Amazon: FREE Shipping Threshold Now $49
Heads up Amazon Shoppers! It appears that the minimum FREE shipping threshold, for NON-Prime members, has been raised from $35 to $49. 🙁 There hasn’t been an official statement released (that I am aware of), but it’s very obvious when you head to checkout.
Orders including $25 or more of eligible books qualify for FREE Shipping. All orders of $49 or more of eligible items across any product category also qualify for FREE Shipping. With free shipping, your order will be delivered 5-8 business days after all of your items are available to ship, including pre-order items.
Note that Amazon Prime members will continue to receive free 2-day shipping with no minimum purchase.
Are YOU an Amazon Prime Member? If not, now is a great time to sign up for an Amazon Prime membership! For just $99 per year, Amazon Prime members get to take advantage of the following offers…
1. Unlimited FREE two-day shipping (no minimum order size) – my favorite benefit! 😀 And if you are not in a rush for your item(s), you can opt for no-rush shipping and score a free $1 credit to use for eBooks, digital music, or videos.
2. Amazon Family – If you’re a Prime member with young children, sign up for Amazon Family to snag special offers including 20% off diapers subscriptions and freebies like free Gerber formula (no longer available).
3. Unlimited instant streaming of over 40,000 movies and TV shows AND unlimited, ad-free streaming of over a million songs
4. Access to exclusive savings (like this previously available deal on a rice cooker) AND exclusive offers (like these free magazine subscription offers previously available)
5. Unlimited Photo Storage w/ Amazon Cloud Drive
6. 30-minute early access to select Amazon Lightning Deals
7. Free Kindle Book(s) every month
Not ready to commit to an annual membership yet? Sign up here for a FREE 30-day Amazon Prime membership. Looking for a gift idea for the person who has everything? Give the gift of an Amazon Prime membership.
Are you a college student? Sign up NOW to get a FREE 6-Month Amazon Prime membership!
(Thanks, Savings Done Simply and Freebie Shark!)
Now now Amazon don’t be getting greedy or you’ll lose business that way.
I use to love Amazon, I bought some keds for my daughters for back to schools with in weeks they looked old. When they finally fall apart it said Payless inside they were fake I was soooo disappointed. I buy stuff there once in a while now.
You should of contacted them. That is crazy!
ALWAYS contact them!! They are excellent at issuing refunds or sending a replacement item. That is one of the reasons I love Amazon.
I agree. A lot of their things are seconds.
Still contact them. I bought a pair of hair clippers last year and they failed a week ago. I emailed them to inquire about the manufacturer one year warranty. They told me to contact the manufacturer which I did. The manufacturer has failed to get back to me even after a week. I emailed amazon again and the credited me the purchase amount back so I immediately purchased them again. Amazing customer service. Doesn’t hurt to try.
You need to pay attention to the seller. ANYONE can sell on amazon… Include people selling fraudulent knock offs. Always contact them so they can be made aware of the situation
Wow! just keep raising the price. I remember when it was $25 for shipping. At least I have prime, but they transfer to Post Office now. So if you don’t have a real address for mail better make sure your PO Box is on it.
Does anyone else find this ridiculous?
Yes!
Absolutely. I have Prime and still find it ridiculous. Maybe they are trying to cut back on people ordering only one thing…? Who knows.
Yes you might as well sign up for prime i like Amazon but their prices i just wait for deals
Yes.
No. Plenty of stores don’t offer free shipping on such a low amount or without a discount code. Expecting this seems a little entitled to me. Hopefully Amazon can keep our paid memberships lower by raising their shipping costs for non-members.
They won’t lower the prime price. Everything about them is turning into s joke. 2 day shipping regularly takes 5 days, I’ve had a membership for years. Watching them go downhill. About fed up with it.
I meant by not raising our rates like they did last year. They will extend your membership a month for free if your deliveries do not arrive on time, by the way.
I’ve called them. My point is I shouldn’t have to. I order from them every few days, probably 1/4 of my items are late. It’s an inconvenience to me to call them 4 times a week about the same thing. I guess if you don’t shop there regularly like that you won’t experience that, but I literally buy every few days. I’ve always got a package coming.
If you contact Amazon customer service when an item is late, they’ll give you a month of Prime for free. It adds up!
