Find answers to frequently asked questions here. The first section contains the most frequently asked questions, then the rest are sorted by topic.
If you can't find the answer to your question, ask us!
Email: hello@fishadelphia.com
Phone/Text: (267) 666-0924
You sign up for a Membership and pay for either a year, 3 months, or a month worth of Shares. We buy fish and shellfish directly from fisherfolk, docks, and farmers in NJ. We bring the fresh fish to Philly, and you pick up your Share at your chosen location every other week. You are also part of our Fishadelphia community: we share fun facts about and recipes for how to cook your fish; and we hope you share with us what you make and your experiences as a Member!
Read more about our Rates here.
We have a sliding scale for our Seafood Club, which means that you choose how much to pay based on how much money you make. People who can pay more help manage costs for those who pay less.
Our prices can seem expensive compared to other options. We stand by them as necessary to bring fresh, traceable seafood to consumers while also supporting our community-oriented goals.
If you have concerns about costs, you can make your money go farther with Fishadelphia by selecting Whole Fish (you will get more fish with each Share that is finfish); and to sign up for an annual membership (10% discount).
You can stop being a Member at any time (we will miss you, though)!
Read more about our cancellation policy here.
You can sign up and pay through our web site with a credit card and PayPal, and you will then be billed automatically thereafter.
We currently do not accept cash, Venmo, Cash App, or EBT, though at times in the past have been able to through partners. If you are eligible for EBT, you are eligible for our Community Rate; read more about our Rates here.
Our goal is to provide you with the best, freshest fish—so fresh that we can’t say what you’ll get until the week it’s caught! Thus, you don't get to choose which fish you receive.
We send messages telling you what kind of fish you will be getting a few days before your Pickup.
Common species include:
Black sea bass, Clams, Dogfish, Fluke (summer flounder), Monkfish, Oysters, Skate, Scallops, Tilefish, Tuna
Currently all memberships will receive shellfish on some weeks.
Though these are different situations, we have the same options available.
1. You can donate your Share. We know many hungry people who will appreciate it! Click the "skip pickup" button in your email for that week, or contact us to say you’re donating/skipping your share and we’ll do the rest.
2. You can find a friend to pick up your Share for you. If you’re out of town, you can ask your friend to freeze your share for when you return. If it’s because you can’t eat that type of fish, they can enjoy your Share in your stead. If you have a shellfish allergy or follow Kosher guidelines, we recommend that you find a buddy to split your Membership!
If you have a friend doing pickup for you, no need to specifically tell us about the switch; just make sure they know how to pick up a Share.
3. You can pause your pickup for the week if you know ahead of time you'll be away. Click the "Pause Subscription" button on your account management portal before Friday on the week before the pickup. You can restart your subscription at any time! Read more about our pausing functionality here.
Read all about our pickup locations, schedules, and policies here.
We don’t deliver.
Yes! You can suspend your membership if you know that you'll miss an upcoming pickup - just go to your subscription portal and click the orange "Pause Subscription" button.
This stops both your upcoming payments and your pickups. For pickup related purposes, pauses go into effect on Fridays. So if you know that you'll be away, you have to pause by the Friday preceding a pick up week.
We have two options:
Whole Fish: You will get 1.5-4 lbs of whole fish that is not scaled, gutted, or deboned for each Share. On weeks that you get shellfish, you will get an equivalent amount of whole shellfish in the shell. There are some exceptions for the whole fish: tilefish are gutted on board the boat (but are not scaled); if the fish are very large (e.g., tuna, swordfish, monkfish, dogfish), you will receive fillets. For resources on how to clean, store, and cook whole fish, see our tips here!
Fillet: You will receive 1-1.5 lbs of fillets or an equivalent amount of whole shellfish in the shell (like clams or oysters) for each Share. In some cases, we will leave skin on your fillets. We expect fillets to be scaled and deboned, but pin bones can be an inevitable feature of some species, and your fillets may occasionally include stray scales.
Everything you need to know about the kinds of seafood you'll get in your share
Common species include clams, oysters, fluke, black sea bass, tilefish, monkfish, tuna, dogfish, skate, and scallops.
Currently all memberships will receive shellfish on some weeks.
Check out our Species page for availability by month and more information about the species, including recipes.
Whole Fish Club: 1.5 to 4 lbs of whole fish (not scaled or gutted)
Fillet Club: 1 to 1.5 lbs of finfish fillets
All members will receive an equivalent quantity of shellfish some weeks.
Whole fish are not scaled or gutted. Check out or whole fish page for tips on how to clean and prepare your fish, including videos and recipes.
In order for us to run the club efficiently we order in bulk for the total membership. If you cannot eat the seafood for a given week you have two options:
1. You can donate your Share. We know many hungry people who will appreciate it! Click the "skip pickup" button in your email for that week, or contact us to say you’re donating/skipping your share and we’ll do the rest.
2. You can sell or give the Share to a friend. If you have a shellfish allergy or follow Kosher guidelines, we recommend that you find a buddy to split your Membership!
