RACGP Online Store – FAQs

What can I use merchandise for?

Merchandise can be used as giveaways at member or student events or in satchels for sponsorships. A number of items in our online store are more appropriate for corporate gifts, to thank guest speakers, or volunteers or visiting delegates. You’ll see the price point for each suggests the nature of how they should be used – obviously the more expensive pieces shouldn’t be given away at a uni open day to hundreds of students!

A required field on the order form is to outline what you’ll be using your merchandise for – this is to help us better tailor the types of items we have on offer and see if there are other opportunities to leverage the RACGP brand. It also provides some context for the approving manager.

If you’ve got any questions about what is appropriate for your needs, please contact marketing@racgp.org.au.

Who can place an order?

All RACGP staff have access to the RACGP Merchandise group on Workplace to browse the image gallery of items available in the store. If they would like to order something, they need to contact an authorised ‘requestor’ who can log in to the online shop and order any of the items in the store. A list of requestors is available in the Workplace group.

How do I place an order?

To place your order is a simple process, similar to other ecommerce sites you’d be familiar with.

  1. Click on the ‘shop’ from the top navigation menu, then browse for the item you’d like to order.
  2. Click on the image of the item to open the order form, then navigate your way through a series of drop down menu items to enter in your requirements. All fields must be filled out in to allow your order to be finalised.
  3. Once you’ve completed all fields, click ‘add to cart’ and from there, you can continue shopping or ‘view cart’ to progress.
  4. Use the cart to review your order and make sure all fields are filled out correctly. You have the ability to make updates to quantity at this stage. Once you’re happy with the order, you can progress to checkout by clicking on the button at the bottom of the page.
  5. To complete your order at the checkout, you will need to fill out your shipping address and then click on ‘next’. Once you’ve entered this on your account, it will remember it for future orders.
  6. Each order is subject to a $15 handling fee – this will be added to your order. Freight is added after the order is received by Brand Republic, and then included in the request for approval. see ‘Freight’ in the menu navigation for more details
  7. Click on ‘Complete order’.

Once you’ve submitted your order, you will receive an order confirmation email for your records.

What is the approvals process?

  1. Requestor submits an order through the online store
  2. Brand Republic receives the order and prepares a freight quote before sending to nominated approver for sign off (the requestor will be cc’d in this email)
  3. Approver reviews and either approves or rejects the order (and all associated costs and budget lines)
  4. Once approval is received, Brand Republic officially progresses the order
  5. The items should leave the Brand Republic warehouse in Melbourne within two days of the order being approved

What if there’s not enough of the item I want?

We have pre-purchased a set quantity of each piece of merchandise and will be monitoring which items prove popular to try and stay on top of stock levels. Having said that, there will be occasions when we are running low.

If you order something that is not in stock, an alert will pop up within the shopping cart outlining how many units we currently have in stock. For example, if you want 250 of something but only 120 are available, you will have the option to either remove the item completely or update your quantity to the amount available.

You can select ‘add to cart’ and either wrap up the order there and then, or continue shopping to top up your numbers with another item.

What if my cost centre or project code or expense code is not available?

Cost centres, projects codes and expense codes are regularly being updated by RACGP Finance and we will try to keep the online store up to date with any changes. However, we cannot be across all updates so if your code is missing from the drop down list, please contact marketing@racgp.org.au to have it added in.

How can I see what’s in my shopping cart?

At any stage, if you’d like to go to the shopping cart, you can click on the shopping bag icon in the top right hand corner of your screen.

How do I pay for my order?

The new merchandise range has been pre-purchased by Marketing and departments will need to reimburse the Marketing budget with an internal transfer once they make a purchase from the online store. Each order will have a cost centre, project code and expense code allocated to it – At the end of the month, Brand Republic will send an order summary to RACGP Accounts Payable who will then organise an internal payment transfer, based on the budget lines that you provided in your order.

Custom orders will need to be paid for directly by each department – Brand Republic will raise an invoice for this and send to you directly for payment.

Please note, all orders are subject to handling and freight fees and it will be the responsibility of the department to cover these fees.

What are the fees and charges?

All of the items on the portal are at cost price and have been paid for upfront by Marketing. Departments and faculties will need to reimburse Marketing for their purchases and shipping.

Beyond the cost of each piece of merchandise, there are other costs that will be added along the way.

  • Handling fee– a $15 handling fee will be added to every order to cover the costs at the warehouse end. This accounts for having a Brand Republic staff member count out your items, wrap them up and organise the courier. Where possible, we suggest you consolidate your orders and try and do them in bulk so you’re not having to pay for multiple handling fees.
  • Freight– there is a flat fee of $18 for the first carton, and $9 for each additional carton. This cost will be quoted after the order has been processed as Brand Republic needs to consider the size of your order on a case by case scenario. For more information, please refer to the ‘Freight’ page.
  • Storage- all merchandise is stored off site at Brand Republic’s warehouse and Marketing is covering the costs of this bill.

What should I do if I’ve selected the incorrect cost centre, project or expense codes and need to change it after placing my order?

We understand that sometimes the incorrect codes may be entered when placing an order. If this has occurred, you can rectify it by cancelling and resubmitting your order with the correct details.

If you are the approver, please ensure you only approve an order if all the information listed is correct. If any details are incorrect, please reject the order and highlight why. The requester will then need to resubmit their order.

If you are the requestor, have placed an order but realise the details are incorrect after your approver has approved your order, please notify Nicki Jackson (production@racgp.org.au) to cancel your order. You will then be required to resubmit your order.

Who is Brand Republic?

Brand Republic is a major supplier of promotional uniforms and merchandise in the corporate field and is the preferred supplier partner for the RACGP. We are responsible for collating and distributing all orders received via this online store and are the main host for all of RACGP’s merchandise requirements.

​Your Account Manager is Gina- her contact details can be located on the ‘contact us’ part of this online store. For any questions relating to this website or other merchandise requirements, please contact her directly.

​Brand Republic has the capabilities to provide more than 500,000 quality promotional products sourced both locally and through our offshore affiliated factories allowing us to deliver on all your merchandise needs. For a further insight into some of the items we are able to offer in conjunction with what is available in this online store, please visit www.brandrepublic.com.au or give Gina a call directly.

What if I need to return something?

If you have purchased an item which needs to be returned or exchanged please email your accounts manager gina@brandrepublic.com.au, to facilitate for you.

Are these items ethically sourced?

Brand Republic has agreed to the terms outlined in the RACGP’s terms and conditions of supply. This includes reference to ethical sourcing and exploitation of homeworkers. Brand Republic are affiliated with the Australasian Promotional Product Association (APPA) which is the only professional trade association specifically for the promotional products and promotional marketing industry in the Australasian region. APPA promote the development, integrity, professionalism and creativity of the advertising form dedicated to promotional products and promotional marketing ensuring good business practices and the highest industry and community standards.