I also order often. At least once a week but many time 2-3 times. I’ve never had an issue with late deliveries. Perhaps it’s your local postal service that has the issue. If you contact Amazon I’m sure they can resolve the issue for you.
I ordered a map for Girl Scouts and it was supposed to be delivered on a Thursday. On Thursday I got an email saying it now won’t be delivered until Monday. I called and complained about but they couldn’t do anything about it. They just told me to return it if I don’t need it. I had to go out and buy a map to make sure I had one. They said Amazon will make it up to me. Not sure what that means since its been weeks and all I had made up was the refund from the return. I’ve also noticed that the 2 day delivery for prime seems more like 3 days now and usually prime items are more expensive then non prime.
I think it depends where you live and/ or the weather to get it in two days. Mine usually comes in 2 days
Mine usually always comes in 2 days minus holidays and Sundays
Where I live, USPS works on Sunday for Amazon Prime deliveries ONLY. I didn’t realize it was regional! Crazy, right?
I had an Amazon package delivered on Easter Sunday last year.
I agree, Em. Reading other peoples comments right now, they definitely feel ‘entitled” to something that is just unrealistic. Placing an order every few days, albeit small dollar amounts or large dollar amounts, can be extremely costly for Amazon on shipping. Order something for $6 every few days? Then get upset when prices are raised. That is what is ridiculous, the mind set of some.
Looks like we won’t be shopping at Amazon anymore
I agree!
If you haven’t already, check out jet.com which still offers free shipping over $35
I second using Jet. Their prices are often same as amazon, or better, and you can get 15-20% for new members and 10% off any item for old members they are trying to retain. I also like the website Drugstore . com free shipping is only $35 there too.
I don’t like drugstore.com because they are not return friendly. I had yo just eat the price of an expensive face cream. Sephora and Amazon are the way to go.
I had a horrible experience with jet.com, and wouldn’t recommend it. The quality or service and items are nothing like what Amazon has to offer.
They sell the same items as Amazon. In fact, sometimes they are literally getting items from Amazon or sellers on Amazon’s site with 2-day shipping and then shipping it to you (or forwarding directly to you). Quality is *usually the same. Customer service can be worse; most of their low ratings online are from slow shipping because of their weird business model.
I hope they don’t raise the cost of the prime membership too 😟
Wow. I knew there was a reason I finally sucked it up and got prime LAST night! The diaper savings alone pays for the prime and trying to buy filler items when I needed something to get to $35 was a waste of money. Bummer for none prime members that its $45 now but really prime is worth it!
I completely agree! I do a lot of shopping on Prime. It’s so easy and you don’t have to lug kids out! 😫
Crazy! Glad I have my student prime account, I actually have to renew next month. I’ve grown to love and live by amazon. I think our mail man thinks I’m crazy, he delivers probably a dozen amazon boxes a week! Lol. I buy everything on prime
Not ridiculous — just a strategy to increase steady revenues by motivating people to sign up for prime. Amazon is effectively switching to the Costco business model here. Makes sense for the company since its profits on actual goods sold are shrinking.
Yep! Amazon Prime sounds like such a great deal now! Honestly, I got prime at a discount and will not continue it at full price. I love love love amazon, but it is not worth it to me to be a non prime member and to spend that much when every other site ships for free for way less.
I guess I’m done with Amazon.
Love our prime account! Worth every penny!
I agree! Love Amazon!!!
I actually don’t find this ridiculous at all. This is very normal- most companies have a min $50 for free shipping. Some are even $100! When you consider how much they spend on shipping for Prime members (I get about a package a week from them) and then all the free returns – I don’t blame them one bit for raising the minimum. Their prices are still great, customer service is awesome, and they’re so convenient. I ❤️Amazon.
THE best customer service!
Agreed!! Easy returns! I love Amazon!!!! Their services (quick shipping, subscribe and save) and comparable, sometimes even lower, prices have given this family of 6 with two working parents who are trying to balance convenience with cost savings a great resource to go to. The convenience of their massive stock on some hard to find items is great! I love prime!
Completely agree Jessica!
