We love Amazon for its convenience, variety, and prices. We also love tricks and tips that help us save money and reap more benefits when shopping the mega online store. Here are ten of our favorite Amazon tricks.
10. Donate to Charities While You Shop Amazon
Here's an easy way to feel good every time you shop at Amazon: Just start at AmazonSmile and 0.5% of your purchase will automatically be donated by Amazon to the charity of your choice. There's also a Chrome extension that keeps you from forgetting to start from the AmazonSmile page.
9. Use the Best Credit Card for Amazon Purchases
Use a credit card that rewards you for shopping at Amazon, and it's like saving money on all your purchases. I compared three of the best credit cards for Amazon shoppers here (spoiler: I personally use the official Amazon Chase card, but others might be more rewarding).
8. Use Amazon Gift Cards to Use Up Prepaid Debit Card Balances
The problem with prepaid debit cards is often you are left with a balance that's too small to do anything with. The solution: Buy an Amazon gift card with that custom amount. It never expires and it prevents you from wasting the rest of the money on your prepaid card.
My bank also has a debit card transactions requirement (something like 12 transactions a month) to get a higher interest rate. Buying Amazon gift cards helps me meet that requirement without feeling like I'm wasting that money. Don't tell my bank.
7. Get Amazon Prime Video Credit and Two-Day Shipping
Amazon recently started offering Prime members a $1 instant video credit if they choose the No-Rush shipping option (5-7 business days) instead of two-day Prime shipping. There might be a way for you to get both the fast shipping and the video credit.
6. Get a Refund or Your Prime Membership Extended If Your Package Doesn't Ship on Time
Keep on eye on expected package delivery times. If your package isn't delivered at the promised time, you can get either a refund of the shipping costs or, if you're a Prime member, a one-month extension of your membership.
5. Get Amazon Add-on Items Shipped Without the $25 Minimum
Amazon's add-on items are deeply discounted, but they require you to spend at least $25 on other items to have them shipped. Here's the workaround: Add a preorder item to your cart at the same time.
4. Get a Price Drop Refund from Amazon
YMMV, but Amazon may be willing to issue you a refund for the price difference if, within 7 days of delivery, an item shipped and sold by Amazon drops in price. Just another reason to monitor Amazon prices on your purchases (perhaps via CamelCamelCamel or your own Google Docs-based price tracker).
3. Shop the Amazon Outlet Store
Amazon usually has competitive prices on stuff, but there are even bigger discounts in its lesser-known outlet store. Amazon Warehouse Deals offer marked down new and used (refurbished) items that could save you a bunch.
2. Install Awesome Extensions for Amazon
Supercharge your Amazon shopping experience with these browser extensions, so you can track prices, add stuff to your wish list, and browse products more easily.
1. Know the Best and Worst Things to Buy (or "Subscribe and Save") from Amazon
Amazon tends to be cheaper on many types of products but not all of them—clothing, diapers, and batteries, for example could best be bought elsewhere. For Subscribe and Save household items, it might pay to do a comparison yourself between Amazon's discounted subscription prices and your local warehouse club or grocery store. Or you can consult our list of the best things to get from Subscribe and Save.
Bonus: Share Your Prime Membership with Others
This tip doesn't directly help you with your Amazon shopping, but it could help others in your life. Your $99 yearly membership is totally worth it—especially if you share the benefits with others. You can share your two-day shipping with four other "household members"—even if they don't live with or aren't related to you. Split the ~$100 fee with four others, and Prime is even more attractive. (Only the main account holder, however, gets the video streaming and other perks besides the shipping, though.)
Photos by OpenClips, Andrew Mager, Nomadic Lass, we.photography.