The Best Chocolate Clubs

Tuesday, March 28th

2023 Chocolate Club Reviews

Amazing Clubs

• Cost: From $33.95 to $35.95 per month
• Free shipping

No matter what kind of subscription club you're looking for, you'll almost always find Amazing Clubs at the top of our lists. Why? It's hard to find another monthly club that offers such an impressive selection of hand-crafted gourmet foods, top-quality products, and unparalleled customer service. Every subscription comes with free delivery and an incredible no-questions-asked satisfaction guarantee, plus the industry's most flexible shipping schedules and payment plans available.

First choice

And yes, when it comes to assorted chocolates, Amazing Clubs is our first choice. We love how this company always lets customers know what to expect while still delivering surprises: not only can you see a list of what previous monthly selections have been, but you (or your fortunate gift recipient) will be notified in advance of the chocolate selection for each delivery. In fact, this is the only club we're aware of that lets you skip a month (or more) as needed - whether that's because you can't stand caramels or have a sensitivity to an ingredient in an upcoming shipment.

Each delivery unique

But, chances are very good that you won't want to miss a single month! From milk and dark chocolate toffee squares to peanut butter balls and apricot cashew bites, each package comes with at least one full pound of hand-crafted chocolates. You'll never get the same chocolates twice during any 12-month period!

Membership Overview:

• Chocolate Selection: one pound of assorted chocolates
• Duration: 3, 4, 6 or 12 months
• Frequency: monthly, every other month or quarterly
• Shipping: included in your monthly cost

Design your plan

And, whether you're buying the Chocolate Club for yourself or as a gift for someone else, you can design your plan exactly how you want. Whether you pay in full or pay per shipment, the price is the same. You can choose your club duration: 3 months, seasonal (a total of 4 deliveries, spaced in 3-month intervals), 6 months or 12 months. But, your options don't end there. Do you want your club delivered monthly or every other month? (In other words, you could make a 12-month club last for two years if you have it scheduled for bi-monthly deliveries!) Do you have a specific date you'd like your chocolate club to start? You can choose a date anywhere from the current month up to 11 months into the future.

Affordably priced

The cost of your Amazing Clubs chocolate subscription will depend on the length you select, but prices are affordable and range from $33.95 to $35.95 per month. Plus, this company offers a copious number of discounts, especially after you've made your first purchase. Expect weekly emails offering discounts anywhere from $5 to $30. Another insider tip: browse the site for a while, and you may get a pop-up discount for placing an order within 60 minutes.

The sweetest tooth newsletter

Amazing Clubs does everything possible to make this an awesome gift-giving service. Every delivery comes with a fun chocolate lover's newsletter, The Sweetest Tooth, which includes information about the chocolatier behind your monthly treats, cool facts about chocolate, serving ideas, and much more. Plus, you can choose for your gift announcement to be sent by mail or email on the date you prefer, or print one out for that last-minute gifting occasion.

They'll love it guarantee

But perhaps the most compelling reason to use this company for your chocolate club is their reputation. They genuinely stand behind their "They'll Love It!" guarantee. Read through the more than 400 reviews for this subscription on their website and see for yourself! We were especially impressed by one customer who was given this club as a gift but found it unsuitable for her sugar-restricted diet; Amazing Clubs switched her over to a different club, and did so very graciously. The only caveat is that the chocolates don't seem to come packaged with any kind of ice, so you may need to take advantage of that guarantee if your chocolates are going somewhere that gets particularly warm.

Highest rating

With over 2 million happy customers, Amazing Clubs is the obvious stand-out when it comes to monthly clubs. If you want to impress a loved one or coworker with an incredible array of assorted chocolates - or just want to treat yourself! - their Chocolate Club should be first on your list. This club continues to earn our highest rating.

Chocolate of the Month Club

• Cost: From $31.78 to $35.95 per month
• Free shipping

Billing itself as "the original since 1994, Chocolate of the Month Club is one of the tastiest options available to satisfy your sweet tooth on the regular. Every shipment includes one pound of gourmet hand-dipped chocolates, a personalized Chocolate Expedition newsletter, and is backed by Clubs of America's "Happiness Guarantee". Could it get any better than that?