I agree about their customer service. I ordered a bed and paid the extra cost for overnight. Well, FedEx didn’t deliver it on the guaranteed day. I contacted Amazon and they refunded me immediately the amount I paid for overnight. Lesson learned, I’ll just stick to using my Prime shipping. 🙂
I was just going to say most online places require $50 minimum so I dont know why so many think this is ridiculous. Plus they really want people to be Prime members to shop. Much like warehouse stores…again NOT shocking. I love my prime and find it is worth EVERY penny of the $99 which is only $8.25/month if you break it down! Soooo worth it!
I agree on best customer service but their shipping had gotten worse. Two days often means 3 days and I have had times when they didn’t meet the estimated delivery date. But I will still remain a prime member because I can live with that.
If they miss the guaranteed ship date they extend your membership a month!
I learned on hip2save, that if they’re late on their prime shipping, you can contact customer service and they’ll tack on a free month of prime to your account. I’ve haven’t done so yet, but I’ve been thinking about it because we’ve also noticed that it’s turning into three day shipping!
Good to know. I actually haven’t noticed any late shipments. My problem is the opposite—I get things earlier than projected…especially subscribe and save stuff. It’s fine most of the time but I’m not always home on the days they decide to deliver early. Poses a problem cuz I don’t want my stuff on the porch all day and sometimes all night. Or my order gets divided over multiple days. Easier if it all comes together.
Agreed! Anyone tried shipping via UPS or USPS lately?! It’s SO expensive, shipping costs continue to rise & businesses have no choice to pass it along to customer or cut quality. Amazon customer service is AMAZING & I’ll take small increases any day to have Prime & their service.
Interestingly, I ordered something from them a couple of months ago. When it came it was not as described so I returned it. They refunded my money minus about $5. I called and asked and they said it was for the return shipping. Ultimately they credited it back but did the same thing on the next return. I guess free returns don’t always mean free! :-/
I love amazon. For my household needs-Prime is the way to go. The amount of money we save on shipping is insane….plus I can stream movies at home/in my classroom often for free. I understand everyone’s frustrations in regards to the free shipping threshold increase..but with, well everything, increasing in price..I suppose it is expected. :/
For any college grads, check with your college to get an alumni .edu email and then you can get prime for the student rate. Worked for me less then a year ago and has for years! 🙂
You now have to show proof of being a student. Having just an .edu account doesn’t work anymore.
My mom has a prime account that I use – we just split the cost and the benefits – its worth it and pays itself off within a couple months bc we both order multiple shipments each week. I live in a small town and it is much easier to order off amazon than drive to the city all the time. If the cost is starting to be too much consider getting a prime membership with a family member or friend. you can store multiple addresses and payment methods – plus if you accidently use the wrong card (which I have done) you can easily change it if you do it right away since it wont charge til it ships.
I would be tempted to do this option to share a Prime account, but I don’t think that is the most ethical thing to do as an ongoing thing because if enough people do this then Prime not be continued to be offered.
You are allowed to use it like that. They give you permission to invite someone to use your prime benefits. My sister uses mine.
You are only supposed to share between two adults in the same household. https://smile.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/?nodeId=200444180
I have prime but Amazon is disappointing me of late. Many items will now not come in two days. I was going to place a large order the Wednesday before Valentine’s. I didn’t because the arrival date was Monday the 15th. Way too long. I went to Target. 👎
It’s ridiculous! My items regularly take 5 days now.
Placing an order on a Wednesday and having it arrive the following Monday isn’t bad at all. I can’t see where it is considered “too long”. Personal opinion I suppose. For you, leaving your home and heading to a brick store works for you and that’s great. But many other people are unable to and would be very happy with something arriving on the third business day.
To me 2 day shipping is 2 days…. Thursday and Friday, if you order on a Wednesday. Often I order Wednesday morning and don’t get the darn thing until the following Tuesday. It never used to be like that. And this is coming fedex and ups. No usps involvement.
Amazon is amazing. Customer service is THE BEST hands down that I have dealt with. Products are great if you read reviews and do your research. I avoid retail and most store shopping completely these days thanks to this company. Prime is a fantastic investment for countless reasons, I never regret that extra cost. Amazon will put garbage big businesses with horrible customer service out of business eventually. And I look forward to it.
This makes sense to me. They have such good customer service. I ordered a book that came several days late and it said it was delivered. Messaged them and got an immediate refund. I told them I finally got the book and let them charge my card again for it since I did in fact get it. I have prime so this won’t effect me but most places don’t have free shipping until 50 anyway.
