Want to save money on Amazon? Yes? Discover the hidden Amazon hacks that will save you extra money while shopping.
Amazon is one of the largest e-commerce sites in the world. As of now, Amazon captures over one-third of all US online retail spending. You can imagine how big this e-commerce giant really is.
Amazon has evolved into a digital ecosystem so massive that finding the best deal, the best version of a product, or the fastest delivery option often requires strategy. That’s where Amazon hacks come into play.
Think of Amazon like a giant warehouse. If you walk in without a map, you might still find what you need—but chances are you’ll pay more, miss hidden discounts, or overlook better alternatives sitting just around the corner.
A few simple hacks can dramatically change how much you spend over the course of a year. Saving $5 here, clipping a hidden coupon there, getting free credits from slower shipping—it all adds up. At the end of the year, these “small” tricks can easily save you hundreds of dollars.
Table of Contents
In this article, I’ll cover some Amazon hacks that can help you save money while shopping.
1. Sign Up for Amazon Prime Membership
If you’re a frequent Amazon shopper, you must sign up for an Amazon Prime membership. It unlocks many Amazon freebies that can save you tons of money.
Here are Amazon Prime membership plans:
| Membership Type | Monthly Cost (Plus Tax) | Annual Cost (Plus Tax) | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Prime | $14.99 | $139 | General users (Saves ~$41/year if paid annually) |
| Prime for Young Adults | $7.49 | $69 | Students & individuals aged 18–24 |
| Prime Access | $6.99 | N/A | Recipients of SNAP, Medicaid, or other assistance |
| Prime Video Only | $8.99 | N/A | Streaming |
As we are talking about online shopping, you should opt for the “Standard Prime” subscription. For just $14.99 a month or $139 a year, you unlock many unlimited freebies.
Here are some Amazon Prime membership benefits:
- Fast, free delivery
- Unlimited streaming
- Exclusive deals & savings
- Amazon Music with Prime
- Amazon Photos (Unlimited photo storage)
- Amazon Prime Fuel Savings (Save 10¢ a gallon on fuel at over 7,500 participating sites)
- Grubhub+ (Free delivery)
- Rx savings (Save on prescriptions at 60,000 pharmacies)
If you haven’t been a member of Amazon Prime, you can get a 30-day free trial.
You can share your Amazon Prime benefits with other family members through the Amazon Household feature—at no additional cost.
2. Sign Up with Amazon Prime as a Student
If you’re a university student or someone in your family attending university, Amazon offers a discount membership plan for students only.
You can subscribe to Amazon’s “Prime for Young Adults” plan using a university email address. For just $69 a year – half of the regular Prime annual membership – you get all the same perks and benefits.
3. Amazon Resale (Warehouse Deals)
Amazon Prime membership unlocks many perks and benefits that can save you money over time. There are other ways to save money on Amazon without a Prime membership.
Amazon Resale, formerly known as Amazon Warehouse, is a specialized storefront that sells used, open-box, and pre-owned items at a significant discount.
These products are usually returned, refurbished, used, or warehouse-damaged. Because they can’t be sold as new, Amazon inspects, tests, and resells them at a lower price point.
Many deals include free shipping. Moreover, all items at the Amazon Resale storefront are backed by Amazon’s 30-day return policy.
4. Amazon Outlet
Amazon Outlet is a digital version of a clearance rack. It’s designed to sell brand-new overstock items and seasonal closeouts at significantly discounted prices.
Many people get confused between Amazon Resale and Outlet. Amazon sells products that didn’t sell as fast as expected or are from a previous season through the Outlet section.
Amazon Outlet offers significant discounts, typically ranging from 20% to 50%. You can access the Outlet section to browse for your desired items.
Categories include:
- Electronics & Accessories
- Home & Kitchen
- Clothing & Fashion
- Toys & Groceries
5. Amazon: Subscribe & Save
If Amazon is your favorite marketplace for household shopping, Amazon’s Subscribe & Save can help you get discounts.
