2016 FAQs for Girl Scout Booth Sales
Please see the Council’s website (GirlScoutsOC.org or GScookiesETC.org) for a more detailed FAQ.
These selected FAQs are provided to assist girls and volunteers in responding to customer inquiries.
Questions About Selling
Where can we sell? Girls may sell within the Council jurisdiction (Orange County) only, except for family and friends
and at parent’s workplace to co-workers, not customers. Girls may market the sale online in the US, but cannot conduct
sale transactions except through the COCOdirect option.
What is a rolling sale? Putting cookies in a wagon or bag and doing direct sales in a residential neighborhood. Rolling
sales may be conducted only in OC residential neighborhoods. Rolling sales are not in shopping centers, parks, or
beaches except with permission from the Booth Sale Coordinator during the Booth Sale period.
When can we set-up Cookie Stands? Cookie Stands are permitted on girl’s OC residence for the entire cookie program
period with parental supervision.
What is a booth sale? A booth sale is a cookie stand placed in front of a business, on a street
corner or in any public space. Only Service Unit Booth Sale Coordinators may arrange for booth sale
location and assign troops to ensure permission and insurance requirements are met.
Product Information
Girls should refer to their order card for nutritional information about our Girl Scout cookies.
Are all Girl Scout Cookies kosher? Yes. All Girl Scout Cookies are kosher.
Are any Girl Scout Cookies vegan?
Yes, we have 4 vegan cookies in our product line – Lemonades, Thanks-A-Lot, Thin Mints and Peanut Butter Patties.
Are any preservatives used in Girl Scout Cookies? No. Girl Scout Cookies do not contain any added preservatives.
Is there palm oil in Girl Scout Cookies?
GSUSA's licensed bakers tell us it continues to be necessary to use palm oil in our cookies to ensure shelf life, to bring
you the highest quality, and to serve as an alternative to trans fats. Our licensed baker uses palm oil exclusively from the
Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), an organization of growers, buyers, manufacturers, conservationists, and
interested parties, who are striving to develop and follow best practices to ensure sustainability.
Do Girl Scout Cookies have trans fats?
Girl Scouts is proud that all Girl Scout Cookies are "zero trans fat per serving". Selected varieties can claim 100% transfat-free status, meaning there's not a speck of trans fats in the whole package.
Why don't you offer cookies that are non-dairy, dairy-free, sugar-free, casein-free, organic, low-carbohydrate, low
-calorie, lowfat, non-fat, fat-free, etc.?
Girl Scout Cookies are produced only once a year and for a limited time, so our bakers never achieve the volume required
to support the specific production of specialty cookies.
What does GSOC do with unsold cookies?
We work closely with our volunteers, our girls and our baker to put into action the very skills girls learn through the cookie
program, like goal setting and inventory management. There is no such thing as left over cookies, as we donate all
remaining cookies. In addition, Orange County Girl Scouts sold more than 57,000 boxes of cookies last year through our
“Cookie Share” program that were donated to the military and a local food bank. Girl Scouts of Orange County has not
destroyed cookies, nor have we returned cookies to our baker that have later been destroyed.
9500 Toledo Way, Suite 100  Irvine, CA 92618  GirlScoutsOC.org  800.979.9444
Gluten Free Girl Scout Cookie
About the Cookie: Trios are chocolate chips nestled in a gluten free peanut butter oatmeal cookie. They are made with
real chocolate chips, real peanut butter and certified gluten free whole grain oats.
Is the gluten free cookie certified? Yes, our Trios are certified by the Gluten Free Certification Organization.
Is the gluten free cookie baked in a gluten free facility? Yes!
My Troop doesn’t have any GF Cookies. What do we do if asked for them? Explain to the customer, “Our troop
does not have gluten free cookies. You can email [email protected] to be connected to Girl Scout who has
Gluten Free Girl Scout Cookies.”
What do we do if we run out of gluten free cookies? Explain to the customer, “Our troop sold out of the gluten free
cookies. You can email [email protected] to be connected to a Girl Scout who still has them.”
Cookie Revenue
How does cookie revenue benefit girls? All the revenue earned from cookie activities—every penny after paying the
baker—stays within Orange County. This includes the portion that goes directly to the troop selling cookies. Troops
receive $.71-1.05 per package sold to reward the team effort. Troops decide how their proceeds will be spent. Girls
receive patches and prizes to reward their individual efforts.
