The Amazon Big Spring Sale has been going on since March 20, with deals on tons of seasonal items. It’s unusual for Amazon to have huge shopping days like this in the spring, so it may be a good time to stock up on things you want or need before the sale ends on March 25. While you shop, make sure you’re getting as much use out of your Prime membership benefits as possible.
If you find it hard to keep up with all the Amazon perks, you’re not alone. The shopping giant has so many features in the Prime program that it’s created a new About Amazon Prime webpage where customers can get all the latest Prime news and a rundown of all the features available.
If you aren’t a member yet, and you’re thinking about signing up for an Amazon Prime account or don’t know much about all the included features, read on for some ways you can get the most out of the membership.
Before you make your purchases, consider applying for the Prime Visa credit card. Its instant welcome bonus of an Amazon gift card upon approval could help you save even more.
You can get free same-day delivery on qualifying items
If there’s a product you want immediately, you can see if it’s available for delivery the same day you order. To check a product’s eligibility, look for delivery that’s marked as “Prime FREE Same-Day” while shopping. Note that your order will need to contain over $35 of qualifying items. If not, you’ll have to pay a small fee.
Amazon will deliver from morning until evening, so you won’t have to worry about receiving your order at 3 a.m. Same-day delivery isn’t available in all locations, so enter your ZIP code on the Amazon Same-Day Delivery page to see if you’re eligible.
Schedule a convenient shipping date during checkout with Amazon Day.
Alexa offers extra discounts when you shop with an Echo
You can use your Amazon Echo to ask “Alexa, what are my deals?” anytime. Alexa will then share Prime-exclusive deals and you’ll have the option to add the item to your cart, buy it now or move on to the next deal.
Schedule convenient shipping dates for packages
Everyone knows about Amazon’s free two-day shipping, but another option is to choose a delivery date during checkout. It’s called Amazon Day and it’s helpful if there’s a specific day you know someone will be at home to answer for packages, especially if it’s something pricey that you don’t want to risk leaving unattended.
If you order multiple items on different days, you can have them delivered on the same day as long as they’re eligible for this offer.
Use your Amazon Echo to track packages
If you have an Amazon Echo of any kind, you can use it to track your orders.
Just say “Alexa, where’s my package?” and your Echo will let you know where it is, who it’s for and when it’ll arrive. Once your order has been delivered, the Echo’s ring light will pulse yellow and if you have the Echo Show, the delivery notification will appear on the screen.
Use any Amazon Echo to track your packages.
Shop Early Access deals before non-Prime members
If something you’ve been eyeing says “Prime Early Access,” as a Prime member you can shop that sale 30 minutes before non-Prime members. You’ll still have to compete with other Prime members interested in the product before it sells out.
You can get Amazon packages delivered to your garage
Porch pirates — thieves who steal packages left in front of homes — are no joke. Security site SafeWise told CNET that about 260 million packages were stolen from home exteriors in 2022. The Amazon Key in-garage delivery service can stop porch theft completely and is an exclusive benefit to all Amazon Prime members.
When you use Amazon In-Garage Delivery, select Key Delivery at checkout. The garage kit is $25 right now and turns your garage into a smart garage. It works the same as in-home delivery so Amazon will do all the verifying for you.
Amazon employees can leave a package inside your house with Amazon Key.
Send gifts to other Prime members, even without addresses
An Amazon Prime feature lets you send someone a gift, even if you don’t have their address. For instance, if you’d like to send a co-worker something for the holidays or their birthday but don’t know what their address is, you can still send a gift. There’s a catch: That person must also have a Prime account and you need either their phone number or email address associated with the account.
Just note that not every item on Amazon is eligible.
Share Amazon Prime perks with your family
If you’ve got another adult living in your household, like a significant other or friend, you can share your Prime membership with them. You’ll still be able to keep your personal accounts separate, but you’ll both have access to all the same Prime benefits.
You can also share your account with up to four teens and up to four children in your household. While they’ll have their own logins, you can still manage their profiles.
For more shopping tips, here’s how to send your Amazon packages back the fast, easy and free way.