It’s a subscription service designed for recurring purchases of essential items—think laundry detergent, pet food, or snacks. For a regular delivery schedule, Amazon gives you a discount on the retail price and provides free shipping.
Select the items you regularly buy and input your preferred quantity and schedule that works for you. Shipping is always free, and you can cancel the subscription at any time.
The discount you receive depends on how many items you have selected in your subscription box.
| Number of Subscriptions | Standard Discount | Prime Member (Baby Items*) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 4 items | 5% off | 5% off |
| 5+ items | 15% off | 20% off |
This subscription-based service is helpful for those who frequently buy household items on Amazon. It can save you money on essential items.
6. Amazon Today’s Deals (Lightning Deals)
Head over to Amazon Today’s Deal page (if you’re a Prime member, check out Prime Day) to see lightning deals on various products, including household, tech, footwear, and kitchenware.
You’ll see significant discounts, as high as 70% off, on products. They are time sensitive, so you need to be fast, and the deals are available for one per customer.
7. Amazon Store Card
You can consider the Amazon store card as a credit card that can only be used for purchases on Amazon.com and with select merchants that accept Amazon Pay.
If you’re a frequent Amazon shopper, you must get an Amazon store card. It not only pays for your purchases but also saves you money.
Upon approval, you get an instant credit to your Amazon account. If you’re a Prime member, you get 5% back on nearly every purchase.
For larger purchases (typically over $149), you can choose “promotional financing.” It allows you to pay for an item over 6, 12, or 24 months without interest.
There is no annual fee to keep the card open.
8. Amazon Coupons
This is one of the best ways to save money on Amazon purchases. Unlike Lightning Deals that limit one purchase, you can combine Amazon coupons when you shop.
Prime members get exclusive Prime coupons along with all the benefits of their membership. You can get 10% to 80% off on eligible purchases using verified promo codes.
You can use coupon sites like Groupon to get active coupon codes. Also, you can access Amazon coupons in the “Today’s Deals” section, which offer significant discounts of up to 75% on beauty, electronics, and home goods.
9. Amazon No-Rush Shipping
The Amazon No-Rush Shipping program is available only to Amazon Prime members. If you’re a Prime member, don’t overlook this program.
It’s a popular way for shoppers to subsidize their digital hobbies or get small discounts on their orders.
If you don’t mind waiting for a few days to receive your package, you can select “FREE No-Rush Shipping” (which usually takes about 5–7 business days). In exchange, Amazon awards you an instant discount or applies a reward to your account once your order ships.
10. Amazon Day Delivery
If you’re a Prime member, you can use the Amazon Day Delivery benefit. It allows you to select a specific day of the week to receive eligible orders.
This Amazon feature is useful for frequent Amazon shoppers and families. Instead of receiving multiple packages on different days, Amazon consolidates them into a single shipment. It helps the environment by reducing the number of boxes received.
11. Track Prices Before You Buy
Sometimes we want to buy one product, but the price is way over our budget. In that case, we can wait for price drops.
There are many price comparison tools to track price drops on Amazon. One of my favorites is CamelCamelCamel, a site solely dedicated to tracking price drops on Amazon.
All you have to do is create an account, add products to your list, and set target prices for specific products. CamelCamelCamel will send notifications via email when the price drops.
Another important feature of this tool is comprehensive historical data, which allows users to analyze pricing trends over weeks, months, or even years.
12. Amazon Associates
Amazon Associates is an affiliate marketing program of Amazon. It allows content creators, bloggers, and website owners to monetize their traffic by linking to millions of products available on Amazon.
If you’re a blogger or influencer, you must sign up to be an Amazon Associate. You can share millions of products to your audience to earn a commission (up to 4%) on eligible purchases.