Membership Overview:

• Chocolate Selection: one pound of gourmet, hand-dipped chocolates
• Duration: 2, 3, 4, 6 or 12 months
• Frequency: monthly, every other month, or every three months
• Shipping: included in the price

Each delivery a surprise

You won't know in advance what chocolate flavors are being sent. Some past selections included Chocolate Munchies, Mint Meltaways, Happy Truffles, Macadamia Delights, and many more.

Customize your chocolate club

Chocolate of the Month Club stands out in the range of subscription lengths they offer. While most of their competitors stick to the basic 3, 6, or 12-month options, this service allows you to choose terms of 2, 3, 4, 6, or 12 months - plus you can decide if you want those shipments to be made monthly, bimonthly, or quarterly. To top it off, you can opt to pay in full at the time of your order or pay for each shipment as it's sent out.

Free shipping

Another great perk of this chocolate club is that you won't pay extra for shipping. Your chocolates are sealed in a styrofoam container with ice packs, so that even if you're shipping to Arizona in July, your sweets should get there in pristine condition. If not, you can rest assured that you're protected by Clubs of America's 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Gift giving made easy

Thinking of sending this chocolate club as a gift? No problem! Once you've selected the number of months, payment cycle (monthly or in full), and how often you want the chocolates shipped, you'll have the option of setting your start date - up to 11 months in advance. Chocolate club shipments are delivered by the third or fourth week of every month.

Once you get to the ordering page, you'll find a gray box that asks how you heard about the club and if you need any gift letter options. You can decide that there's no letter needed, or you can opt to print a gift letter from the site, email a letter from the site, or have Clubs of America mail a gift letter to the giver (presumably so you can give it yourself at a future date) or to the recipient. You specify if you want the gift letter mailed immediately or during your delivery start month.

One of our top picks

Delicious, affordable, and reliable: what more could you ask from a chocolate club? It's easy to see why Chocolate of the Month is still one of our top picks when it comes to assorted chocolate subscriptions.

Gourmet Chocolate of the Month Club

• Cost: $54.95 per month
• Free shipping

More than 20 years ago, Gourmet Chocolate of the Month Club was founded to deliver award-winning, boutique artisan chocolates to discerning customers everywhere. Every truffle, bar and bark featured in their selections is carefully selected to represent the highest quality, fresh ingredients, and even some creativity from chocolatiers around the world.

Foodie-level experience

One of the ways that this club sources its chocolate is through a partnership with Zingermans: a Zagat top-rated food market that definitely knows its stuff when it comes to fine food. If you want a foodie-level experience with your chocolate club, this is probably the perfect fit. Where else will you find chocolatiers that push the limits with novel ingredients like cardamom, caramelized ginger, and even wasabi to create complex chocolate flavor profiles?

Membership Overview:

• Chocolate Selection: approximately one pound of chocolates from a different artisanal chocolatier each month
• Duration: 2-12 months
• Frequency: monthly, every other month, or quarterly
• Shipping: included in the cost

Discounts available

You might get a special offer as you browse the Gourmet Chocolate of the Month Club site. During our most recent visit, we got a pop-up with discounts ranging from $10 off a 4-shipment order to $30 off a prepaid 12-shipment order. Also be sure to check the top of the site, in case your browser doesn't allow for a pop-up discount - we found the same promo featured as a Sale there. Considering that this club costs just under $55 per month, you may want those savings!

Shipping is included

Gourmet Chocolate of the Month Club has one of the most flexible subscription possibilities we've ever seen. You can choose anywhere from 2-12 deliveries, or select the ongoing option to keep the chocolate coming until you say otherwise. Start your deliveries anywhere from the current month through a year in advance, and also choose whether you would like your deliveries shipped monthly, every other month, or every 3 months. Finally, you can pay in full at the time of ordering or pay each time your chocolates ship. Speaking of shipping, it's included at no extra charge.

Gift giving options

If you're sending this chocolate club as a gift, you'll find your options after you've entered your recipient's delivery details (name, address, and so on). You can print your gift announcement and deliver it yourself, and/or send an email announcement immediately or a future date of your choice. Your recipient will also get detailed tasting notes and chocolatier profiles with each delivery.

Expensive, but worth it

At the end of the day, you will definitely pay more for Gourmet Chocolate of the Month Club, compared with other subscription clubs out there. But isn't it worth it to get an unparalleled tasting experience? If budget isn't an issue and you simply want the best assorted chocolates for yourself or for someone who deserves them, you don't want to miss out on this chocolate club.

