(Credit: Amazon)
At one time, shopping online seemed ridiculous—and also dangerous. People were afraid to enter their credit card numbers in a browser window, hidden fees were the norm, and scams and fraud issues were paramount. These days, though, online shopping is a way of life, thanks in large part to one internet behemoth: Amazon.
Love it or hate it, the Seattle-based company has made online shopping mainstream. Amazon sells almost everything, delivers your goods quickly (especially if you're an Amazon Prime member), offers services such as streaming video and music, and makes an entire line of tablets, e-book readers, and smart speakers and displays. Its web and app options let you shop on any platform, while its AWS servers power at least a third of the web. Amazon also owns plenty of brick-and-mortar stores, including Whole Foods.
We're closing in on Amazon's upcoming Prime Day shopping event on July 11 and 12. The tips below can help you get the most out of your shopping experience.
1. Get Amazon Prime for Free (or Cheaper)
Amazon Prime comes with a free 30-day trial for first-time subscribers. You could theoretically use a Prime membership on Prime Day to get free shipping, then cancel before you're charged. Amazon is pretty sure you'll be so dazzled by all the extras a Prime membership offers that you won't want to let it go, but that really depends on how much you shop.
Not everyone has to shell out $139, though. Prime Student offers a free Prime membership for six months and half-price thereafter ($69 per year or $7.49 per month). Students have to have an email account with a school to qualify. Those on government assistance can get Prime for $6.99 a month after a 30-day free trial. It applies to programs including WIC and SNAP (here's the full list). Subscribers need to re-up every 12 months.
2. Prime With a Partner
You can share the cost of an Amazon Prime subscription with one other adult and up to four kids who live under the same roof. This is a smart way to shop for holiday presents while keeping them a secret from your partner or kids and still enjoying free shipping.
To set it up, go to the Amazon Household website and click Add Adult/Teen/Child. You'll need their email addresses as used on Amazon, and adults must share credit or debit card information. Keep it organized at Manage Your Content and Devices > Preferences tab > Households and Family Library > Manage Your Household.
Amazon Prime Household sharing includes Prime Video, as well as Prime Early Access (which offers 30-minute early access to time-limited Lightning Deals) and the Kindle Owners' Lending Library. All adults get access to Amazon Kids+ parental controls at $4.99 per month, to make sure kids don't get into anything they shouldn't. Amazon Teen, a part of Amazon Household, gives kids aged 13 to 17 a little more freedom to shop, but it allows parents or guardians to approve these teens' purchases before they're charged.
3. The Gift of Prime
Amazon used to let you give Prime as a gift. You can still do that, but the only way is to buy the recipient an Amazon gift card (which works as a gift for people who already have Prime, too).
4. Finding the Right Product
Amazon has hundreds of thousands of products. Searching with a barebones term will quickly get you lost in the weeds, with far too many options. At the left of your screen, start clicking boxes to filter choices. Start, of course, with Prime, so you know that you'll get the unit with, hopefully, the best shipping options and definitely the best return options (such as making a quick trip to Kohl's; they'll even pack it and ship it for you).
Keep narrowing things down, looking for daily deals but also by customer ratings (if you trust them), brands, and even more specific terms, depending on the product category. Searching "laptops," I was able to narrow down the RAM capacity, graphics processor, type of display, weight, and even new versus used (you can get some good deals with a refurb). Filtering also lets you skip sponsored listings, which are really just ads.
5. Warehouse Deals
What happens to products that are returned to Amazon—the gems that are no longer "new" but are still good enough? They can typically found on the Amazon Warehouse Deals site, which offers "deep discounts on open-box, like-new, and pre-owned products"—aka refurbished. Best of all, they are typically still eligible for Amazon Prime shipping and returns. Similarly, you can find deals at the almost-hidden Amazon Outlet store.
6. Today's Deals on Amazon
Amazon's best deals for new products are found in the Today's Deals link at the top of any Amazon page. The section offers several Deals of the Day and time-limited Lightning Deals (where you have only hours or minutes to snag a product on sale). There isn't always a lot of notice. If you use Amazon's mobile apps, tap the hamburger menu, and select Deals & Savings > Today's Deals to see discounts on the go.