In the end I think Amazon wants all customers to go prime. They will lose money from me cuz it’s easier for me to pay 25 dollars vs 50 dollars being a stay at home mom with three kids, one special needs. So sad to me.
Going Prime would be more cost effective for you. Spending 4 transaction at $25 is a years worth of free shipping at Amazon. Having raised four children, one with special needs as well, I can appreciate very much what Amazon has to offer regarding Prime.
Honestly, it’s not that big of a deal. Most every other website has a minimum amount to reach free shopping. Most of the time Kohl’s is $75 and they don’t come close to Amazon’s customer service. I have Prime and I gladly pay the money for the service it provides. It pays for itself within about a month and with all the free music and video it’s an all around great deal.
Every month, Kohls offers a free shipping code for cardholders so I always order then…
There was a very large USPS parcel increase recently. Amazon had to renegotiate their contracts with the USPS. This could be the reason for the increase.
UPS, USPS, and Fed Ex have announced that they are raising their rates sometime during the next year. This is a pass through cost.
I love Amazon. I’ve paid for prime for several years. I have 3 kids and the connivence of 2 day shipping is priceless. I’ve found amazing deals. I stick up when the prices are low. They offer so much variety. I’m a customer for life and like many others stated a high threshold for free shipping is not anything new. Most stores have one.
I was going to mention Kohls being $75 too, and Amazon has a waaaay bigger variety of things to get!! And customer service second to none. We adore the streaming since we dont have cable, and I just got a season of Paw Patrol for free, thanks to the shipping credits, and a few months back it was a season of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse free for using the credits…its a good deal with all you get, especially if you don’t wantto to waste money on cable, but still like your kids to have quality shows to watch. Oh, and all the catching up on pbs shows!
Kohls, Walmart , Macy, Target and other stores also offer free in-store pick up for a lot of items. No minimum required to spend. I have been keeping track of Amazon prices for almost 100 items on my wish list and a lot of them are insanely high. They are much cheaper somewhere else. I do not have Prime and I am definitely saving money.
That’s exactly what I do. I don’t spend money on shipping ever, and pick it up in the store. I get it the same day and use of before others get the shipping label. When I do the math, there is no way I’m spending $99. That could be used somewhere else, like paying a bill.
For me, I have no Kohls and no Macys near by. And Walmart?? Forgetaboutit. I much rather spend my time doing more productive things then driving around stores looking to pick something up when I can just have UPS deliver right to my store thanks to Amazon.
Honestly, just get Prime. They are a business and if they see it fit for their business model to continue as is, then so be it. I have had Prime for years now and it’s always been worth it.
Prime isn’t the best choice for everyone and like someone said earlier that free in-store pickup doesn’t require a minimum payment so I will just stick with that option. I won’t be missing Amazon or prime! More savings for me!
I agree – not having it has saved me from many impulse buys too 🙂
To each his own. But don’t complain about them raising their rates if you have a workaround. Amazon is awesome and their customer service is far better than anywhere else. Amazon will certainly not lose my or my family’s business over something like this.
I agree Lindsey. Not everyone has all these big box stores near by and if they much rather spend time in the cars driving around to pick something up in the store after ordering it online at home, then more power to them LOL. That isn’t cost effective at all or time saving in my mind.
I’ve noticed for a long time that if you aren’t a prime member it takes for ever for orders to be fulfilled as well as shipped. Whenever I use prime (trials ;)) things get shipped within a day. They’re really pushing for prime I guess….shame
Customer service seems to be deteriorating, which surprises me. I had ordered a Subscribe & Save item (6 boxes of Keebler crackers) and only received one box. After 4 weeks of back and forth via email, they stated there was nothing they could do. No refund or replacement. I am deeply disappointed (and, surprised!).
This has happened to me frequently. I always call and talk to a live person and they will either prorate to one box and refund that amount or give me a complete refund. It posts within a few hours typically. I would recommend calling today….you will be pleasantly surprised at how fast they will resolve it.
I had something similar happen last month with my sub and save. I emailed customer service and they refunded the entire purchase price of the one item I did receive. They advised I could keep, donate or give away that item at no charge. It was crazy. We love Amazon.