13. Amazon Trade-In
The Amazon Trade-In program is designed to turn your old electronics and media into Amazon credit. This is another Amazon hack that allows you to trade your used electronics and media for Amazon gift cards or a discount on a new device.
Have a look at Amazon’s Trade-in page and see if you have any of the items you can trade in. Most of the eligible items that can be traded in are tech gadgets and electronics such as cell phones, speakers, e-readers, tablets, and video games.
14. Use Alexa for Exclusive Deals
If you have an Amazon Alexa device, you should use it to find exclusive deals. This device provides several ways to access exclusive deals, often referred to as “Voice-Exclusive Deals.”
To discover exclusive deals, you can use the following voice commands:
- Alexa, what are my deals?
- Alexa, what are today’s deals?
- Alexa, what are my Whole Foods deals?
You can set up Alexa to notify you when an item in your Wish List, Shopping Cart, or Saved for Later list goes on sale.
15. Abandon Your Cart Strategy
This is one of the most popular Amazon shopping hacks to get discounts on products. Add items to your shopping cart and leave without buying.
You just have to wait two or three days. Sometimes sellers offer discounts to encourage you to complete the purchase.
However, this Amazon hack is not guaranteed. There is no harm in trying, though.
16. Get an Incentive for Delayed Deliveries
Amazon truly cares about its commitment to customer service. They offer several forms of compensation for delayed deliveries or inconveniences.
Here are some types of compensation:
- Shipping Fee Refunds: If you paid for the shipping, you’ll get a full refund.
- Partial Refunds: If the delay causes a major inconvenience (like a missed birthday or event), you may be offered a 10–30% refund on the item price.
If an item is lost or damaged, Amazon will send you a replacement at no additional cost.
17. Earn Free Amazon Gift Cards
You can use Amazon gift cards to purchase products at Amazon. You can buy Amazon gift cards directly from Amazon or third-party retailers.
Did you know that you can earn free Amazon gift cards? Many reward sites offer free Amazon gift cards in exchange for various tasks.
Here are some popular reward sites to earn Amazon gift cards:
- Swagbucks
- Microsoft Rewards
- FeaturePoints
- MyPoints
- InstaGC
All you have to do is create an account and complete various tasks, such as answering surveys, watching videos, shopping online, and referring friends.
Most rewards work on a point system. You’ll earn points for completing tasks. Later, you can redeem your points for Amazon gift cards.
Therefore, earn free Amazon gift cards to subsidize your Amazon shopping costs.
18. Earn Cashback Shopping at Amazon
Did you know that you could earn cashback shopping at Amazon? You can’t get cashback directly from Amazon.
You can use third-party shopping sites like Rakuten and Swagbucks to earn cashback when shopping at Amazon.
Third-party shopping sites offer cashback for shopping at Amazon and other online stores. Later, you can withdraw your earnings via PayPal or gift cards.
19. Compare Sellers Before Buying
You can save a few dollars by comparing sellers before buying an item. If you do a little diligent research on an item, you’ll notice a slight pricing difference between two sellers. It’s because sellers are being competitive in the market.
Before buying an item, always check the other sellers’ section for a better deal.
20. Wait for Sales Events
Like other online stores, Amazon also offers significant discounts on sales events. You can wait for these events to buy non-essential items at a lower price.
Here are some major sales events:
- Amazon Spring Sale
- Prime Day (Typically July)
- Prime Big Deal Days (Typically October)
- Black Friday & Cyber Monday
- 12 Days of Deals (December)
During these sales events, Amazon offers significant discounts, often up to 70% off, on electronics, home goods, and beauty products.
Final Thoughts
If you’re a frequent Amazon shopper, you should not overlook these Amazon hacks. Shopping doesn’t mean spending more.
With these Amazon hacks, you can get freebies, save dollars from discounts, and get better deals. You can only feel the effects of Amazon hacks if you use them intelligently.
What do you think about these Amazon hacks? Have you used any Amazon hacks that helped you save money? Let me know in the comments.
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