Finfish species will be a mix of kosher and non-kosher species. All fish are filleted in a non-kosher facility.
If you do not want the non-kosher fish, you can sell or give it to a friend, or choose to donate your fish that week by clicking the “Skip Pickup” button in the emails we send before pickup.
Common kosher species include fluke, black sea bass, tilefish, porgy, and tuna.
Common non-kosher species include monkfish, dogfish, and skate.
In order for us to run the club efficiently we order in bulk for the total membership and you cannot pick and choose specific seafood types.
Our shares include shellfish about half the time.
If you do not want the finfish, you have two options:
1. You can donate your Share. We know many hungry people who will appreciate it! Click the "skip pickup" button in your email for that week, or contact us to say you’re donating/skipping your share and we’ll do the rest.
2. You can sell or give the Share to a friend. If don't want to eat any finfish, we recommend that you find a buddy to split your Membership!
In order for us to run the club efficiently we order in bulk for the total membership and you cannot pick and choose specific seafood types.
Our shares include shellfish about half the time.
If you do not want the shellfish, you have two options:
1. You can donate your Share. We know many hungry people who will appreciate it! Click the "skip pickup" button in your email for that week, or contact us to say you’re donating/skipping your share and we’ll do the rest.
2. You can sell or give the Share to a friend. If don't want to eat any shellfish, we recommend that you find a buddy to split your Membership!
We are not able to accommodate one-time Club changes, but you change your Club permanently.
Fill out this form, be sure to use the same email as that which you signed up with.
Wondering about schedules, or finding or changing coolers?
We do not offer compensatory shares or refunds if you miss, forget, or are unable to make your pickup.
You can make arrangements for a friend to pick up for you; or click the "skip pickup" button in your email for that week to let us know and we can donate your share to a student or mutual aid organization.
If you know that you'll miss your pickup in advance, you can pause your subscription on your member portal without being charged. This must be done by the Friday before the pickup.
If you unexpectedly miss your pickup, please contact your host directly to coordinate. Your host may not be able to accommodate you at another time, and your seafood may no longer be available after 48 hours.
Fishadelphia may change pickup day/times due to weather and other events.
After you buy a Membership, you get a series of introductory emails. The email titled "Fishadelphia Pickup Details..." includes your exact Pickup location, and your Pickup Schedule (the first date listed is your first Pickup date).
Your first Pickup will be usually about a week or two after you signed up.
If you have a Membership but can't find your Pickup Details, please contact us!
Email: hello@fishadelphia.com
Phone/Text: (267) 666-0924
Do not look at the "fulfillment dates" on your subscription page.
The "fulfillment dates" on the subscription page are meaningless--they are automatically populated when you purchased your Membership.
You should have received an email with your exact pickup location detail, and the schedule including your first pickup shortly after you signed up.
If you can't find it in your email, ask us to send it again:
Email: hello@fishadelphia.com
Phone/Text: (267) 666-0924
You can see all of our Pickup Sites in this Google map.
If you want help trying to determine which is closest to you, you can contact us.
Email: hello@fishadelphia.com
Phone/Text: (267) 666-0924
Due to weather or other events (like when the Eagles won the Superbowl!), we may occasionally reschedule pickup on short turnaround. In those circumstances, we will communicate with you, but we cannot offer refunds because we’ve already ordered your seafood beforehand. You are always welcome to have a friend pick up your share for you, coordinate with your cooler host, or donate your share to our mutual aid network.
We are not able to accommodate one-time location changes, but you change your pickup location permanently.
Fill out this form, be sure to use the same email as that which you signed up with.
For security purposes, our self-service coolers aren't always in plain sight! If you need help finding a your cooler, reach out to your host.
Their contact information will be sent to you with the exact address of your Pickup Site when you sign up.
If you can't find it in your email, ask us to send it again:
Email: hello@fishadelphia.com
Phone/Text: (267) 666-0924
For security purposes, we don't give out the exact addresses of the self-service Pickup Sites publicly.
The exact address of your Pickup Site was sent to you via email after you signed up.
If you can't find it in your email, ask us to send it again:
Email: hello@fishadelphia.com
Phone/Text: (267) 666-0924
Handling fresh seafood
Consuming raw seafood has potential health hazards; thus we do not recommend eating our seafood raw.
Many of our Members share how they prepare our seafood (which we repost on our social media here), and it does not always involve cooking; however we recommend that you make your own informed choices about the potential risks.
We are confident that our seafood will be delicious however you eat it!
If you're in Whole Fish club, and you want to some help with cleaning and using whole fish, check our tips here.
If you're in Fillet Club, then you may also still see some bones, skin, or scales. Fillets are scaled and deboned, but pin bones can be an inevitable feature of some species, and your fillets may occasionally include stray scales. All of these are reminders of how amazing these wild animals are (and how recently they were swimming in the ocean!).
If an oyster or clam opens up before you cook it, tap it. If it is still alive, it should close. If it does not close when you tap it, discard it. Most should open after you cook them.
