Amazon has at least one thing in common with the jungle that inspired its name: It’s absolutely massive. The e-commerce giant sells hundreds of millions of products every year. But don’t let that scare you – it’s easier than you think to save money with these Amazon shopping hacks.
Join Amazon Prime
If you use Amazon on the regular, an Amazon Prime membership can save you some serious cash on shipping. Prime members get free 2-day shipping, among some other perks, including Kindle books, streaming access to movies, TV series, and Amazon music, and their newest benefit – saving on gas at select gas stations. Membership costs $12.99 monthly or $119 annually, so it’s only a good option if you’re a frequent Amazon shopper.
If you want to give Prime a test drive, you can sign up for a free trial — something that could help you save big if you sign up before the annual Prime Day in July (starting July 8) or in November prior to the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. Fun fact: If you’re a student, Prime costs less than $7 a month, and your first six months are free.
Amazon Prime Visa Card
I am a big fan of the Amazon Prime Visa Card, which allows you to earn up to 6 percent cash back on Amazon and Whole Foods purchases. This is a great option for frequent shoppers, but like with any retailer card, only use it if you can pay it off each month as the APR is pretty high. At the time of this writing, Amazon Prime members will receive an instant $150 gift card upon approval!
Shop on Prime Day
Time your shopping around Amazon’s twice-yearly Prime Day sale. The next one will be October 7+8! Millions of items will be on sale across over 35 categories, so it’s a great time to save on things like Amazon devices, Apple products, beauty products, fashion, and more. The next Prime Day after that will probably be in July 2026.
You have to be a member to shop Prime Day! If you are not a member, Amazon usually has a 30-day free trial.
Go ‘Outlet’ and ‘Warehouse’ Shopping
Love outlet shopping? Check out Amazon’s! The site has a whole outlet section of discounted overstock items from just about every category, including furniture, electronics, clothes, and groceries.
Amazon Resale sells gently-used items at bargain prices. When customers return items for whatever reason, Amazon staffers inspect them, make any necessary repairs and package them for resale. Basically, you can score a sweet deal on something that’s pretty much as good as new. Plus, you can make a return within a month if you find any reason not to keep your purchase.
Use Tools to Help You Save
Install a browser extension to earn cash back when you shop on Amazon. One of my favorites is ShopBack, which is one of the only cashback tools that offers cashback on Amazon. ShopBack has cashback offers at more than 3,000 etailers. Some are as high as 100 cash back!
Another handy tool is the Camelizer, which is exclusive to Amazon and provides historical pricing data. This is a good way to tell whether you should buy now or wait.
Have Old Gift Cards? Use ’Em!
Think back: Have you received a prepaid credit card as a gifts? Check those balances. It’s not uncommon to spend most of a Visa or MasterCard gift card and then forget about the minimal balance that’s left over. Believe it or not, you can transfer those balances to Amazon as a gift card: Just click “reload your balance” or start the process of buying an Amazon gift card. When you’re prompted to select an amount, choose “enter amount” and pay with your prepaid gift card.
Back to Basics
Amazon sells off-brand versions of many common products through its AmazonBasics label. If you’re looking for any everyday item — running the gamut from yoga mats to headphones for kids — check to see if there’s an AmazonBasics version for less money. Make sure to read the reviews (good and bad) to ensure these “generic” items measure up! If you’re looking for clothing, check out Amazon’s Essentials collection.
Amazon even has its own furniture brands, two of which, Rivet and Stone & Beam, have stylish mid-century modern chairs, sofas and accent tables for less than some of the leading brand names.
Take Things Slowly
Good things come to those who wait. When checking out, Prime members can select “no rush shipping” instead of the default free two-day shipping option. You’ll get your order within six days, but you’ll also receive some sort of bonus, like a credit towards an e-book, or a higher percentage of cashback if you are paying with an Amazon Prime Visa card.
Subscribe and Save
Do you have certain items you buy on repeat — pet food, paper towels, sparkling water and the like? Amazon’s Subscribe & Save store offers discounts on thousands of items that customers are likely to keep reordering. You can subscribe for a product you use regularly, set a date for delivery and specify frequency — anywhere from monthly to every six months. You can save 15 percent on auto deliveries if you subscribe to five or more products delivered in a month.
Add the Fam
Amazon Household allows Prime members to share benefits like shipping and Prime Video with one other adult and children living at the same primary residential address. Unfortunately, as of April of 2025, you can no longer share your benefits with non-household members.
Look for Promos
Like most retailers, Amazon periodically offers deals and sales. The easiest way to check on discounts is to select “Today’s Deals” at the top of the homepage. If you’re shopping in Food & Grocery, select “Today’s Deals” at the top of the page or “Sales & Deals,” when you scroll down a bit.
You can also ask Amazon’s new AI chatbot, Rufus, if there are sales on items you are looking for. This is also a helpful tool for conducting additional research on products.
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