New $49 Free Shipping Threshold on Amazon :(

 


Amazon changed their free shipping to a $49 threshold (except on eligible books where it's $25). It used to be $25, then it was upped to $35, and I have items in my cart right now and it appears that it's now $49.

I think this is a tactic to get people to sign up for Amazon Prime which gives free 2-day shipping, no minimum. But it's very sad for infrequent Amazon shoppers. Here's one small suggestion that might help if you only order occasionally. Put items in your cart, then click to "Save For Later". They will go to a list under your cart. You can wait until you accumulate enough for free shipping on $49, as long as nothing is an emergency. It's easy to move items in and out of your shopping cart without losing track of them. Look for the "Save for later" click under the description of the item when it's in your Amazon shopping cart. A word of caution, though. Amazon can and does change prices frequently. If it's an eye-popping deal, it probably will increase in price if it sits in your "Save for later" list.

If you've never had a trial of Amazon Prime, it's free to get a 30 day trial. You can opt out before the last day, and you'll get free 2-day shipping during that 29-day window.  Amazon Prime has a lot of perks in addition to 2-day free shipping, but you'll have to decide if it's worth $99 per year. I'm now seriously tempted but I have to think about it.