There can be some exceptions. If you know the seafood is super fresh, like if you're cooking them right after pickup, and you find that several of them are staying closed after cooking, they're not necessarily dead - the muscle may just be tightly joined to the shell and it's not letting go. (This article has more context.) But if the bivalves are older, it's better to err on the side of caution and discard any that seem dead.
And in general, throw out any that smell like they are dead & rotting.
How much seafood you recieve depends on which Club you signed up for.
Whole Fish: You will get 1.5-4 lbs
Fillet: You will get 1-1.5 lbs of fillets
On shellfish weeks, everyone gets the same amount of shellfish.
Generally speaking, each Share is enough seafood to serve 2 or 3 adults, depending on how it's prepared.
If you think your Share looks small and you double check to find that we didn't give you enough, contact us. Sometimes we make mistakes!
Email: hello@fishadelphia.com
Phone/Text: (267) 666-0924
Actually most types of ocean finfish have parasites! Generally speaking this is not a problem for a human who eats the fish as long as the fish has been properly cooked or processed.
The best ways to kill parasites are to cook the fish to 140°F or to deep freeze. Because Fishadelphia’s seafood has never been frozen, we recommend that Fishadelphia Members cook their fish (we have lots of tasty recipes for you to try)! [Note that most home freezers do not get cold enough to kill all parasites.]
Some species have more parasites than others and some parasitic infections are more obvious than others. Fishadelphia, our processors, purveyors, and harvesters are always doing what we can to ensure the quality of our seafood; and the safest course of action is to cook all seafood that has not been deep frozen.
Read more about parasites on this page by CA Dept of Fish and Wildlife or the FDA handout on this topic.
Did you get a Fishadelphia gift card but don't know how to use it? Or thinking of giving one?
Gift cards can be used towards all things you can buy on our website: memberships, kitchen tools, Fishadelphia events, and merch!
Use a gift card by entering its unique code when you're ready to check out. You get this code via an email after you purchase the gift card (there is no physical card). The value of the gift card will be subtracted from the order cost.
You can use multiple gift cards towards a single purchase. If you don't fully use a gift card, you can use that remaining value on another order.
All of our Seafood Club Memberships are renewing subscriptions. This means that unless you cancel, you'll automatically be billed again based on the time period you first purchased (ie. monthly or annual) and your membership will continue.
A gift card can only be applied to the first payment, after which the billing will switch to the other form of payment that must be entered when signing up.
If your gift card has remaining value after buying the first installment of a Membership, this balance can be used for anything else in our store!
We advise you to use your own email (and account if you already have on our website). This will be easier for use to manage if you then contact us later regarding the order.
After receiving the email with the gift card code, you can then share the gift card with your recipient.
Here are some ideas for that: forward the email to your recipient; send the link to the unique web page that has the gift card information (including the code and the amount remaining); or write down the code in a card for them.
We can re-send it to the original email it was purchased with. If you no longer have access to that email, contact us and we can work something out for you.
Getting started or making changes to your account
If you had an account on our old website, you need to make a new account on this website.
If you have any questions/concerns about your previous payments, etc, we can look things up for you in our records, just contact us!
Email: hello@fishadelphia.com
Phone/Text: (267) 666-0924
After you buy a Membership, you get a series of introductory emails. The email titled "Fishadelphia Pickup Details..." includes your exact Pickup location, and your Pickup Schedule (the first date listed is your first Pickup date).
Your first Pickup will be usually about a week or two after you signed up.
If you have a Membership but can't find your Pickup Details, please contact us!
Email: hello@fishadelphia.com
Phone/Text: (267) 666-0924
Currently, no. The program that we use to manage the pickup communications only allows us to have one email per Member account. (You may be able to set up an automatic forwarding filter using your own email client though.)
If you gave us more than one email when you signed up, we may use that for individual communications about the account but not for the Pickup reminder emails.
We are not able to accommodate one-time Club changes, but you change your Club type permanently.
Fill out this form, be sure to use the same email as that which you signed up with
We're now offering Monthly, 3 Month, and Annual Memberships.
Our Community and Neighbor Share inventory is determined by the number of Sustainer and Supporter memberships purchased. People who pay above Market Rate make up for people who pay below Market Rate. We open more of the Community Rate and Neighbor Share when we can.
If you are able, consider joining at our Sustainer or Supporter rates!
The Community Rate and Neighbor Share waitlists are currently closed.
We currently do not accept EBT, though at times in the past have been able to through partners. If you are eligible for EBT, you are eligible for our Community Rate.
The Community Rate and Neighbor Share waitlists are currently closed.
We send text messages to members who have opted-in (your usual text message rates apply to messages you receive or send to us). We send pickup reminder texts for everyone who has an upcoming pickup.
Very occasionally (less than once a month), we text about other exciting Fishadelphia happenings.
You can opt in to texting any time by texting “Yes” to 844-507-0277 (our marketing number). You can opt out at any time by texting "Stop" to the same number.
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