Unplugging the ‘tampon tax’: 8 companies will now Venmo you the cost of menstrual hygiene taxes

Tampons and other menstrual hygiene products are still taxed in 21 states across America. (Viagra, however, is not, which says something about what lawmakers consider a necessity.) On October 11, a coalition of eight different companies are launching a campaign to fight the tampon tax.

For the next six months, August, Cora, LOLA, The Honey Pot, Rael, Here We Flo, Saalt, and Diva have committed to reimbursing customers the tax whenever they make a purchase, whether directly or through a third-party retailer.

The idea originally started with August, which specializes in sustainable and inclusive period care. August covered the tax on its website since its inception, but when it launched at Target this April, it realized it didn’t have control over the point of sale.

“This didn’t sit right with us,” said August cofounder Nick Jain. “We believe the tampon tax is fundamentally unjust.”

In May, the company launched an initiative where customers in a tampon tax state could send in a photograph of their receipt and receive a reimbursement on Venmo. August started getting interest from other brands, and Jain, along with fellow cofounder Nadya Okamoto, saw an opportunity to create meaningful change.

“The exciting thing about this coalition is it’s a tangible action we’re getting brands to take,” said Okamoto.

For the brands in the coalition, joining up with their competitors was a no-brainer. “These are our competitors on paper, but we share so many common values and we care about these issues because we care about our consumer,” said Molly Hayward, founder and chief brand officer of Cora, which donates pads and health education for every purchase made.

For some of them, the coalition represents more than just a fight to take down a discriminatory tax, but simply a new and different way of doing business. “We’re using business as a force of good,” said Carinne Chambers-Saini, cofounder of Diva. “We can have competitive products, but we’re still working together to achieve a better world and create more equality for our consumers and our world.”

Jain and Okamoto are hopeful that larger brands will join them. “We’ve DM’d them and sent lots of emails. My hope is once we launch, we’ll see more brands coming on board. We’d love to have the category leaders participate,” Okamoto said. “I think it’s realistic that we’ll see the tax overturned in the next five to seven years if we keep pushing.”