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Did you know that Amazon sales make up almost half of the e-commerce market in the United States? From the site’s Prime membership to the discounts you get on everyday products, it’s no surprise that so many online shoppers prefer buying on Amazon.
If you are a frequent Amazon shopper, you probably enjoy the convenience of finding everything in one place for a good price. But are you really taking advantage of all the ways you can save money there?
From special savings events and coupon codes to rebates and savings programs, here are the top 10 Amazon shopping tricks you need to know.
1. Take Advantage of Amazon Warehouse Deals
Whether you are shopping for a computer or a piece of furniture, do not purchase the item as “new” every time. Instead, check out whether there are any Amazon Warehouse options for the product.
These products often come from customer returns or items that have damaged packaging from regular handling. Amazon grades the product from acceptable to like new but still allows regular returns and exchanges. In return, you get a quality product for less with low risk!
2. Keep Track of Price Drops
Amazon prices change frequently. So, an item you see right now may be cheaper or more expensive later in the day.
To buy your item when it costs the least, try using an Amazon price tracker like the camelcamelcamel website. You can simply paste the product’s Amazon URL in the search box and see a history of price changes. You can also sign up to receive alerts when the price drops to an acceptable amount.
3. Check out the Daily Deals
Amazon features a large selection of products in various departments in its daily deals. This can allow you to save anywhere from 10 to 70 percent off!
To find these deals, visit the “Daily Deals” link below Amazon’s search bar to view items by department. Some Amazon deals are short “Lightning Deals” that last only until supplies run out. Others span the whole day or are extended sales events.
4. Do not Forget to Use Your Credit Card’s Benefits
Whether you have Amazon’s credit card or a qualifying card from another servicer, you can use your card’s benefits to save money on Amazon.
Amazon occasionally offers discounts on products to those who have its store card or Prime Visa. You can also get five percent Amazon cashback on your purchases if you have the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature card.
If you have an American Express, Chase, Citi, or Discover card, you can likely shop with points you have earned on other purchases. So rather than letting those points go to waste, use them to reduce your amount owed on Amazon purchases!
5. Get Rebates on Your Amazon Purchases
When you are looking at an Amazon product page, be sure to check whether there are any instant or mail-in rebates available so that you can buy stuff cheaper.
Instant rebates work similar to coupons and allow you to get an automatic discount at checkout. Mail-in rebates take a bit more work and usually require mailing in paperwork and proof of purchase.
Another one of the Amazon tricks to try is to use a third-party online rebates program. This allows you to get money back quickly without the need to send anything in. You can claim your rebate as easily as providing your order id online!
6. Use Amazon’s Trade-In Program
Most of us have some books, movies, or old electronics we no longer use. If so, you can use Amazon’s trade-in program to receive an Amazon gift card for your unwanted items.
You can simply search for the item on Amazon’s website and look for an option to trade it in. Not all products are accepted, and your gift card amount will depend on the item’s condition. Amazon will give you a prepaid shipping label so you can conveniently mail in your items.
7. Save Money with Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime has become a must-have for frequent shoppers since it helps you save on shipping costs. While Amazon does offer free shipping for purchases of $25 or more, Amazon Prime does not have that limit. You also get speedier shipping within one to two days!
You also get access to ebooks, video and audio streaming services, and special Prime deals. Other benefits include 2-hour delivery through Prime Now, free online photo storage, and discounts on products like diapers.
8. Pay Less Through Product Subscriptions
If you buy the same item often, check if Amazon offers a subscription for it. By opting for automatic deliveries, you can often save between 5 and 15 percent. You also get control over how often you want to receive the product.
9. Shop for Less During Amazon’s Special Shopping Events
Along with the site’s daily deals, Amazon has regular savings events throughout the year. While you will find products in most categories on sale, these events are particularly good times for buying Amazon products such as the Echo and Kindle.
These special events often happen around holidays or on big shopping days like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Amazon Prime Day happens each July and allows Prime members to get access to special savings.
10. Use Amazon’s Coupons
Amazon often offers coupons on products such as food, beauty items, and health and personal care necessities. You will find the coupon on the product page where you can click to apply it.
You can also browse Amazon’s coupons page to see items across all categories that have coupons. For example, you will even find coupons on computers, toys, clothes, and home items.
Put These Amazon Shopping Tricks to Work!
Now that you know these 10 Amazon shopping tricks, put them to use on your next trip to the site. Remember that you can even combine coupons, rebates, and Prime savings to get the best deals!
Do not forget to check the emails you receive from Amazon as well. These often provide the first notice of sales events and any specific promotions you qualify for. You may also consider checking the Amazon homepage banner often since deals can come and go quickly.
Be sure to check out our rebates program for your next visit to Amazon to save even more!