7. Clip Some Coupons
Amazon has an ongoing set of coupon offers on its Coupons page. Clip all the coupons you might want to use; they're mostly for household goods and electronics, but you can search under categories including Toys and Jewelry for other discounts. The savings, generally 5% to 15% off, are automatically applied when you make the purchase. If you don't buy, the coupon isn't used, and it will eventually expire.
8. Track Amazon Prices
Amazon's not going to go out of its way to inform you when a product you love is super cheap (though if you check your Wish List, you can see how much an item's price has dropped since you added it). Luckily, there are plenty of third-party options that help you track prices, usually via a browser extension.
For example, CamelCamelCamel tracks tons of products and provides info via email and Twitter. Set it up in your browser with the Camelizer add-on tool for Chrome, Edge, Opera, Safari, and Firefox. And PayPal's Honey, CapitalOne Shopping, and RetailMeNot's Deal Finder all offer browser add-ons that display deals on Amazon before you buy—right in the Amazon window. They also surface deals on most other online stores.
(Editors' Note: RetailMeNot is owned by Ziff Davis, the publisher of PCMag.)
9. Same-Day Delivery
In certain cities, you can get same-day delivery of select items. Prime members in those areas can receive free same-day delivery on qualifying orders over $35; look for the countdown clock to get an idea of whether you can have your desired item in hand by end of day. Amazon also offers one-hour pickup or two-hour grocery delivery via Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods (if you order at least $150 worth of groceries).
10. Whole Foods Discounts
Love shopping at Whole Foods, but hate the prices? The chain, owned by Amazon, comes with a Prime perk: You get 10% off sale items, plus other weekly discounts. Use the Whole Foods Market app at checkout to get the deals; the app also shows what's on sale. With the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card, get 5% back on Whole Foods Market purchases. In physical Amazon Fresh stores, Prime members save 20% on a variety of items each week.
11. The Card That Pays You Back
Amazon offers a slew of cards that make it worth your while to shop. The aforementioned Prime Rewards Visa Card gives Prime members 5% back on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases; 2% at restaurants, drugstores, and gas stations; and 1% on all other purchases. (If you're not a Prime member, you get only 3% back for purchases on Amazon or at Whole Foods.)
On Prime Day, members can earn 6% back on select deals with the Amazon Prime Visa Card (or the Prime Store Card).
Traveling overseas? There are no longer any foreign transaction fees nor are there annual fees with the Prime Visa Card. The latest cards are contactless, so if you see the symbol on a point-of-sale terminal at checkout—it looks like a Wi-Fi antenna symbol turned on its side—simply tap the card; no swiping, inserting, or using your phone is required. (If you've got an old Prime Rewards Visa, request a free upgrade to a contactless version here.)
Because a "purchase" on Amazon made with the money you've earned doesn't earn you more money, the best practice is to redeem points for gift cards or as cash back via Chase so you don't lose out on even a measly 1%. You can also link other credit cards—including American Express, Discover, CapitalOne, and Citi—to your Amazon account to Shop With Points.
12. Subscribe to Products
You might think subscriptions are just for entertainment, like video streaming services, where you get new and different things regularly. With Amazon's Subscribe & Save, you get the same items over and over, but they are things you always need, such as batteries, detergent, trash bags, deodorant, cat litter, dog food, toilet paper, and other essentials. Get as much as 15% off products that fit the bill when you buy five or more products per month. Cancel whenever you want; there's no year-long commitment that forces you to get, say, the same size diapers for a year. Check out the page for every eligible item.
13. Alexa: Place an Order
Those deep into the Amazon ecosystem probably have a smart speaker. It's easy to use Echo devices to order or reorder items. Say "Alexa, reorder [product name]" and she'll walk you through the process. Set up a confirmation code in your Alexa app on your mobile device to prevent family, friends, and frenemies from abusing the purchase-by-voice feature. Go to the More menu > Settings > Account Settings > Voice Purchasing > Purchase Controls. You can also set it so that only recognized voices can buy, or you can disable Voice Purchases entirely.