Are Girl Scout Cookie purchases tax-deductible?
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No, if you keep the cookies.
Yes, if you leave the cookies with Girl Scouts as a Cookie Share donation.
Be sure to give customers a Cookie Share receipt.
Do Girl Scouts pay for cookies in advance? No. Troops and parents are not required to pay in advance. Payment is
collected from customers at time of delivery and money is turned into the Troop who then pays the Council for all
cookies received by the troop.
Girl Scouts
How can I enroll my daughter/volunteer? You can inquire online at www.GirlScoutsOC.org or call 800-979-9444.
Other languages: Spanish: (949) 461-8894 | Vietnamese: (949) 461-8895 Any other membership questions can be
directed to [email protected]
Is Girl Scouts affiliated with Planned Parenthood? No. Girl Scouts does not have any collaboration or relationship
with Planned Parenthood, nor do we provide any financial support to this organization. We believe that health and
sexuality are private matters for girls and their families. The Girl Scout organization, including local councils, does not
take a position on abortion or birth control, nor do we endorse or provide funding to organizations that advocate on
these issues.
What is Girl Scouts policy on diversity and inclusion? Girl Scouts of the USA and its local councils and troops value
diversity and inclusiveness and do not discriminate or recruit on the basis of race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation,
socioeconomic status, national origin, or physical or developmental disability. For more information about our Girl
Scout Cookie Program, selling tools and nutritional information, please visit http://www.GirlScoutsOC.org/CookieTools.
Troop Cookie Coordinators will find additional resources at http://www.GSCookiesETC.org.
9500 Toledo Way, Suite 100  Irvine, CA 92618  GirlScoutsOC.org  800.979.9444
Counterfeit Bills
While it doesn’t happen too often, a troop may receive a counterfeit bill and not even know it. To better protect
your troop from receiving a counterfeit bill, we recommend the following:
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Do not accept bills larger than a $20
Take time to look at and feel the money you receive
Check for obvious things like duplicate serial numbers
Check for the security stripe and watermark by holding the bill up to the light
Use a Counterfeit Detection Pen and UV light
See http://www.GSCookiesETC.org for detailed booklet on how to identify counterfeit bills.
If your troop receives a counterfeit bill, please follow these steps:
1. Contact your Service Unit Cookie Manager immediately
2. Complete the Counterfeit Bill Report located on the Volunteer Network
3. Counterfeit bills are either turned into the police department or seized by the bank. Obtain a receipt in
exchange for the counterfeit bill and attach it to the Counterfeit Bill Report
4. Submit to Council the completed Counterfeit Bill Report with the receipt obtained from the police
department or bank attached for a 1 time reimbursement of up to $20 per Troop.
Customer Returns
There may be times when a customer asks to return a product at your booth sale. Follow these steps:
 Accept the returned product from the customer even if you did not sell to that customer.
 Offer the customer an even exchange for the same or other variety of product.
 If the customer does not want product replaced, give the customer a refund. Do not give a refund
without first getting the unwanted product from the customer since Troop will need to exchange
returned product at a cupboard.
 Complete the Damaged Product Report, giving as much detail as possible. This form is available on
www.GSCookiesETC.org.
 Contact GSOC at [email protected] to schedule a damaged cookie exchange with a
cupboard. Be sure to include which cupboard you prefer to go to in your email.
 If a foreign object is found in the product, notify your Service Unit Cookie Manager as soon as
possible. The product must be picked up from the person reporting the foreign object. Fill out the
Damaged Product Report immediately.
 In the case of an injury, notify council staff immediately by calling Ronda Sussman at 949-461-8846
and your Service Unit Cookie Manager.
Accepting Credit Cards
The Cookie Program is now a high tech affair! Some Girl Scouts are processing their
cookie payments with a smart phone and card reader. Select a device and program from
a company that offers a free card reader device.
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Set up the device and link to a parent/guardian’s personal bank account.
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Parents/guardians will absorb a low transaction fee which is typically 2.75% of the
total sale. Fees may not be passed on to the customer.
9500 Toledo Way, Suite 100  Irvine, CA 92618  GirlScoutsOC.org  800.979.9444