Yes, they do this! I live near a shipping center, so things will get to me in 1-2 days. But I do not have prime, so they will “process” my order for 5+ days and then mail it to me and as soon as they drop it in the mail it gets here in 1-2 days. either 1.) intentionally putting non-prime on the back burner to devote more resources to getting prime orders out or 2.) just screwing with us so we don’t get the benefit of fast shipping even when it would get here quickly??
To be honest, this is how every company works! (And Amazon has been like this from the start.) Regular shipping oftentimes takes days to process before the item gets dropped in the mail whereas Prime members have their items shipped immediately. Why would you expect to get priority handling time when there are others who have paid for it?
Yep! That’s exactly what a rep asked me when I complained that an item was going on 10 days out and hadn’t shipped but was going to get delivered to me in one more day. He asked if I was near a warehouse and they pretty much have down pat how long it takes to get delivered to you. Seems pretty crappy if you ask me! I get free no minimum shipping from Target because I have a no cost target debit card and most items ship out in 24 hours or less….uh yeah I’ll stick with my Target! And jet.com…I get that stuff in about 2-3 days…
Love Amazon, have paid for the prime membership for a couple of years now. Hands down the best customer service!!
Sadly, those of us without credit cards can’t sign up for Prime. They won’t even take a prepaid card. I would sign up in a heartbeat if they would let us use gift cards to do so. They want to do that recurring charge thing, but think of how many would love to take advantage of the deal if they could pay any way they were able to.
Now a days, most anything you do requires a credit card. It doesn’t even have to be a credit card, just a debit card. Recurring charge is once a year, not a big deal and it is very easy to stop the charge from going thru.
Pay with my debit card
We have no credit cards & use our debit card for Prime & all Amazon purchases & have never had a problem! In the past we’ve used a GC to buy Prime, no problems. Might want to call them…
My prime account is registered with my debit card. I’ve used the same card for the last three years. You should give them a call. Hth
I too love Amazon, including prime. I understand the price hike for shipping. Looking forward to when Prime now comes to Ohio👍
I’m in San Diego, prime now is here, it’s soooo convenient it’s crazy-
Are we getting a shipping center? I think we’re getting an ikea in Columbus/ Polaris
Both. I’m not certain where the Amazon warehouse will be though. Ikea built there will be soon bad for traffic there omg, but it’ll be nice to check it out!
Amazon warehouse is being built outside Columbus on I70 just west of the Pataskla exit. It is huge!
I ordered dog toothpaste at 8PM last night and it arrived by 11:30 am this morning!!! Say what?! I picked free two day
Insane. They should make other changes instead of upping the shipping. I would of taken 3 day shipping and no Sunday delivery instead of min order. It loses the convenience for me. However, ss is still a deal. My prime expired last week, wont renew. They need to reduce membership fees….
Prime still has free shipping! This is talking about non-prime.
I ❤️ Amazon. It helped me a lot after I delivered my baby n later on when baby was sick for 3 weeks to get the items I needed delivered to our home within 2 days when I couldn’t go out. I have prime, luv it n am grateful for their prices n 2 day delivery.
Wow. I’m glad I have started to use Jet instead. $49 shipping minimum is worse than most stores!
This is why they are raising shipping prices: https://www.geekwire.com/2016/amazons-net-shipping-costs-top-5b-for-first-time-fueling-push-to-build-out-its-own-delivery-network/ Last quarter they had to make up a $1.85 billon gap between what they were charging customers for shipping and what shipping costs were. This won’t be the end of changes because it’s affecting their stock prices now. They have been offering some deals on Prime, normally around the Emmy awards, and occasionally throughout the year when you purchase it as a gift. I agree with the other commenters that if your “2-day guaranteed” delivery is arriving late, you can contact them via phone or email for additional months of Prime free. Just make sure the package says “Guaranteed delivery by” on your order. After I did this a few times, I noticed that my shipments began arriving on time more frequently. Also, I usually do no rush shipping to get the promo credits whenever I don’t need something immediately.
I usually do no rush shipping. Where do I find in my accoun how many $1 credits I have for ebooks or videos?
Go on their help page and search for that question in the search bar. It’s easy to find from there.
I normally check by going to Amazon Video and clicking on a digital title I don’t own. When it loads to show purchase Options, click More Purchase Options. Then click Redeem a gift card or promotion code. It should show all your balances.
