Whether you're shopping for beauty essentials, cleaning products, affordable furniture or a last-minute gift idea, Amazon has you covered. Not only does the online retailer offer a wide selection of products, but Amazon prioritizes low prices, fast shipping and real customer reviews that make it easy to decide which best-selling Amazon products are worth the hype.
From Amazon Prime Day to "daily deals," Amazon is constantly offering discounts to its customers, but these low prices don't always stick around. If you know where — and when — to shop on Amazon, you can capitalize on all of the best deals, promotions and little-known opportunities. Luckily, we spoke with money-saving experts and Amazon representatives to compile 14 genius ways to make the most out of your Amazon shopping experience.
1. Become an Amazon Prime member
First and foremost, becoming an Amazon Prime member comes with a ton of great perks. When you sign up for Amazon Prime, you're essentially paying up front for benefits that save you money in the long run. This includes exclusive discounts on eligible items, free and fast shipping, free grocery delivery with Amazon Fresh, early access to Amazon sales events and much more. Keep in mind: You must be a member to shop the deals and score freebies on Amazon Prime Day (which takes place July 16-17 this year).
Amazon Prime costs $139 per year, or $14.99 per month after a 30-day trial period. College students and qualifying government assistance recipients can get memberships for 50% less, costing either $7 and $7.49 per month. Sara Skirboll, shopping & trends expert for RetailMeNot, says a Prime membership is essential if you think you'll place at least 15 orders a year. That's at least one order per month — taking a closer look at your Amazon history might help you decide what's best.
2. Take advantage of free digital offers with your membership
Don't forget your Prime membership includes exclusive access to digital items, from popular movies and TV shows to ad-free music. You can also enjoy a selection of Kindle books, original audio series and games for free with a Prime membership. Other benefits you may not be aware of include unlimited, full-resolution photo storage with Amazon Photos and free Grubhub+.
3. For non-members, score free shipping by bundling items
If you aren't a Prime member, you can still snag free shipping. When your order includes at least $35 of eligible items, you can receive free 5-8 day shipping. Eligible items include anything labeled "Free Shipping" on the product detail page that is fulfilled and shipped by Amazon. This might mean putting a little more effort in planning out your purchases. But for free shipping? It's worth it.
4. Get Amazon credit for choosing no-rush shipping
If you're not in a rush to receive your package, select no-rush shipping instead of the standard two-day shipping to earn Amazon rewards. (This hack is for Prime members only). By choosing a slower shipping speed, a special discount is instantly applied to your order, and a promotional credit gets applied to your account for a future order once your current order is shipped.
5. Shop with credit card points
Depending on your credit card company, like AMEX and Chase, you may be able to redeem your credit card points into Amazon credit. After you register an eligible rewards program to your account, you can use your Shop with Points balance during checkout. Amazon Prime members can also earn 5% cash back on Amazon purchases with the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card.
6. Set household staples to autopilot ordering
Amazon's Subscribe & Save program works just how it sounds: You select various items you need on a regular basis (think: laundry detergent, coffee pods, baby care items and more), set the quantity and schedule, and then get up to 15% off and free shipping automatically.
"The discounts are small, and in some cases, the prices may not be any better than we could get elsewhere. However, the time we save by not having to re-purchase diapers, soap and toiletries is worth it," says Julia Scott, the blogger behind Bargain Babe. "Before my monthly shipment, Amazon emails me a reminder so I have several days to cancel any items I don't want."
7. Clip coupons for extra savings
Yes, Amazon Coupons exist! "Many of these special coupon codes can be found in the 'Special Offers' section on specific product pages," says Collin Morgan, of Hip 2 Save. "You can also find loads of clippable coupons on Amazon to save on groceries, household items and more." Simply click "Clip Coupon" and the savings are automatically applied during checkout.
8. Take advantage of daily deals
At the top of your Amazon.com page, click on the tab that says "Today's Deals." Get ready to save on Deals of the Day (items discounted for one day only) and Lightning Deals (items discounted for a few hours or until the set stock runs out). You can also use an Echo device to learn about the latest deals by asking, "Alexa, what are my deals?"
"Many products are discounted to the lowest prices they've ever been, with some items discount by 70% or more," says Morgan. To make sure you never miss a deal, you can take advantage of the Watch a Deal alert on the Amazon App. "Simply click 'Watch this Deal' on any item and receive a notification to your mobile phone when the deal is about to start," an Amazon.com representative tells GH.
9. Buy overstocked products at steep discounts
It takes a bit of digging around to find Amazon Outlet, but once you do find it, prepare to save. The Outlet is a dedicated section of Amazon where you can find markdowns on overstock and clearance products. It features categories like clothing, beauty, home and furniture, and even products under $10.
10. Trade in electronics you no longer need
If you've got an old speaker, cell phone or tablet collecting dust, why not trade it in for Amazon credit? The Amazon Trade-In program lets you swap eligible electronics (think: video games, internet routers and more) for an Amazon.com gift card, plus a discount towards a new Amazon device. The process even includes a free, pre-paid shipping label.
11. Shop pre-owned and used items at a discount
Amazon Resale is where returned, warehouse-damaged, used or refurbished products go to be discounted. Sometimes, that just means a box is missing or torn. "I got my wife a camera lens that had a damaged box, but the lens was in perfect shape," says Grayson Bell, from Debt Roundup, who nabbed the lens at a 35% discount.
12. Get refurbished items for way less
Amazon Renewed offers pre-owned, refurbished and open-box products. An Amazon rep tells GH, "By shopping Amazon Renewed, customers can score products from top brands that work and look like new, but are more affordable." Each item on Amazon Renewed has been carefully evaluated by suppliers and is backed with a 90-day warranty. To ensure the best and safest shopping experience possible, the experts in the Good Housekeeping Institute advise that you read through this warranty, be mindful of any fine print on the product, and understand the return policy.
13. Set alerts to get the lowest prices
Camelcamelcamel.com tracks prices on Amazon as they change over time. Instead of manually tracking, you can also set target prices for products. If and when the price dips, you'll get an email alert so you can swoop in. "I was able to save $240 by having [Camel] email me when the price dropped," says Bell.
14. Or, let your cart track prices for you
If you're considering some pricier items you don't need right away, consider putting them in your cart on Amazon and clicking the "save for later" button. Amazon will alert you if there have been any price decreases (or increases!).
Shanon is a writer and editor who specializes in best-of product roundups and deals. She has over six years of experience, including almost three years as a Good Housekeeping product and reviews editor, covering the best sales and products across home, appliances, health, beauty, parenting and more.
Alyssa Gautieri (she/her) is the associate lifestyle editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers all things home and interior design. Prior to joining GH in 2022, she wrote for publications including ELLE Decor, Chairish, BobVila.com, Unique Homes Magazine and LODGING Magazine, in addition to crafting product copy for home brands like BrylaneHome and VIGO Industries.
