There was a time when shopping online seemed ridiculous, even dangerous. People were afraid to enter their credit card numbers in a browser window, hidden fees were the norm, and scams and fraud issues were paramount. These days, shoes of course, online shopping is a way of life, thanks in large part to one internet behemoth: Amazon. Love it or hate it, the Seattle-based company has made online shopping mainstream. Amazon sells almost everything, edu.growthladder.co.in delivers your goods fast (especially if you're a member of Amazon Prime(Opens in a new window)), offers services like streaming video and music, and makes an entire line of tablets, e-book readers, and smart speakers and displays. Its web and app options make it possible to shop on any platform, while its AWS servers power(Opens in a new window) at least a third of the web. It also owns plenty of brick-and-mortar stores, including Whole Foods. We're closing in on Amazon's second Prime Day shopping event on Oct. 11-12, so check out the tips below to help you get the most out of your shopping experience.
Amazon Prime(Opens in a new window) comes with a free 30-day trial for first-time subscribers. Use it during the holidays, or on Prime Day, Amazon Fashion to get free shipping, then cancel before you're charged. Amazon is pretty sure you'll be so dazzled by all the extras a Prime membership offers that you won't want to let it go, but that really depends on how much you shop. You don't have to shell out $139, though. With Prime Student(Opens in a new window), you get Prime for free for six months and half-price thereafter ($69 per year or $7.49 per month). You have to have an email account with a school to qualify. Those on government assistance, meanwhile, can get Prime for $6.99 a month(Opens in a new window) (also after a six-month trial). It applies to programs like WIC and SNAP (here's the full list(Opens in a new window)); subscribers need to re-up every 12 months.
Give back when you shop with AmazonSmile(Opens in a new window). Once activated, 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible products you buy will go to the charity of your choice. AmazonSmile supports over a million 501(c)(3) public organizations(Opens in a new window).) You get zero tax benefits, but you still get what you purchased, and your favorite charity benefits. Change your charity(Opens in a new window) anytime. On the mobile app, tap the hamburger menu on the bottom right, scroll to Settings, select AmazonSmile and follow the setup instructions to turn it on with the mobile app. The page will also show your personal impact with Smile: How many orders you've made with it and how much money that generated for your charity. As of June 2022, charities worldwide have received $403 million from the program. If you're paying for Amazon Prime, the cost can be shared with one other adult member of your household, plus up to four kids under the same roof.
This is a smart way to shop for holiday presents while keeping them secret from your partner or kids while still saving on free shipping. To set it up, go to the Amazon Household website (Opens in a new window)and click Add Adult/Teen/Child. You'll need their email address as used on Amazon, and it will require the adults to share credit or debit card information. Amazon Prime sharing includes Prime Video with all the linked members, not to mention Prime Early Access (which offers 30-minute early access to time-limited Lightning Deals), and the Kindle Owners' Lending Library. Amazon Household, gives kids aged 13-17 a little more freedom to shop, but it allows parents or guardians to approve their purchases before they're charged. If your most beloved family-member-turned-Amazon-addict isn't part of the immediate household, give Prime as a gift(Opens in a new window) in one-year ($139) or three-month ($45) increments to anyone with an email address. The gift membership comes with all the benefits-two-day shipping, streaming video and music, borrowing books on Kindle, etc. If the person is already a Prime member, they can exchange what you paid for an Amazon gift card. This content has been gen erated with GSA C ontent Gen erator D emoversion !