Who doesn’t love Amazon? Everything is available at my fingertips and I hardly have to make more than a few clicks. Unfortunately, like many people this convenience offered by Amazon comes with a price. I usually have to pay a premium to get basic staples without the benefit of local specials or rock-bottom pricing offered by Costco. To mitigate this added expense, I look extensively for deals and specials offered by Amazon. Here are some of my favorite Amazon Spending Hacks that have saved me tons of money:
Amazon’s Visa credit card.
Image courtesy of Amazon
Yes, I know you ask, How am I supposed to open another credit card when I’m trying to get mega point signup bonuses?!? Hear me out. Amazon’s Visa Credit Card gives you 5% back on all Amazon.com or Whole Foods purchases when you also have Amazon Prime. 5% is pretty nice when are using Amazon for most essential purchases like soaps, detergents, toilet paper, trash bags, etc. If you don’t have Prime you only get 3% back. Which brings me to…
Discounts on Amazon Prime Membership.
Few people realize many affinity groups receive discounts on their Amazon Prime Membership. Are you a student? Do you receive EBT or Medicaid? Do you work for a large company? All of these groups can offer discounted Prime memberships. Currently, students get 6 months free, then 50% off. EBT and Medicaid recipients get 30 days free, then 40% off.
Bonuses for purchases of Amazon gift cards.
Frequently throughout the year, Amazon gives targeted offers to customers, providing bonuses for reloading a gift card. Most recently for Prime Members I have seen an offer of $15 for a $50 purchase with Promo code: 19PRIMEGC or $10 for a $50 purchase for non-Prime members using code: 19GIFTCARD.
I’ve seen Amazon offer 2% bonus rewards for Prime members every time they reload a gift card using their checking account or debit card. That’s in addition to the discounts you already get.
Amex Membership Rewards points discounts.
One of my favorite Amazon spending hacks is if you have an Amex credit card that earns Amex Membership Rewards. An example is the Amex Platinum. If you link your Amex card to your payment account in Amazon, you have the option of paying with some of your Amex Membership Rewards points. You don’t have to pay entirely with points, either! For purchases over $60, if you include A DOLLAR worth of Amex points as your payment, you get $30 off! I bought various household items for $65 and used just 143 Amex Membership Rewards points ($1) to help pay for the purchase. I paid about $35 in cash, and only 143 Membership Reward Points, for about $65 worth of goods – an incredible deal. You can save most of your Amex Membership Rewards for free stays at amazing hotels, like The Breakers in Palm Beach, FL.
Get credits for delayed shipping.
If you’re a Prime member, as you complete your order, you’ll sometimes see an offer to forgo 2-day shipping for a credit. You may be provided a credit of $2-$5 if you’re willing to wait a week for your goods. I’m not sure how they determine the value of what to offer you, but it’s probably related to your distance from the warehouse and your likelihood of accepting the offer. In other words, if you accept the offer every time, Amazon might try to lowball you.
Amazon Giveaways
Amazon Giveaways are chances to win free stuff on Amazon. You view an ad briefly and get a chance to win the product. But aside from the chance of winning free stuff, merely viewing the ad usually gives you a 20%-60% discount off list price. So if you see anything you like on the Amazon Giveaways page, consider watching the ad and getting a solid discount.
Stay Tuned
We’ll be updating this section as we learn new tips and tricks!
