Amazon Prime Perks
FREE SAMPLE BOXES
You can buy and try mini versions of some of Amazon's most popular products. Whatever you spend on the samples can later be applied to full-sized products ... which means the samples are essentially free.
EARLY ACCESS TO SALES
Amazon's Lightning Deals only last for several hours, and stock is first come, first served. As a Prime member, you can shop them 30 minutes before everyone else.
SUBSCRIBE AND SAVE
Sign up to receive regular shipments of your most-used items — cereal, paper towel, coffee — and Amazon will shave up to 15 percent off the original price.
TWO-HOUR DELIVERY
With Prime Now, you'll get free two-hour deliveries of qualifying products. That includes thousands of items from Amazon's site, Whole Foods groceries, and meals from local restaurants and markets.
PRIVATE LABEL PRODUCTS
Only Prime members can buy from Amazon's Elements line, which includes vitamins, supplements, and diapers. People are obsessed with the vegan multivitamins, and parents — thousands of them — have reviewed the diapers positively.
1. Get cash back when you shop at Whole Foods.
If you have the Amazon Rewards Visa and are a Prime member, your Whole Foods grocery purchases will earn you 5 percent cash back. And while you don't have to be a Prime member to use the credit card, the plastic comes with even more perks: Five percent cash back on all Amazon purchases; two percent cash back at restaurants, gas stations, and drugstores; and one percent on everything else.
2. Get access to Amazon Elements.
Only Prime members can shop this line of everyday essentials that Amazon has deemed premium. There are three types of products: baby wipes, vitamins, and supplements. The multivitamins come formulated for both men and women, and they're vegan-friendly. As for the baby wipes — parents freak over them. They're cruelty-free, and the fresh scent pack has nearly 10,000 reviews.
3. Shop Lightning Deals before anyone else.
Amazon's Lightning Deals are named that way because they're up — and then they're gone, often in just a few hours. Not only are they timed, there's a certain amount of stock set aside for the deal. But Prime members can purchase those discounted products 30 minutes before they officially launch.
4. Collect rewards when you opt for no-rush shipping.
One of the main benefits of Prime is its 2-day shipping, but if you're not in a time crunch, pass on it. Why? You'll get rewards that can be redeemed on Prime Pantry groceries, e-books, and music.
5. Purchase sample boxes.
When you crunch the numbers, Amazon's only-for-Prime samples are practically free. Whatever you pay for some — whether it's $7 or $20 — you get back in the form of a credit that can be put towards a full-sized version. The offers rotate regularly.
6. Read cookbooks and magazines for free.
Through Prime Reading, you can download thousands of books to your Kindle at no cost. We trolled the long list: There are plenty of cookbooks and some magazines known for their recipes, too.
7. Stock your pantry from home.
The prices of everyday items on Prime Pantry — Listerine, Kashi bars, La Croix — are already cheaper than at most grocery stores. Plus, when you buy only five qualifying products, Amazon will ship them for free. Otherwise, there's just a flat $6 delivery fee for whatever you can fit in a box — even if it's 45 pounds and stuffed to the brim.
8. Order groceries — and get them, like, now.
Okay, you'll get them in two hours, but the delivery will be totally free. Nearly three dozen cities already offer the service called Prime Now. Amazon sells thousands of products that apply, but you can also get deliveries from Whole Foods and local restaurants and markets.
9. Subscribe for automated refills and save money.
Amazon will remember to replenish your fridge, even when you don't. Through Subscribe & Save, you can opt to get a delivery of your favorite product every one to six months. By doing so, Amazon will knock five percent off the cost. Subscribe to refills for at least five different items, and you'll score 15 percent off of all of them.
10. Wish list products to monitor sales.
You want a good price, and Amazon wants to make a sale. When you add items to the Wish List on your account, you can easily track them. Amazon will even send you push notifications about deals.
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