This story has been updated. It was originally published on November 27, 2020.
Amazon has become synonymous with online shopping. The company, which started out in 1994 as a web-based bookseller, expanded over the years to sell just about every type of product you can imagine. That breadth of coverage means the platform isn’t always the easiest site to navigate. However, the savviest shoppers can jump to the front of the line for discounts and deals. Here are the tricks you can employ to save time and money, and get the most out of Amazon.
1. Take Amazon’s apps into the real world
The Amazon Shopping app (free for Android and iOS) lets you compare the price of any product you encounter in the real world to its Amazon counterpart. Install the app, then scan an item’s barcode to look up its price on Amazon and see if you’d save money by ordering it online. Scanning barcodes works best, but you can often get a match from a normal photograph of the item.
To use this feature, open the Amazon Lens tool by tapping its icon (it looks like a dotted-lined square with a circle in the center) on the right of the search bar. Then, point your camera at the product you want to search for or the barcode you want to scan.
2. Follow brands and interests
Treat Amazon like your Twitter and Facebook accounts—follow activities and brands that interest you. By clicking the Follow button on the page for a brand’s store within Amazon, you can get speedy updates when they offer new stuff and see more recommendations from them.
3. Dig for fresh deals
As well as the deals splashed across the front page (and just about everywhere else on Amazon), you can find discounts in two specific locations: Check out Amazon Warehouse for returned items still in great condition, and Amazon Outlet for new items discounted by 30 percent or more. It pays to check these two pages regularly.
4. Register for instant price alerts
Maybe you want to buy a product, but only after its price drops below a certain threshold. Many add-ons and extensions can track Amazon prices for you, and CamelCamelCamel is one of the best we’ve found. It will track prices over time, send alerts when specific items drop in price, and more. Once you register, you can use the free service online or access it through a plug-in for your browser if you prefer.
5. Get delivery updates via text
Amazon does a good job of letting you know your pending delivery’s shifting location at every stage of the shipping process. But if you’re on the move or lack an internet connection, it can be a pain to log into the site for updates. As an alternative, you can sign up to receive text message alerts. Simply visit the Shipment Updates via Text page and follow the instructions.
[Related: Alexa can now notify you of Amazon sales 24 hours in advance]
6. Secure your orders
If you don’t trust your neighbors or your roommates, consider having your items delivered to an Amazon Locker rather than to your door. Urban areas contain plenty of these secure cages, so you can choose a locker at the most convenient location. They also allow you to pick up your items at your leisure rather than waiting in the house for deliveries.
7. Apply coupons
For some, the days of clipping paper coupons from mailers are not gone, but Amazon went digital long ago and has a dedicated Coupons page where you can find all kinds of discounts and special offers on daily essentials from toilet paper to fruit bars. You can easily “clip” any of the coupons right from the page using the buttons underneath. When you’re ready to check out, Amazon will automatically apply these discounts.
8. Find hidden savings
On top of Amazon’s own coupons, you can find a wealth of additional discount codes online—if you know where to look. We’ve spotted some very appealing deals in the Amazon sections of Offers.com, RetailMeNot, Dealio, and SlickDeals. So click through and start saving money.
9. Settle for slow deliveries
Part of the reason people sign up for Amazon Prime is to get their deliveries faster. But for those items you don’t need in a hurry, check to see if the platform is offering digital credit (which you can use to purchase a movie or music) for a more relaxed delivery option. These deals, which Amazon calls the No-Rush Shipping Program, come and go over time.
10. Rent textbooks
If you’re a student, you’re in luck. Load up a textbook on the Amazon site and you’ll often see a Rent option near the usual Buy used and Buy new choices. This lets you pay a reduced fee to borrow a book until the end of the semester. At that point, you can return the textbook to Amazon using free shipping.
Related: Take a peek at how Amazon is prepping Alexa for space]
11. Find the deals of the day
The Today’s Deals link is on the top bar of the Amazon site, but it’s easy to scroll right by. Click it to see the items with the biggest discounts on the site. To really stay ahead of the pack, sign up for the Daily Deals email, which sends the best bargains to you rather than the other way around.
12. Pad out your wishlist
Your Amazon wishlist is a great way to keep track of stuff you want—or to inspire people who want to buy something for you. And the official Amazon browser plug-ins for Chrome and Firefox let you add items to your wishlist from any website—you don’t have to go to the effort of finding the item on Amazon itself.
13. Follow your friends’ wishlists
Never wrack your brain again trying to find the perfect gift. Instead, snoop through a friend’s Amazon wish list and pick something from there. Head to Amazon’s Your Friends page and click on Send a message so they can share it with you.
14. Subscribe and save
The Subscribe and Save program lets you sign up for scheduled deliveries of the stuff you order most often, like toothpaste and tape. As the name suggests, you can tell Amazon the quantity you want and how often you’ll need a fresh shipment, and in exchange, you can save money.
15. Unlimited photo storage
If you’ve signed up for Prime, you also get Prime Photos, a digital picture locker with an unlimited amount of storage space for your snaps. You can upload pictures from your phone or computer using Amazon’s official apps. In addition to photo storage, look up the other Prime benefits you’re entitled to and make sure you’re taking full advantage of your membership.
16. Track your spending
You can generate reports on what you’ve ordered in the past, based on a particular time period—just head to the Order History Reports page on Amazon. This can save money by giving you a much better idea of how much you’ve been spending, and what you’ve been spending it on, so you can budget for future purchases accordingly.
[Related: Budgeting is tedious. These tricks make it easier.]
17. Review free stuff
The Amazon Vine program sends you free gear in exchange for reviews on the site. However, this service is only available by express invitation. To earn an invite, you must first “consistently write helpful reviews and develop a reputation for expertise” on Amazon’s pages. So write as many helpful and erudite reviews as you can, and you’ll hopefully earn a spot in the club.
18. Expand your household
You can fit up to two adults and up to four kids onto the same Prime account via Amazon Household—as long as everyone lives at the same address. That means you will all share the same fast shipping, access to Prime Video, and various other perks for the same $99-a-year subscription.
19. Donate to charity
Finally, you can do something good with your money without sacrificing any work or any of your own earnings. If you start your shopping quest at the Amazon Smile portal, Amazon will donate 0.5 percent of the total purchase price to your choice of its listed charities. If you’re the forgetful sort, this Chrome extension makes sure you always start on Amazon Smile.
