If you’re not a member of Amazon’s loyalty program — Prime — you’re now likely paying a higher minimum to qualify for free shipping.
The minimum spending threshold to get Amazon’s free shipping used to be $25 for non-Prime members. It’s now $35, according to Team Clark research as well as various media sources, including the blog eCommerceBytes, which was among the first to report the news.
Did Amazon Just Go Up on Its ‘Free Shipping’?
When I searched for a particular item on Amazon.com, the product details included the tag that reads: “FREE delivery on $35 shipped by Amazon.”
Screenshot via amazon.com
Money expert Clark Howard says that Amazon raising the bar on minimum purchases for non-Prime members is par for the course for the online retailer.
“Amazon’s whole business model is to give you as many carrots and as many sticks that they have to hit you over the head with to get you to pay for Amazon Prime,” he says. “And I wouldn’t be surprised if this is just one of many increases in minimum purchases to make the pain severe enough for people who are occasional Amazon shoppers to either stop shopping there, meet the higher minimums or decide to become Prime members.”
But is Amazon Prime worth it to you?
What Does Shipping Cost for Amazon Prime Members?
“You get unlimited free two-day shipping on eligible items with Amazon Prime, with no minimum spend,” it says on Amazon.com.
In 2022, Amazon increased the price of a Prime subscription, which now costs $14.99 a month or $139 a year. Among the many perks of a Prime membership is free shipping.
What Does Shipping Cost for Non-Prime Members?
Shipping for some non-Prime members is free once you reach a $35 minimum, according to the company.
According to the Associated Press, the new $35 minimum is seemingly based on customers’ location. The news outlet reports that in Seattle, where Amazon is based, the minimum for non-subscribers is still $25, although it’s $35 in other nearby cities.
What Else Is Amazon Changing?
Have you recently tried to find the question-and-answers section associated with an Amazon listing? Some users of a popular internet forum have said that the Amazon Q&A section has become more difficult to locate.
When I searched for some items on Amazon, I was able to find the Q&A section every time, but according to a recent Reddit thread, the issue comes and goes.
“They’re hidden but not gone,” user Sanpete_in_Utah posted, referring to the Q&As. “You can currently only access them by searching a term or by knowing the link.”
Of course, as other users on Reddit indicate, when you log into the site and try to find a product’s Q&A, it may be working just fine. If you have any issues finding Amazon’s Q&A section, feel free to let us know!
Want to shop and save? Read our guide on how to save on Amazon.
