15 Amazon Hacks That Every Online Shopper Should Know
Just one click, and it’s yours — whatever ‘it’ is. That’s the beauty behind Amazon online shopping. You can easily find what you want, when you want it, and have it delivered to your doorstep in no time flat.
What’s more, you can sign up for a $120 Prime membership, which gives you easy access to free shipping and special offers and deals (not to mention great digital content). If you dig a little deeper, you can find additional ways to save money at Amazon, by taking advantage of the following hacks that make for even easier and happier shopping.
Add Others To Your Prime Membership And See The Benefits Add Up
Pay for one Prime membership and you can add up to one additional adult, four teens, and four child profiles to your account. You can split your membership fee with family members, while sharing digital content like eBooks, games, apps, and more. Prime benefits can’t be shared with young children, and Prime benefits tied to discounted memberships such as Prime Student can’t be shared.
It’s All In The Delivery
With a Prime membership, shoppers in literally thousands of cities and towns are eligible to get Same-Day Delivery, depending on the items they’re purchasing. If you’re in Dallas, Orlando, Philadelphia, and Phoenix, you might be able to get your goods in as little as five hours. Shoppers in select U.S. cities can get food shipments using 2-Hour Grocery Delivery.
Photo: Creative Commons/401(K) 2013
Your Unwanted Items Can Be Traded For Much-Wanted Gift Cards
Do a deep dive in your closet and drag out those old books, electronics, and other long-forgotten items just taking up space. With Amazon’s Trade-In Program, you can exchange unwanted or no longer needed items for Amazon gift cards. Check the customer service page for details.
Free Six-Month Trial If You’re A Student? That’s Smart
If you’re attending a college or university, sign up for Amazon Prime Student and get an extended, six-month free trial of Amazon Prime. Expect free two-day shipping on eligible items and access to Prime Video and Prime Music. If you decide to continue the membership after six months and you’re still enrolled in school, you’ll play half the regular membership fee.
Warehouse Markdowns Add Up To Savings
Browse the Amazon Warehouse page and you could snag used, slightly damaged, or previously opened items for steep discounts of up to 80% or more. Amazon provides information about each item’s condition so you can decide for yourself if it’s worth the purchase price.
Automatic Deliveries Can Save You Money, Automatically
Opt for Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program for items you buy regularly and you’ll get them delivered automatically on your preferred recurring delivery date. In addition to free shipping, you can save up to 15% if you order five or more items per delivery.
Carry On With Shopping For Add-On Items — For Free
Sure, you’d like to add a few small items or some odds-and-ends to your cart, but because their price is too low for Amazon to profitably ship, you’ll be charged additional shipping costs if your order doesn’t total $25 or more.
But if you’re a Prime member, you have the option to enable free “Amazon Day” shipping to get the items you’ve ordered over the course of each week delivered on a single day without the $25 shipping fee. Another option: reach that magic $25 number by preordering something like a yet-to-be-released book, which you won’t be billed for until the release date, and add smaller items to your purchase that will ship pronto.
A Bundle Of Discounts
Prime members enjoy up to 20% off baby food, diapers, and other items with Amazon Family. You can also take advantage of a 15% baby registry discount and a free Welcome Box that includes sample products for you and your bundle of joy.
Totally Great Discounts At Whole Foods
Amazon owns Whole Foods. What does that mean for you? Prime members can take advantage of special weekly deals at the grocery store as well as 10% off sale items. Hungry for more? Order what you need from Whole Foods and you’ll get it delivered within a two-hour window.
Comparison Shop To Your Heart’s (Or Cart’s) Content
Want to make sure that the price you’re getting on Amazon is the best price out there? Simply install a price-tracking browser extension or app and you’ll be able to automatically compare online retailer prices.
What’s The Rush?
Click on No-Rush Shipping at checkout and you’ll be on your way to some cool rewards, even though your package will be on its way to you a bit slower. You’ll earn a $1 per order discount, and Prime members can snag promotional offers for future purchases, but be aware that the offers will expire after a certain amount of time.
Watch Movies And Shows For Free — Yippee!!
Amazon’s streaming service offers a great selection of TV shows to binge, and movies to watch — all for free with a Prime membership. You can also add on “Prime Channels” like CBS All Access, HBO, and more for an additional fee; each channel usually comes with a free 30-day trial.
Read All About It: Amazon’s Digital Library Has More Than 1,000 Titles
As a Prime member you’ll have access to Prime Reading. Use your Fire tablet or Kindle E-reader, or download the Kindle app to your phone, and your favorite book or magazine will be at your fingertips. Download up to 10 titles at a time; choose Audible narration if you feel like giving your eyes a much-needed rest.
An Outlet For Your Thrifty Side
Check out Amazon Outlet if you’re looking to score some significant discounts on all kinds of goods. Unlike Amazon Warehouse, the Outlet doesn’t offer used or opened items; you’ll be browsing seasonal, overstocked, and clearance inventory.
You Get A Present On Amazon’s Birthday
For 48 hours in July, Amazon celebrates its birthday by slashing prices on hundreds of prices — across departments. You can even enjoy sale prices on some of Amazon’s paid services such as Amazon Music. Who wouldn’t like the sound of that? To take advantage of the great discounts, just make sure your Prime membership is active.