Mystery Chocolate Box

• Cost: From $17.08 to $18.97 per month

From Oreos to Pringles, it seems like one of the biggest trends in food is to have a mystery flavor. What better way to spark interest in an everyday edible? Well, we don't think chocolate needs much to catch our attention, but we love the idea of having a guessing game built into our treat. You too? If so, you may agree with us when we say that Mystery Chocolate Box is one of our favorites!

Guessing game

How does it work? Each box has three full-sized chocolate bars with the outside wrappers removed, with labels of A, B and C. You get to guess what ingredients are inside - and for the truly competitive, you can enter your guesses on the Mystery Chocolate Box site to see if you make the leaderboard for most correct answers! Do you think your taste buds could identify kumquat, cashew butter, or mulled wine crystals? Those are just a few of the unique ingredients in the chocolate bars included in previous Mystery Chocolate Box selections.

List of ingredients

The inner wrappers are left untouched, keeping your chocolate in perfect condition, and each box comes with a list of ingredients in case allergies are a concern. At the time of our review, the company was also planning on releasing an Allergy-Free mystery box, with chocolates free of the "Top 14" allergens (celery, gluten, crustaceans, eggs, fish, lupin, milk, mollusks, mustard, nuts, peanuts, sesame seeds, soya, and sulphites). Keep your eyes peeled if that applies to you.

Extremely affordable

For such a fun approach to chocolate, we find this club to be extremely affordable. For a 3-month plan, you'll pay $56.95 - or just $18.98/month. Given that you get three full-sized bars of gourmet chocolate, that's a better price than you'd likely find at your local candy shop. There are also 6- and 12-month plans available, which bring your monthly cost down slightly ($17.99 and $17.08, respectively).

Membership Overview:

• Chocolate Selection: 3 chocolate bars per month, flavors vary
• Duration: 3, 6 or 12 months
• Frequency: monthly
• Shipping: approximately $8.20 per delivery

Shipping charges extra

To keep your mystery chocolates in perfect condition, every box is lined with insulated bubble wrap and includes a cold pack. That cost is added to your delivery fees. On the shipping and handling page, it'll tell you what you'll pay for the cost of shipping for the whole term of your subscription; in our case, for a 12-month plan, we paid $98.28: approximately $8.20 per delivery. On the Mystery Chocolate Box site, it said that the actual costs vary by month (probably factoring in months that don't need a cold pack), but the link that promised a detailed breakdown didn't have any information on it. That's not a deal-breaker, given that it's not more expensive than most of their rivals.

Gift giving options could be better

Your gift-giving options are slightly limited with Mystery Chocolate Box. If you'd like your recipient to get a gift card, it'll cost $1.99 whether you have it mailed directly to them or sent to you (so you can give it to them in person). There's no option for an emailed announcement. On the other hand, you can choose a start date for your deliveries, up to 6 months in advance.

Fighting hunger with every box

One nice feature of this chocolate club is that they donate two meals to fight hunger for every box they deliver (and no, it's not a meal that consists solely of chocolate!). If you're sending this club as a gift, and you decide to have the company send a gift announcement, that information will be printed on the card along with your personalized gift message. The company works with donation partners within the US and worldwide, helping to end hunger around the globe.

Cacao points rewards program

Another cool extra is their Cacao Points rewards program. You'll get points by becoming a subscriber, referring friends, leaving a review, and even guessing chocolate flavors accurately. You can redeem those points in their a la carte chocolate shop, or apply them towards a free monthly box.

Responsive customer service

Mystery Chocolate Box doesn't have a satisfaction guarantee per se, but they do allow you to cancel your membership at any time and receive a prorated refund for any boxes that haven't been shipped. They don't offer any refunds on boxes you may receive but don't find to your liking (probably because that would defeat the purpose of a mystery box). However, we found their customer service team to be really responsive, and our guess is that if you encountered a quality issue (like melted or spoiled chocolate), you'd get some friendly help to fix the problem.

Fun and delicious

We all know chocolate is delicious - but Mystery Chocolate Box takes "tasty" to a whole new level by adding a guessing game to the mix. Whether you keep them all for yourself, share the mystery with friends and family, or see how flavor-savvy your coworkers are, the chocolates included in this club are sure to be a hit. When it comes to chocolate bars, Mystery Chocolate Club scores high on our list.

