15 Amazon Secrets That Will Save You Money When You Shop
Using these Amazon hacks to save money will come in handy if you’re a big online shopper. Chances are you’ve got a few tips of your own when it comes to saving money on Amazon — but we’re guessing you don’t know all the tricks in the book. Keep reading for more advice on how to always get the best Amazon deals.
1. Opt in for ‘Subscribe and Save.’
Amazon’s Subscribe and Save program is simple: You select the quantity and frequency that you want to receive a certain item, and you’ll get a small discount on your purchase. Shipping is always free, and you can earn up to 15 percent off when you receive five or more products per month using this service. For Amazon Prime members, that discount jumps up to 20 percent off goods like baby food and diapers.
Subscribe and Save works best when you select items you know your family is going to use, like toilet paper, dryer sheets, gummy vitamins, and batteries. If you were going to spend money on it anyway, you might as well get a little bit off your purchase.
2. Try a free Amazon Prime membership.
Take advantage of Amazon’s free 30-day Prime membership trial if you need something delivered ASAP. Just don’t forget to set a reminder to cancel the subscription or you’ll be charged $12.99 per month until you opt out. Luckily, you can cancel your Amazon Prime membership at any time.
3. Sign in to the Amazon app.
Amazon will give you a code for $10 off your next purchase if you sign in to their mobile app — but only if this is your first time. Your purchase has to total more than $20 to use the voucher, but that shouldn’t be hard considering all the wonderful and weird things you can buy on Amazon.
4. Earn deals using Amazon Family.
This program is only available to Amazon Prime members, but it give you exclusive family-oriented discounts. You’re also eligible for 20 percent off childcare products, like diapers, food, formula, vitamins, and paper products. If a family member or friend recently had a baby, gifting them an Amazon Prime subscription so they can take advantage of Amazon Family deals is a wonderful idea that will save them a lot of stress.
5. Scour Amazon’s deals of the day.
On the navigation bar of Amazon’s homepage is a section called “Today’s Deals.” Click on it and you’ll find a treasure trove of discounted products — and these items are actually things you want. Laptops, robot vacuums, and home security camera systems are just some of the goods you may find on sale.
6. Check deal-tracking sites.
Amazon is just one of the many online retailers you probably shop at, so it’s always a good idea to compare its prices with other sites. If you don’t have the time or energy to do a thorough search, type your item into the search bar of a deal-tracking site like CamelCamelCamel.com and let them do the work. Then, you can see what Amazon is charging and compare that to its competitors.
7. Buy an Amazon Student membership.
If you have a kid in college, you can take advantage of their Amazon Student discount. Amazon offers students a free six-month Amazon Prime membership. Once the free trial expires, you’ll get Prime for half price.
8. Get cash-back rewards through Ebates.
Instead of logging on to Amazon by typing their URL into the search bar, go through Rakuten, formerly known as Ebates, first. This way, you can earn cash back for any eligible purchases.
9. Take advantage of Amazon’s price-match refund for TVs.
There’s nothing more annoying than buying a TV only to see it being sold for less somewhere else. The good news is you can get back the difference if you purchased the TV on Amazon in the last 30 days. You will receive the credit back on an Amazon gift card rather than as a refund on the card you originally used to pay for the TV.
10. Convert loose change into Amazon gift cards.
You can avoid Coinstar fees by opting to receive the value of your change in the form of an Amazon gift card. Then, you can buy whatever you like online.
11. Don’t forget about Amazon’s outlet section.
Here you can find heavy discounts on overstock, including brand names like Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Alex and Ani, Anne Klein, and Fossil. This will be a total game changer come holiday shopping season.
12. Earn shopping credits for choosing no-rush shipping.
Good things come to those who wait — a little bit longer for shipping. If you choose no-rush shipping at checkout, Amazon will award you credits you can use toward future purposes. Sometimes it pays to be patient!
13. Trade in items for Amazon credit.
If you have an old iPhone lying around unused, send it to Amazon for store credit. Just tell Amazon what you want to sell and they’ll make you an offer on the spot. Then, ship you item to them so they can appraise it. You’ll receive a credit on your account once everything’s been accepted.
14. Get discounted Amazon Prime if you have an EBT or Medicaid card.
The price of Amazon Prime goes down to $5.99 per month if you have a valid EBT or Medicaid card. You’ll have to confirm your eligibility with Amazon, but you’ll gain access to all of Prime’s benefits once you’re approved.
15. Scroll through Amazon Warehouse.
Amazon sells gently used and refurbished electronics and furniture through Amazon Warehouse, so it’s worth having a look around before committing to buying something new. They also sell some nonperishables, though we assume these items have never been used and are overstock or were returned unopened.
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