Amazon is once again America's second favorite retail giant (just behind Walmart), according to the National Retail Federation's 2024 Top 100 Retailers report. (Who's on third? Costco).
No question, Amazon comes in at number two for good reason. Not only can you find a huge selection of products and services, if you're a Prime member, you'll also get free, two-day shipping on all eligible items, as well as access to digital storage for your photos, video streaming and much more — just a taste of what keeps customers coming back.
In fact, customers are sure to come back in record numbers for Prime Big Deal Days, Tuesday, October 8 and Wednesday, October 9. Check out the 50 best Amazon Prime Day deals right now.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
Although there are dozens of reasons to join Prime, Amazon did hike the price of its subscription in 2022, so you might be thinking about canceling your Prime membership. Before you pull the plug, take a look at these 10 money-saving hacks.
1. Shop Woot! deals
Woot! is Amazon’s daily deals site where you can get deals and discounts on everything from clothing to home items and electronics. But check back daily to see what’s available, because offers change all the time. If you're a Prime member, you’ll get free standard shipping on all Woot! purchases.
2. Use Amazon coupons
Amazon offers coupons — clippable coupons (yellow buttons or orange tags), link coupons and promo codes that automatically apply to your cart or require you to enter the code during checkout. But the easiest way to find Amazon coupons is on Amazon’s Coupon Page.
If you’re about to order an item and you're not fixed on that specific brand, check to see if there’s a similar item that has a coupon attached. When you log on and start searching for coupons, you may notice that most name-brands do not offer coupons. No fear. Come back often as new coupons are added daily and you never know what will pop up.
3. Find lightning deals
When you're looking for great bargains, search lightning deals on Amazon where you can find discounts of over 50% on some items. But many of these deals are temporary and fly out the door quickly, so don't hesitate too long. You’ll see a status bar that indicates when the deal expires — either when enough customers claim the deal, or when the timer runs out.
4. Subscribe and save
There are certain items that you always need around the house, like coffee, vitamins and paper towels. These are often available at a discounted price through Amazon’s Subscribe & Save program. If there's a discounted price, you'll see it on the product page, so you can see how much you'll save by signing up for a subscription vs. a one-off purchase.
There are thousands of qualifying products available. Just pick the quantity and delivery frequency that works for you. You have the option to cancel or change your preferences at any time. Plus, once you order five or more Subscribe & Save products in a month to a single address, you’ll unlock extra price discounts.
5. Select no-rush shipping
If you don't need your Amazon packages right away, choose no-rush shipping on your order. By doing so, you will receive an immediate discount or rewards — like digital credits for movies, books and music — to use later on.
Although discounts are available to everyone, rewards are only available to Prime members and you don't get to choose which you want. The rewards depend on the offer.
6. Get free shipping without a Prime membership
If you don't order from Amazon often enough to warrant spending $139 a year or $14.99 per month for Prime membership, there are a couple of other ways to get your occasional orders delivered free. When you order $35 worth of eligible products, your entire order qualifies for free economy shipping, which typically takes five to eight business days.
7. Shop Amazon Warehouse deals
When eligible used, pre-owned and open-box products are returned to Amazon, they go through a quality check before being sold in Amazon’s warehouse section, now called Amazon Resale. You can find deep discounts on everything from computers and household goods to tools and pet supplies. However, the used price is not always better than buying new so compare before you buy.
8. Search by discount
Amazon doesn't allow you to sort by the "percentage off" discount on items, which can make it challenging to find the best deal. And, sorting by price can bring up dozens of pages of irrelevant results. To find hidden discounts, enter a product in Amazon's search bar and add &pct-off;=50- to the URL. This will show you items that are discounted by 50%.
This little hack works for any discounted amount. Although the results aren’t always perfect, you'll never know if it works on a specific item unless you try it out.
9. Check out the Prime Visa credit card
You may be hesitant to apply for another credit card, but if you shop a lot on Amazon, the Prime Visa card comes with many benefits worth checking out. First, you'll get 5% back on Amazon purchases and at Whole Foods Market. You'll also get back 5% off at Amazon Fresh and on Chase Travel. And, earn unlimited 5% back on your purchases at Audible.com
Other offers include 2% back at gas stations, restaurants, and local transit and commuting, and 1% back everywhere else. This all comes with no annual fee or international transaction charges.
10. Add another adult
There's a way for some folks to reap the benefits of Amazon Prime without having to fork over the $139 annual or $14.99 per month membership fee. Prime members are allowed to add one adult in their household to their Prime account free of charge. The second adult must have his or her own Amazon account and must use the same billing address as the primary Prime account holder.
(Caution: Both individuals will have access to credit card information associated with the Prime account). Once the new household member has been verified, he or she gets access to free two-day shipping, video streaming, online photo storage and the Kindle owners' lending library.
Good luck, and happy shopping!
Read more
-
UBS Global's Solita Marcelli: It's a Green Light for U.S. Stocks in 2025A strong economy, rate cuts and continued AI spending should support stocks in the new year, says UBS Global's chief investment officer, Americas.
-
General Mills Stock Is Sinking After An Earnings Beat. Here's WhyGeneral Mills stock is one of the worst S&P 500 stocks Wednesday as weak full-year guidance offsets better-than-expected earnings. Here's what you need to know.
-
How to Make the Most of Your Credit Card Rewards in 2025Perks are a large reason why we get the credit cards we do, but studies show we don’t use them to their full potential. Here are some tips to maximize credit card rewards.
-
What the Family and Medical Leave Act ProvidesThe Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) protects employees who need to take time off from work to care for themselves or others. You might be surprised at some of the situations it can apply to.
-
Your Loved One Fell for a Romance Scam: What Not to DoConfronting them probably won't work, but asking them some key questions and urging them to take certain actions could.
-
Do You Feel Like Somebody’s Watching You? It's Your CarWhat's worse, you gave your vehicle manufacturer permission to watch you — no matter what you're doing. What are the car companies doing with that information?
-
I Won’t Be Handing Out Gift Cards This Christmas. Here’s WhyGift cards are usually considered a safe bet at Christmas, but in these strained times, how can you be sure your gift won't go to waste?
-
Best Holiday Buys from Dollar Stores, Including Dollar TreeExperts say you should pick this up at dollar stores. Although dollar stores have changed a lot over the years, there are still some deals to be found around the holidays.
-
Quicken Launches New Tool to Protect Your Financial Documents: Is it Worth It?If you're looking for a secure place to store your financial documents, Quicken's LifeHub offers you an easy and affordable way to do so.
-
Is A White Elephant Gift Exchange Right For Your Group?Discover the fun, the quirks, and festive alternatives to white elephant exchanges — and make your holiday gathering unforgettable.
