Back in November, as it does nearly every year, Amazon announced that it would be offering free shipping on all orders throughout the holiday season. This promotion was surprisingly extended through January, making it more attractive for non-Prime members to continue shopping in the new year. Well, those good vibes are over as Amazon has increased its free shipping minimum, effective today. Head below for more details.
Amazon free shipping requirements raised
Starting today, February 1st, Amazon is now requiring an order minimum of $25 to secure free shipping. In most cases, that means delivery in 5-8 business days. Order totals less than $25 will be subject to additional fees depending on location and total parcel weight.
Amazon describes its 2019 policy on this landing page, here’s a brief synopsis:
You receive free shipping if your order includes at least $25 of eligible items. Any item with “FREE Shipping” messaging on the product detail page that is fulfilled and shipped by Amazon is eligible and contributes to your free shipping order minimum.
You can get unlimited FREE Two-Day Shipping on eligible items with Amazon Prime. No minimum spend is required to qualify.
Canceling items, combining orders, or changing your shipping address, speed, or preference might affect your order’s free shipping eligibility.
- You can ship to a U.S. delivery address in the 50 states only.
- You can ship to APO/FPO addresses only when they have a U.S. zip code.
- You may find geographic shipping restrictions apply to particular products.
While past years have seen Amazon raise and lower its free shipping levels from $35 to as much as $49, we’re glad to see that Bezos and crew have settled on the $25 number. Of course, the usual Prime membership benefits delivers two-day shipping on all orders after the annual $119 fee is shelled out. After Amazon raised the price on a Prime membership, its free shipping policy became all the more important as some shoppers can’t afford the annual fee, or it simply doesn’t make sense for them if a minimum number of orders aren’t placed each year.
9to5Toys Take
Ideally, Amazon would continue its no-minimum free shipping policy year-round but that’s not going to happen. Offering no-cost delivery over the holiday is a nice incentive for shoppers and Amazon likely does well on any shipping margins during the other months. It’s also one of the cornerstone features of a Prime membership.
Thankfully Amazon has settled on the $25 minimum for 2019, and the years of $35+ free shipping are a thing of the past. Look for Amazon to stick with this policy throughout 2019 until November, when free delivery likely returns.
If you’re not a Prime member, you can learn all about the perks of Amazon’s membership program and sign-up right here.
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