I love Amazon! I’ve had Prime since it started and I will always have it. Most sites have a minimum for shipping. This is not a big deal. Never have trouble getting my orders on time. Sometimes I get them early. They are the best.
I see all the different sides that people are debating, but I am kinda disappointed in this 😕
I remember when it was only $25 for free shipping. Amazon is becoming greedy. Not everyone wants to use Amazon Prime for $99 a year.
Prime is not worth it for me so I liked the $35 min but since its $50 now either I will wait until I get a huge list of things to buy or go else where for good deals. But it sadens me to leave Amazon, I really loved it but that has changed. Farewell Amazon!
I love amazon. We watch movies, listen to music, I get my free book of the month and free 2 day shipping. You really can’t beat prime. We cut our cable and use amazon amd netflix to stream. With my cable savings it more than pays for itself.
Love love love Amazon! Amazing prices and more importantly amazing customer service. Yes there can be issues but if you pick up the phone and call them they will make it right. I’ve never had them not step up. I use Amazon video, music, subsribe and save, and prime now. Well worth it for me and my family. They have everything! I think if they need to raise the rate for free shipping for non members then they should. I hope they don’t raise membership rates but honestly if it went up 10 or 20 dollars I’d still be a member.
I absolutely love Amazon Prime! I actually just received a package this morning! And yes it’s a Sunday and no I don’t live in or near a major city! $99 dollars well spent!
I joined Amazon Prime in January 15, 2015
honestly, I never thought I’d prepay for a year of “unlimited 2 day shipping” -but the free trial I took in December sold me!
I loved the dependability of -semi-expedited-shipping without having to spend extra.
Party on Friday? Need a dress and shoes? if I order Wednesday morning, I am guaranteed good-2-go!
And, Amazon Prime “Free Shipping BOTH WAYS” is he ONLY way I’d ever purchase shoes or clothing on the internet!
Sure there were glitches here & there with the 2 day shipping-forgivable.
and a heart-attack causing “friendly reminder” Amazon claiming some Christmas returns had not yet been received:
(although my account clearly showed showed otherwise)- Chalk it up: to what’s the use in complaining/All’s well that ends well
So, I re-upped/ stuck with the program this January. And got hit with a “thank you, Prime Member!” PRICE INCREASE.
THIS IS the reason for this novella
I am only 1 month into my 2nd year- and now
the best part of Prime-the one thing that sold me -the guaranteed 2 Day Shipping-cannot not be depended on,anymore.
If order 5 Prime eligible items: only one will deliver in 2 days; the rest will arrive a couple/few days later. Guaranteed.
I might as well go back to shopping at the mall.
or is that what they want?
I don’t think it’s greedy at all. Most stores don’t offer free shipping regularly anymore. You’re paying for the convenience of getting a wide variety of competitively priced products shipped to your door while shipping prices are constantly on the rise. As an ebay seller I can appreciate any sort of a break on shipping on my own purchases when you see what it costs per lb to ship with even the most economical methods via usps. I’m even more thankful for the convenience and cost effectiveness of my prime subscription these days.
Amazon prime is amazing and really helps this mamma out! I have 3 small children and only have to end up going to a “real” store about 2x a month. It’s great! Amazon has saved my mind! And paying 99$ for prime is wellllllll worth it.
A lot of Amazon shills on here, I see.
Maybe some people actually have legitimate positive opinions to share. I do, and I’m certainly not getting a dime from the company.
Opinions that read like sales pitches.
That’s what happens when a company has awesome customer service like Amazon. Positive word of mouth is priceless, meaning you can’t buy it!!!!
Well this stinks. I love Amazon and use it often but $49 is to steep for me. Even the $35 was pushing it with the last change. I order vitamins monthly and always added something small to get the free shipping but can’t anymore now or else I’m just spending $ for the the heck of it. Ah well, it was good while it lasted.
I have two days shipping and it was well-worth the $99. USPS has since increase their prices so businesses has no choice but to pass it on to their customers. I have had some issues like an item has been damaged during transit and one item was damaged. Both times I called them and the problem was rectified immediately. I will be continuing my service as they are convenient during the winter month. 🙂
Amazon is not a proprietary business anymore. Stores will price match Amazon and offer free in-store pick up. They are like Wal-mart– they have no more negotiation power to keep costs low.