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 unnervingly common. 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 (even if it’s not as quick as it used to be), offers services such as streaming video and music, and makes an entire line of tablets, ebook 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, according to Statista. Amazon also owns some brick-and-mortar stores, including Whole Foods. Much of the experience with Amazon is improved if you’re willing to pay the yearly fee to be a member of Amazon Prime.We’re closing in on Amazon’s upcoming Prime Day shopping event. It’s coming this summer. The tips below can help you get the most out of your shopping experience on Prime Day or any other.1. Get Amazon Prime for Free (or Cheaper)
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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 Access 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 or Family
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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 purchases a secret from your partner or kids. Everyone can enjoy the 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 (with ads; no ads costs $3/month more), 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 (it’s $7.99 a month for non-Prime members). 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
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The only way to give the gift of Prime is as an Amazon gift card. The recipient can use it to sign up. It works as a gift for people who already have Prime, too. Plus, it buys other stuff. 4. Finding the Right Product
Laptop search filters on Amazon.com (Credit: Amazon)
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 or Staples; 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 narrowed 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 just ads.5. Warehouse Deals Renewed
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What happens to products that are returned to Amazon—the gems that are no longer “new” but are still good enough? They can typically be found on the Amazon Warehouse Deals site, from which you can find Amazon Renewed. It 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
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Amazon’s best deals for new products used to be easy to find, but now you have to dig a little or go direct to www.amazon.com/gp/goldbox/. The section offers several featured deals. Some may be 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
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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 will eventually expire.
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Make sure to look at the product description when you’re reading about something you might buy. Right below the price you may see an orange banner that says Coupon: with applicable savings. Click it before you put it in your cart. Or at least come back and click it before you checkout. 8. Track Amazon PricesAmazon’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 third-party options to 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 the end of the day. Amazon also offers one-hour pickup or two-hour grocery delivery via Amazon Fresh or Whole Foods (if you order at least $100 worth of groceries).10. Whole Foods Discounts
Whole Foods in Houston, Texas (Credit: Whole Foods)
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 money from Whole Foods Market purchases if you belong to Prime (see below). In physical Amazon Fresh stores–there are only 22 of those left–Prime members save 20% on a variety of items each week.11. The Card That Pays You BackAmazon 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 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 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
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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, diapers, 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 OrderThose 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
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14. Get Refunds on Lost Items, Late Deliveries
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The days of guaranteed two-day shipping when you have Prime are over. It can still happen, but not without you paying extra, or just getting lucky. That said, many items include a guaranteed delivery date when you order by a certain time. 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 period. Frequent requests might get your account flagged, so don’t try any funny business.15. Pick a Consistent Delivery DayAre 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. It only works with Prime. 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
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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, plus gaming equipment and titles. If you want to junk some old tech instead, consider using Amazon Recycling. 17. Fill the Cart With Low-Cost ItemsIf you don’t have a Prime subscription, the minimum you have to spend for free shipping is $35. What if you need 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, say, $25 or $30 worth of stuff in your shopping cart. Just search on the term “add-on items.” You’ll see things like eight packs of batteries, lip balm, and snacks that are all bargain-priced. 18. Regular Reading Perks
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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 Prime Reading with Kindle Unlimited, which is similar, but costs $11.99 plus tax per month after a 3-month trial. With Kindle Unlimited, you get access to about 1 million titles, including audiobooks.19. Try Before You Buy
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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
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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, it’s entirely possible to take a break. Canceling your Amazon Prime account is simple.
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