Amazon Prime is like a Godsend to the people who use it. Free, two-day shipping? Yes, please. But not everyone wants to commit $99 per year to a Prime subscription, and with that sacrifice also goes the access to packages for no extra cost.
Or so you may think. There are many ways for Amazon shoppers to get free shipping on their orders without a Prime membership, though not all of them are well-known. IO Scout has compiled a list of ways to get free shipping from Amazon, as well as tips on how to do it right. Prepare to say goodbye to expensive shipping fees on every purchase you make.
Does Amazon Have Free Shipping Without Prime?
Can You Get Free Shipping on Amazon Without Prime?
The short answer is yes, there are several options for free shipping on all kinds of Amazon products. It just takes a little know-how to find these deals.
How to Get Free Shipping on Amazon Without Prime?
Free shipping on Amazon is easier to get than you may know. Below, we’ve included 7 options for getting free shipping on your next order.
7 Ways to Get Free Amazon Shipping Without Prime
Here is how you can get free shipping on your Amazon purchase without paying for a Prime membership.
Subscribe & Save
For items that you need to buy regularly, such as toiletries and household items, Amazon's Subscribe & Save program is a great way to keep your home stocked up. And, of course, we wouldn't be talking about Subscribe & Save if not for the free shipping you can get on your monthly orders with no minimum purchase required.
In addition to free shipping, the items you subscribe to are discounted. If you get 1-4 items with Subscribe & Save, you’ll get a 5% discount. For orders with 5 items or more, you’ll save 15%. If you need to receive your orders less frequently, you can also modify your subscriptions to come every two, three, or however many months you need between shipments.
There’s no membership fee for this initiative, so it’s a convenient way to save on shipping and shopping.
Buy in Bulk
The minimum amount a purchase needs to be to qualify for free shipping without Prime is $25. If you buy multiple smaller items at once, it’s easy to exceed the $25 minimum and see your shipping costs drop to $0.
Buying in bulk is easy if you plan ahead. Create a list of items you need as they accumulate, then designate a day to order everything at once. You can also note the price of each item you need so you’ll know exactly when you’ve reached the $25 minimum.
Pre-Order Stuff
When you add a pre-ordered item to your cart, it will bring the total cost of your purchase up, but you won’t actually be charged until the item is shipped. This means you can get free shipping on your order now and also save your future self the hassle of ordering that new book or video game that hasn’t been released yet.
If you’re not interested in any items on pre-order, you can always cancel the order before your pre-order item ships (but after you’ve received your current order with free shipping). To find items available for pre-order, take a look at Amazon’s Hot New Releases page.
Make Your Cart Lightweight
Lightweight items are typically cheaper than $10 to begin with, so they don’t cost much to ship. When looking at a lightweight item, the “Other Sellers” link will usually reveal Amazon Marketplace Sellers willing to waive the shipping fee on these items to boost their sales.
Amazon itself has started waiving shipping on thousands of lightweight products without a minimum purchase requirement, so you may be able to get your favorite lip balm or deodorant without the extra shipping fee.
Buy Filler Items
Sometimes an order can’t wait until a designated day to buy in bulk. If you need to reach the $25 minimum quickly and get your order on the way, you can add smaller items to your cart until you reach $25.
If you aren’t sure what to add as a filler, there are websites specifically designed to help shoppers find Amazon products that cost what they need to reach the minimum purchase total. And who knows, maybe you’ll find a filler item that meets a need you didn’t even know you had.
Check this finder: www.filleritem.com
Use Your Student Discount
Students get an amazing discount on Amazon Prime, and all they need is a valid .edu email address to verify they’re eligible. Amazon Student gives 50% off your Amazon Prime subscription for 4 years, giving you access to free, 2-day shipping and all the other perks of a Prime membership.
Sign Up for a 30-Day Free Trial of Amazon Prime
If you’re not a student, or you still don’t want to pay the $50 discounted Amazon Prime membership, you can also get the fast, free shipping perks from Prime with a 30-day free trial. In those 30 days, you can shop to your heart’s content with no shipping fees and as little a wait on your packages’ arrival as possible. This is a great option around the holidays or any time of year when you find yourself doing a lot of online shopping. You can always cancel the trial when the 30 days are up and continue using the above tips and tricks to get free shipping on your orders.
Amazon Free Shipping Tips
Though there are many ways to get free shipping on Amazon, only a Prime membership can give you the 2-day shipping that can be oh so convenient. The other methods listed above are still shipped standard, meaning they could take 5-7 days to arrive, depending on the warehouse they ship from, so keep this in mind as you shop.
What about finding products that are eligible for free shipping? Unfortunately, not all products listed on Amazon can be shipped for free. You can refine your search for these items by adding the phrase “free shipping” in the search bar after the product you’re looking for. Sometimes you can combine certain products to qualify for free shipping, even if buying those products separately would not qualify.
You can further refine your results by checking the “Eligible for Free Shipping” box on the left sidebar of the search screen, as seen in the following screenshot. This will show you only products that qualify for free shipping to make your search easier.
And there you have it: the best tips and tricks for getting free shipping on your Amazon orders without a Prime membership. Happy shopping!
