland, please call: +353 76 888 6559You may also reach out to the Support site through email at support@vitalsource.com or via our online chat. Note that users in Germany and Saudi Arabia will need to email support@vitalsource.com  for support.

Question 7

What format are eTextbooks available in? What is the difference between an ePub and a PDF?

Accepted Answer

There are two formats of eTextbooks sold in the VitalSource Store, including Reflowable and Fixed Layouts.A Reflowable Textbook, is also known as an EPUB. The text is responsive, so the font size can be easily adjusted no matter the size of the screen. These books conform to EPUB 3 industry standards.A Fixed Layout Textbook is also known as a PDF. The fixed layout textbook maintains the look and feel of a bound book—the text is fixed and the screen size determines the size of the text.Both types of eTextbooks support a wide range of features, including notes, highlights, text to speech, printing, syncing across devices, and more.For more information on these formats, see our Support Site

Question 8

Can I print my eTextbook?

Accepted Answer

Restrictions around the use of copy &amp; paste and printing are set by the publisher on a title by title basis.

Question 9

What’s the process for purchasing and accessing a textbook?

Accepted Answer

Learn more about the process to purchase and access your eTextbooks through this video:

Question 10

What is your return policy?

Accepted Answer

You may cancel your VitalSource eTextbook purchase and request an immediate refund within 14 days of your initial purchase (some exclusions apply), provided that: You have not viewed and/or printed, in total, more than twenty percent (20%) of the VitalSource eTextbook. You have not yet used the access code for any online resource that may be included with your eTextbook purchase. If you purchase a VitalSource eTextbook, request a refund, and then purchase the same VitalSource eTextbook again, you will not be eligible to request any further refunds for that eTextbook. See our Returns and Refunds page to learn more about how to refund a purchase through our self service tool, and to learn more about refunds for eResources or Bulk Purchases.

Question 11

Do I have to create a VitalSource account to purchase an eTextbook?  Do you support guest checkout?

Accepted Answer

VitalSource does not offer a guest checkout. An account is required to purchase on the VitalSource store. That account is used to access your eTextbook through our eReader, VitalSource Bookshelf. After completing your purchase, your VitalSource account credentials will be used to log into Bookshelf to access your purchased eTextbooks. Note that you do not need to create a separate Bookshelf account to access your book(s).If you would like to purchase a book to gift someone else, you have the option to purchase a redemption code through our Bulk Store.  See FAQ #7 for additional information.

Question 12

Can I purchase an eTextbook if I live outside the US?

Accepted Answer

VitalSource has regional stores in the United States (including US territories), Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, Germany, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Peru, and Argentina. You may purchase from our stores provided you have a valid billing address in that country. Please select the store for your country by clicking on the flag icon in the upper right hand corner.Note: Canadian customers may purchase from our US or CA stores. However, some content in the US store may be restricted for sale to customers with Canadian billing addresses.New Zealand customers may purchase from our AU Store.

Question 13

What payment methods do you support?

Accepted Answer

You have the option to pay via credit card, PayPal or Apple Pay. Note that some of our international stores will not have PayPal or Apple Pay options available. You may see all payment options available for each region by scrolling to the bottom of the page and looking at bottom right corner of each regional homepage.

Question 14

Do I have to pay sales tax on an eTextbook?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the tax laws from the country of your billing address. Note that sales tax in the US and Canada will be applied during checkout after your billing address is provided. Outside the US and Canada, the GST or VAT is included in the price, no additional tax will be applied at checkout.United States - The amount of sales tax charged will be based on each state's digital goods tax laws. Not all states apply a sales tax to digital goods and the sales tax rates of those that do will vary by state.Canada – GST/HST will be applied based on the Province of your billing address. The tax rate varies between 5% and 15%. If there is a Provincial sales tax rather than HST, the Provincial sales tax will be applied in addition to the GST if the Provincial rate applies to digital goods. Our Canadian GST number is 788017119RT0001.Outside the United States and Canada, the following tax rates apply:  International Tax RatesCountry TaxRate Reference IDAustrailiaGST 10%ARN 300009028961Argentina VAT0%Germany VAT7%EU372016948 IrelandVAT9%EU372016948 New ZealandGST15% ARN 300009028961PeruVAT 0%Saudi Arabia VAT15%310421739300003 South AfricaVAT15% 4080281431SpainVAT4% EU372016948United Kingdom VAT0%EU372016948

Question 15

Can I purchase eTextbooks in bulk?

Accepted Answer

If you wish to purchase an eBook or eResource in bulk, please visit one of our bulk stores: US Bulk Store CA Bulk Store AU Bulk Store

Question 16

Can I purchase eTextbooks or eResources as a gift?

Accepted Answer

If you wish to purchase eTextbooks or eResources as a gift, please visit one of our Bulk Stores. You can purchase a single quantity of any item, redemption codes will be emailed to you. Students will activate their VitalSource eTextbooks via redemption code and can view their eTextbooks with VitalSource Bookshelf.

Question 17

How do I redeem a code for a book already purchased?

Accepted Answer

You can redeem a code directly in Bookshelf or by visiting our Redeem  portal.

Question 18

Is VitalSource a legitimate seller?

Accepted Answer

VitalSource is one of the leading providers of digital course materials in higher education. We are an authorized distributor for over 1,000 publishers and have over 1 million textbooks available for sale in our store. Nearly 1M students purchased from the VitalSource store in 2020. You can learn more about eBook piracy here

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