Few people use this feature, which is probably why Amazon blames the Echo for losing it billions of dollars. Don't be shocked if the Echo's best features eventually require a subscription.
14. Get Refunds on Lost Items, Late Deliveries
Prime offers two-day shipping, and many items include a guaranteed delivery date when you order by a certain time. But delays happen. If you paid extra for expedited shipping, and your order doesn't show up at the appointed time, Amazon will refund those extra shipping costs.
When an order is marked as delivered and you can't find it, call Amazon customer service at 1-888-280-4331. An automated system walks you through the order and offers to resend it or to issue a refund, no questions asked. It's unclear how many refunds Amazon will issue in a given time period. Frequent requests might get your account flagged, so don't try any funny business.
15. Pick a Consistent Delivery Day
Are your Amazon deliveries showing up in multiple packages every day of the week? That's great when you need those items ASAP, but if you'd rather not monitor your front door so much or be responsible for so many truck rolls, pick an Amazon Day. When you check out, you have the option to pick a single day of the week for delivery that will become your default day for Amazon packages in the future. Change it any time you check out to get a faster turnaround, but otherwise, everything you ordered within the previous six days will arrive on the designated day (in theory).
16. Trade In Your Tech for Amazon Money
Places to trade in old tech products abound, and that includes Amazon. A trade-in can be used to buy more stuff at Amazon, naturally (you get an Amazon code, not cash). The original product doesn't have to come from Amazon to be eligible. Trade-in item categories include e-readers, tablets, streaming media players, speakers, home security devices, and wireless routers to upgrade, but you can also trade in cell phones and gaming equipment and titles. If you want to junk some old tech instead, consider using Amazon Recycling.
17. Fill the Cart With Low-Cost Items
If you don't have a Prime subscription, the minimum you have to spend for free shipping is $35. What if you need only a less expensive item? Find some add-ons. Amazon lists lots of inexpensive items that you can get at a cheaper price when you have $25 worth of stuff in your shopping cart. Just search on the term "add-on items," and you'll see things like eight-packs of batteries, lip balm, and snacks that are all low-priced.
18. Regular Reading Perks
If you own an Amazon Kindle or use the Kindle app on another device and also have a Prime subscription, you have access to Amazon First Reads. That's a monthly option to download one "Editors' Pick" book for free. In July 2023, Prime members get two books for Prime Day. (The other listed books cost less than $9.99, usually only $4.99 to pre-order, which is pretty cheap.)
Prime members in the US can also enjoy unlimited access to a "rotating selection of books, magazines, comics, and more," about 2,000 in total, at no additional cost via Prime Reading. It includes periodicals and even graphic novels. (Don't confuse this with Kindle Unlimited, which sounds similar but costs $9.99 per month. With Kindle Unlimited, you get access to about 1 million titles, including audiobooks.)
19. Try Before You Buy
Prime Try Before You Buy is accurately named. Order up to six pieces of eligible clothing, jewelry, and accessories. Amazon sends them, you try them, and send back whatever doesn't fit or you don't like within seven days. You don't pay until you decide to keep something. Amazon includes a return label, so you're ready to send unwanted duds back in the same box they arrived in. (Don't destroy the box when you open it.) If you return all the clothes, no big deal: You don't pay for anything you don't keep.
20. Buy With Prime on Other Sites
Millions of people shop on Amazon and trust the experience. Millions of people also use Amazon to pay for purchases on other sites. And lots of small online shops—called Direct-to-Consumer, or DTC businesses—wish they could have a shopping cart and payment that works as well as Amazon's. Well, wish no more, sellers, because you can use Buy With Prime to make it happen. You'll have to give Amazon a bunch of your products, and then incorporate its shopping cart into your site for selling, but after that, Amazon handles all the fulfillment (packing and shipping) and you get the money—minus a cut for Amazon, of course.
Shoppers, look for a Buy With Prime button on third-party online stores. That means you can probably trust the transaction as much as you would when buying from Amazon directly, because you are, sort of.
21. Cancel Amazon Prime
Sometimes, you just don't want to shop. Not even on Amazon. Maybe especially on Amazon. If you're tired of the emails and deals and discounts, take a break. Canceling your Amazon Prime account is simple.
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