AMAZON has increased the minimum amount for free deliveries from £25 to £35, sparking outrage from customers.
The updated threshold means shoppers will have to pay 40% more to avoid delivery fees if they want the goods delivered to their home.
The change appears to have happened this week after the website was quietly updated.
Commenting on
“That’s a lot for a lot of people in these limited times.
“Not very well publicized, considering how intertwined they are in our lives now.”
Another wrote: “That’s way too high!! You didn’t exactly advertise it, very secretly!”
Most types of deliveries are free for Amazon Prime members, except for the super-fast ‘Same Day & Overnight Delivery’ services which cost £1.99 if the amount spent is less than £20.
Non-Prime members can avoid paying a delivery fee for a low-value item by having it picked up at a “pick-up location,” such as an Amazon locker.
But not all items are eligible to be collected this way.
On the HotUKDeals website, one user said: “I use the pick-up and locker services, which have no minimum basket size. And very conveniently, there is a location available across the road that offers both.”
But another replied: “It’s only a matter of time before they start charging for locker delivery.”
An Amazon spokesperson said: “There are a number of external factors affecting shipping costs at this time.
“We are constantly innovating and working to bring more value to our customers, and customers who are not Prime members receive free shipping on all orders over £35.
“Prime members will continue to enjoy unlimited fast, free, one-day delivery on millions of items, regardless of order value.”
What is an Amazon Prime membership?
If you’re a regular Amazon customer, signing up for Amazon Prime can save you money.
Most people know the benefits such as free delivery and membership deals, but there are many more benefits.
If you’re a new Amazon Prime customer, you get the first month free when you sign up.
After that the annual price is £95 or you can pay monthly for £8.99 or £5.99 if you just want Prime Video.
Signing up for Prime offers several benefits, which can help you save some money. Below you will find the complete list.
What are the benefits of Amazon Prime membership
There are many benefits to being an Amazon Prime member, but some are better known than others – here’s the full list.
- Unlimited one-day delivery
- Same day delivery
- Amazon day delivery – choose a delivery day that suits you
- Early access to offers
- Exclusive discounts
- Save 15% when you spend more than €40
- Delivering groceries
- Deliveroo Plus – free delivery to your favorite restaurants
- HelloFresh free shipping
- Prime Video – access to thousands of movies and TV shows
- Special offers on video rentals
- Odeon cinema offers
- Amazon Music
- Premium reading material: Choose from thousands of books and magazines
- Amazon reads first – read next month’s new Kindle releases for free
- Prime gaming
- Amazon Photos – Unlimited Photo Storage
- Amazon Household – allows you to share benefits with others
- Save over 40% with Amazon Kids
- Student discounts
More ways to save at Amazon
In the Amazon Warehouse hub, returned goods are relisted for resale at further discounts.
This is a great idea for shoppers who don’t mind buying something secondhand but still in good condition.
The Amazon warehouse sells a range of products and you can find everything from kitchen appliances to laptops and lawn mowers.
We spotted a used Russell Hobbs steam iron selling for £16.82 on the Amazon Warehouse, which was labeled as “like new”.
The same model was listed on the Russell Hobbs website for £24.99, reduced from its original price of £49.99.
The Amazon Outlet has hundreds of items that are unnecessary and sold at a significant discount.
Unlike the warehouse, these items are brand new goods, but just goods that Amazon or its partners want to move quickly.
All offers are valid for a limited time and you can search by category, price and discount.
The Amazon Renewed section is a great way to get big discounts on previously used products and useful for tech items like phones, tablets and gaming consoles.
All items in the refurbished section are used and refurbished items that have been professionally inspected and tested to meet quality standards.
Amazon has a special tab called “Today’s Deals” where shoppers can find different limited-time offers every day.
You can search by department, price, and discount, and some deals will be “recommended” to you based on your purchase history and views.
There are some huge discounts to be had on the deals of the day, and we spotted some offers that were almost 50% off when we checked.
Do you have a money problem that needs to be solved? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.
Plus, you can join our Sun Money Chats and Tips Facebook group to share your tips and stories