Bar & Cocoa

• Cost: From $39 to $43 per month
• Free shipping

Do you love dark chocolate bars? Bar and Cocoa certainly hopes so - because their chocolate club contains four dark chocolate bars from different cacao origins each month. Their curators have a knack for finding the most coveted flavors - ones that you're never going to find at your local store. In fact, many of their chocolate bars only contain two ingredients - sugar and cacao - which allows you to really taste the flavor profile in their single-origin chocolates. Priority is given to chocolatiers who have ethical, direct trade practices, and who support sustainable farming and eco-conservation.

Membership Overview:

• Chocolate Selection: four full-sized dark chocolate bars, all gluten- and dairy-free
• Duration: 3, 6 or 12 months
• Frequency: monthly
• Shipping: included in your subscription

Wide variety of chocolates

One of the first things we noticed was the extraordinary list of brands included in their shipments. Unlike one of the other chocolate bar clubs we reviewed, Bar and Cocoa doesn't limit your experience to just four companies' sweets. Instead, you'll get selections from more than three dozen makers, literally ranging from A to Z.

Signup options

As you decide which options are right for you or for the person to whom you're gifting this chocolate club, you'll need to tell Bar and Cocoa the following:

• Is the subscription for you or is it a gift? If you select "gift", you'll have the option to enter your recipient's name, email address and personalized gift message on the checkout page. Gift subscriptions do not automatically renew, but you can check the box to enable auto-renewal if that interests you.
• What is your preferred subscription length: 3, 6, or 12 months? A 3-month plan costs $129, a 6-month plan is $249, and a 12-month plan is $479. Shipping is included at no extra charge. When we selected the 3-month plan, the next page gave us an offer of an extra month at a slightly discounted price of $40.

Free chocolate bar

Want a little treat for free? You might spot a pop-up offering a free mini chocolate bar with your first order. You'll just need to enter your email address and click the blue "get free chocolate" button.

Auto-renew

If you're subscribing to Bar and Cocoa for yourself, be aware that your subscription will renew automatically (but you can cancel anytime). If you're sending the Chocolate Club as a gift, your membership will not auto-renew.

Not as many bells and whistles

This chocolate club didn't have as many bells and whistles as some of their rivals. For example, there was no option to select a future date for the start of deliveries, have shipments come every other month, or even choose a month-to-month plan.

Free shipping

On the other hand, although we think that it's a little spendy to pay $10+ (on average) per chocolate bar, we were impressed that Bar and Cocoa doesn't charge extra for shipping - especially considering that they add ice packs and insulation during the warmer months at no extra cost. This retailer also has a nice customer satisfaction policy: if you're unhappy for any reason, just contact them within 14 days and they'll make it right. For example, if you receive melted chocolate and send them a photo within 24 hours of delivery, they'll either refund your money, replace it, or add a free month to your subscription: whichever you prefer.

Worth consideration

Overall, this chocolate club is a good option if you prefer chocolate bars over assorted individual pieces. While it's priced on the more expensive side, this club's free shipping and access to flavor varieties you might not otherwise get to try are perks that make Bar and Cocoa worth considering.

Harry & David

• Cost: From $30 to $33 per month
• $6.99 shipping fee per delivery

Harry & David specializes in impressive gift-giving options. For over 80 years, this retailer has come to be known for high-quality fruit baskets, baked goods, and other delicious treats that are perfect for impressing your loved ones and coworkers alike. Plus, as a 1-800-Flowers partner, Harry & David gives you access to an even wider range of possibilities for your next special occasion.

See what you get

When it comes to Chocolate Clubs, Harry & David delivers assorted chocolates. When you visit the site, it's easy to see what to expect with each month's shipment. For example, during our most recent visit, selections included a Dark Chocolate Truffle Trio in March, a Chocolate Nut Assortment in June, and a Sea Salt Caramels Gift Box in November. If you want even more details about each delivery, clicking on the thumbnail images will tell you exactly what to expect. Most months include at least one pound of chocolate, though some deliveries may be slightly over or under that amount.

Membership Overview:

• Chocolate Selection: boxed assorted chocolates
• Duration: 3, 6 or 12 months
• Frequency: monthly
• Shipping: $6.99 per delivery

Chocolate club options

Club options include 3, 6 or 12 month plans. You can select which month you'd like your membership to start delivering, so it can be helpful to look at the selections for each month and choose accordingly. They also give you the possibility of calling their order entry team and building a custom club (for example, if you want deliveries that only include dark chocolate). However, Harry & David doesn't give you the option to skip a month if there's a flavor you don't like, or to postpone a delivery if you or your recipient will be out of town when your package is expected to arrive.

