Amazon Raises Bar for Non-Prime Free Shipping

Since the average Prime member spends about twice as much a year as a non-member, Amazon is clearly positioning its Prime service as a more attractive option for shoppers.

Amazon have upped the minimum order value to qualify for free postage in the US.

One of the main perks of Amazon Prime is free two-day shipping on all of your orders, but Amazon also offers free standard shipping for non-Prime members, so long as their order reaches a certain total.

The good news, though: if you’re buying books, the minimum to qualify for free shipping is still $25 (assuming those books are eligible for the free shipping promotion). Without so much as a whisper in anyone’s ear, the company has raised its free-shipping threshold from $35 to $49 for non-Prime customers. This doesn’t reduce Amazon’s burgeoning shipping costs but it’s a well known fact that Amazon Prime customers spend more than non-Prime users.

If you tend to purchase a lot of products via Amazon then you should really consider investing in an Amazon Prime subscription. Many see this as a way that Amazon is trying to push buyers to join Prime. However you may self fulfil and offer free shipping even if your item is below $45.

The threshold to receive free shipping for books continues to be $25.