Amazon is a big company with more pages than you can probably hope to visit, so it's not surprising that a lot of its cool features go easily unnoticed. Here's a look at five features you probably haven't heard of that can save you time, money, or both.
One major downside of ordering online for later delivery is that you often have to be around to accept the package. If not, it'll end up on your doorstep for anyone lacking in ethics to steal. While you can just have the package held at the shipper's closest facility, often times that facility isn't actually that close. Amazon offers an alternative called Amazon Locker, which allows you to have your package delivered to a local locker where you can pick it up later.
There aren't a ton of lockers yet, so you may not have one in your area. If you don't, you may have an alternative. Both FedEx and UPS have a shipping option that allows you send your deliveries to a nearby FedEx Kinkos or UPS Store location (respectively). When I knew I wouldn't be home to accept delivery of my iPad, I had it send to a FedEx Kinko's location and picked it up then. The upside to using these services is that delivery generally occurs pretty early. If you're late on the delivery route and want your package during the day, you may prefer this option even if you are home to accept it.
Amazon Prime offers free two-day and discounted overnight shipping to members. While it isn't free (unless you're a student, mother shopping for specific items, or using a trial membership), you can share your membership with others so it is free for them. Amazon allows you to add four other people in the household so you can share shipping discounts with them. The options are pretty much limited to family and romantic partners—not sure why roommate isn't an option—but you can just add your friend Dave as your sister and it won't really make a difference.
Ordering online often means ordering in bulk, and sometimes you don't want 12 jars of paprika—you just want one. This isn't cost-efficient for Amazon because shipping inexpensive, tiny items is a waste of resources. That's where Add-On Items comes in. If you want that one jar of paprika (seriously, it is an option) you can just add it to an existing order of $25 or more and avoid shipping costs. Prime members also get prime benefits for add-on items if they order $25 worth of them. You can use this service with a whole bunch of products, like individual light bulbs, a bag of chopped pecans, a miniature hairbrush, and more, so you don't have to buy a ton of things. Just add the on to an existing order and you don't have to stock up enough for the impending apocalypse.
If you're an ebook lover, it's disappointing when you can only buy a physical copy rather than download the digital version to your ereader. Amazon Upgrade is a service that provides you with an option to upgrade to a digital copy once it is available at a discounted price. Not every book has this option, but Amazon explains how you can tell if it does:
Amazon Subscribe & Save is a really handy service if you regularly need items like toilet paper, shampoo, canned food, and more. By choosing a regular delivery interval, such as every month or twice a year, you'll receive orders automatically when you need them and you'll get up to a 15% discount. All you have to do is select an eligible item and choose to sign up. You can always skip a delivery if you don't need it—Amazon will warn you a week in advance so you're not surprised—and you can place an order, get the discount, and cancel your subscription if you change your mind. There's no commitment necessary.
Amazon Locker
One major downside of ordering online for later delivery is that you often have to be around to accept the package. If not, it'll end up on your doorstep for anyone lacking in ethics to steal. While you can just have the package held at the shipper's closest facility, often times that facility isn't actually that close. Amazon offers an alternative called Amazon Locker, which allows you to have your package delivered to a local locker where you can pick it up later.There aren't a ton of lockers yet, so you may not have one in your area. If you don't, you may have an alternative. Both FedEx and UPS have a shipping option that allows you send your deliveries to a nearby FedEx Kinkos or UPS Store location (respectively). When I knew I wouldn't be home to accept delivery of my iPad, I had it send to a FedEx Kinko's location and picked it up then. The upside to using these services is that delivery generally occurs pretty early. If you're late on the delivery route and want your package during the day, you may prefer this option even if you are home to accept it.
Amazon Prime Sharing
Amazon Prime offers free two-day and discounted overnight shipping to members. While it isn't free (unless you're a student, mother shopping for specific items, or using a trial membership), you can share your membership with others so it is free for them. Amazon allows you to add four other people in the household so you can share shipping discounts with them. The options are pretty much limited to family and romantic partners—not sure why roommate isn't an option—but you can just add your friend Dave as your sister and it won't really make a difference.
Add-On Items
Ordering online often means ordering in bulk, and sometimes you don't want 12 jars of paprika—you just want one. This isn't cost-efficient for Amazon because shipping inexpensive, tiny items is a waste of resources. That's where Add-On Items comes in. If you want that one jar of paprika (seriously, it is an option) you can just add it to an existing order of $25 or more and avoid shipping costs. Prime members also get prime benefits for add-on items if they order $25 worth of them. You can use this service with a whole bunch of products, like individual light bulbs, a bag of chopped pecans, a miniature hairbrush, and more, so you don't have to buy a ton of things. Just add the on to an existing order and you don't have to stock up enough for the impending apocalypse.
Amazon Upgrade
If you're an ebook lover, it's disappointing when you can only buy a physical copy rather than download the digital version to your ereader. Amazon Upgrade is a service that provides you with an option to upgrade to a digital copy once it is available at a discounted price. Not every book has this option, but Amazon explains how you can tell if it does:On the product detail page for the physical book, you'll see a message that says "Upgrade this book... and you can read, search, and annotate every page online" in the availability description. If this message doesn't appear, then the book is not yet eligible for Amazon Upgrade.If you love ebooks, it's a good discount to be aware of.
Subscribe & Save
Amazon Subscribe & Save is a really handy service if you regularly need items like toilet paper, shampoo, canned food, and more. By choosing a regular delivery interval, such as every month or twice a year, you'll receive orders automatically when you need them and you'll get up to a 15% discount. All you have to do is select an eligible item and choose to sign up. You can always skip a delivery if you don't need it—Amazon will warn you a week in advance so you're not surprised—and you can place an order, get the discount, and cancel your subscription if you change your mind. There's no commitment necessary.
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Thank you kindly for leaving your thoughts....I am very grateful :) Janet