Fantastic satisfaction guarantee

On the other hand, this company has a fantastic satisfaction guarantee. If something goes less-than-perfectly with any of your chocolate club shipments, you can get a full refund or a replacement. Because Harry & David sends all summer deliveries with two-day express shipping and gel packs, you shouldn't have any issues with melting - but if you do, you can count on this retailer honoring their guarantee with no hassles.

On-site discounts

Harry & David frequently offers discounts. For example, on our most recent visit, we got a pop-up for 15% off if we entered our email address. However, in the past we've found that the fine print sometimes excludes club subscriptions, so be sure to read the details before you count on getting the savings.

Good gift giving options

Also, because this company focuses on impressive gift-giving, you'll probably find upgrade options for that extra "wow" factor. You can find any available upgrades on the ordering page. For example, we were able to change our first month's delivery to the Classic Tower of Chocolates: instead of a single-box assortment of chocolates, our recipient received hard candies and popcorn as well. This upgrade was a very affordable $10 extra.

e-Nouncement service

Additional gift-giving features include Harry & David's "e-Nouncement" service. It's not the easiest to find, so you may need to use the Customer Service links at the bottom of the site. There's no charge to use this feature, which allows you to send your recipient an award certificate, personalized photo greeting, or even a webcam message - all to let them know they should be expecting a tasty surprise in the mail. All of your gifting details will be entered after you've gotten through the shipping and payment information during the ordering process.

High quality, traditional assortments

While you won't get any overly unique chocolate selections with Harry & David's chocolate club, it's a fantastic option for high-quality, traditional assortments that are backed by a solid satisfaction guarantee. This is a good choice for a classic Chocolate Club.

Fine Chocolate Club

• Cost: $59.99 per month
• $8 shipping per delivery

Fine Chocolate Club got its start in late 2018 at the North West Chocolate Festival in Seattle. One aspect of this company that is worth noting is that they are a certified B-Corporation: meeting "the highest standards of social and environmental impact". According to their About page, this designation comes from their positive social impact on the farmers from whom their chocolates are sourced.

Limited chocolate club options

Compared with other chocolate clubs, this service has very limited options. Instead of being able to choose a specific length, you can only opt into a month-to-month plan. Each delivery consists of 5 chocolate bars, sourced from around the world. Looking at the handful of product images on the Fine Chocolate Club site, we weren't overly impressed - most of the bars looked like what we could find at our local international specialty store. Even in their a la carte chocolate store, this retailer only offers four brands.

No gift giving features

There were also no gift-giving options with Fine Chocolate Club. Their competitors typically let you enter a gift message, choose a starting date for the deliveries, and some even give you the option of sending a gift announcement in the mail. Not with this chocolate club, unfortunately.

Membership Overview:

• Chocolate Selection: five dark chocolate bars per month
• Duration: 1 month, renews automatically
• Frequency: monthly
• Shipping: $8 per delivery

Popup discount

Unlike many of the Chocolate Clubs in our review that offer a one-time discount, Fine Chocolate Club gave us a pop-up offering a "20% off forever" savings if we subscribed to their emails. Of course, we can't guarantee that they'll have the same promotion when you visit, but it's definitely worth looking out for.

Expensive deliveries

You're going to want that discount if you decide to go with Fine Chocolate Club, because you're also going to pay $8 in shipping plus tax. In our case, our monthly total was $71.74 without the discount - and that seems like a lot to pay for 5 chocolate bars! Plus, there was no information as to how they package their shipments - so no guarantee that your chocolate won't arrive in a melted heap if you order during the summer months.

Red flags

There were a few other details that concerned us when considering this company for our chocolate subscription. We found several typos throughout the website, and the only way to contact the company is through an online form. In fact, it was hard to find any customer feedback - good or bad - to let us know if this is a trustworthy subscription service.

Keep looking

We're all for supporting new businesses, but in all honesty we were expecting more from a company that has been around for over a year. Fine Chocolate Club is much more expensive than most of the subscriptions we evaluated, without providing anything significantly better or more impressive in return. We think most people will get a better value - and better overall experience - from a chocolate club with a longer history of making customers happy.