Amazon Just Made It Easier to Qualify for Free Shipping

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Almost one year after Amazon raised its free-shipping threshold from $35 to $49, the e-commerce giant has dropped it back down to $35.

While Amazon has not formally announced this change, several deals websites reported it Friday.

The “help” section of Amazon’s website also reflects the change. The “About Free Shipping by Amazon” page states:

“All orders of $35 or more of eligible items across any product category qualify for FREE Shipping. … 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.”

There are still a few circumstances in which you can get free shipping even if you don’t meet the minimum required purchase amount:

  • Orders containing at least $25 in eligible books will continue to qualify for free shipping.
  • Orders of Amazon gift cards will continue to qualify for free one-day shipping, although they do not count toward the $35 threshold.
  • Eligible orders placed by Amazon Prime members will continue to qualify for free two-day shipping — with no minimum threshold.

To learn more about the perks of Prime, check out “8 Major Freebies and Discounts You Get With Amazon Prime.”

Amazon’s reduction of its free-shipping threshold comes within weeks of Walmart’s announcement that it had reduced its free-shipping threshold from $50 to $35 and was offering two-day shipping.

Amazon competitors Best Buy and Jet also offer free two-day shipping for order of $35 and above. Target offers free shipping for orders of $25 and above, although that is with standard shipping — which takes three to five business days — rather than two-day shipping.

For more ways to save on shipping, check out:

Will you order more from Amazon now that it has lowered its free-shipping threshold? Share your thoughts below or over on our Facebook page.

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