Shopping at Amazon: Everyone must know these 19 tricks

Even without a Prime membership, you can save a lot of money on Amazon. We reveal 19 secret tricks that you certainly don’t know all of.

Mysterious 1-cent items, unknown features and hidden Amazon services: The online bookseller of yesteryear has now mutated into a huge company with an almost unmanageable range. The following pages reveal Amazon’s secret nooks and crannies bit by bit. We tell you the 19 best bargain tips and tricks for Amazon, with which you can save money even without being a Prime member. You probably don’t know all of them yet!

Especially before Amazon shopping highlights, such as Prime Day, Singles Day or Black Friday, it is worth testing Prime to take advantage of all the benefits. Amazon offers a 30-day trial membership that is completely free provided you cancel in time. To do this, simply go to the account settings and switch off the automatic renewal of the Prime subscription. After about a year you can test Prime again for free.

It is now also possible to book Prime monthly. One month costs EUR 8.99 and is the cheaper solution for anyone who wants to stay flexible.

On the next page you can find out how to get Amazon Prime for a whole year free of charge…

Students can test Amazon Prime completely free of charge for six months and then pay the reduced price of 4.49 euros per month for a membership. A certificate of enrollment and a valid e-mail address at a German or Austrian university are required as proof.

GEZ exempt? It can be worth it…

Are you exempt from the broadcasting fee obligation or do you have a social pass? Then this option is exciting for you: Regardless of whether you are a new customer or already a Prime customer, if you live in Germany or Austria and are exempt from the GEZ obligation or have a social/family pass, you will receive discounted access to the full Prime benefits. In concrete terms, this means monthly costs of only 4.49 euros per month.

Joint household? How to use this to your advantage…

Did you know that you can share an account with a family member if you link their email addresses on Amazon? Conditions: Both members must already have an account with Amazon and models that are already discounted, such as the student subscription, cannot of course be used together.

Are you not a member of Amazon Prime and want to save on shipping costs under an order value of 29 euros? …

If you are not an Amazon Prime member, you can use a little trick to save the shipping costs of EUR 4.99 for orders with an order value of less than EUR 29 (shipping is generally free for orders over EUR 29). Have your order delivered to an Amazon Hub Locker. This type of packing station is now quite common, especially in urban areas, often integrated in parking lots or in shops. You get the option to have your order delivered to an Amazon hub directly when you select the shipping address. Another advantage: You don’t have to be at home to take your order.

There’s something free for everyone on the next page…

Why buy books when you can read them for free, conveniently and without paper on your smartphone or e-book reader? Amazon offers a huge selection of free eBooks in the Kindle Store. In addition to classics of German literature, there are also books in English and short works among the free titles. Enjoy browsing!

Next up is probably the biggest bargain bonanza on Amazon…

Amazon Warehouse Deals are returned, opened, and used items, some of which are offered well below the original price. Usually only the packaging is slightly damaged, so that one or the other really good bargain can be made here. Although there is no manufacturer guarantee on warehouse deals, the statutory guarantee of 12 months and the 30-day right of return still apply.

Did you know that there are not only warehouse deals, but also…?

Amazon Renewed offers refurbished products that have been thoroughly tested and come with a separate 1-year warranty. Amazon expressly points out that only selected marketplace sellers and manufacturers or suppliers who have high quality and performance are allowed to offer certified refurbished products on Amazon Renewed.

All products are also subject to the Amazon return policy and can be returned in accordance with these policies if you are not satisfied.

Is your delivery late? …

This procedure is associated with a little more effort and coincidence: since Amazon prides itself on its delivery speed, delays are seen only reluctantly. So, should you ever find yourself in the situation that your package is being delivered late, you can contact customer service via phone or chat. As a gesture of goodwill, Amazon Prime is often given to you for a month free of charge – all you need is the order number of the delivery in question.

Here’s a classic Amazon bargain…

You can not only save with the warehouse deals at Amazon, but also with the well-known lightning and daily offers. Every day, the online giant offers several hundred items from all categories at lower prices. The reduced prices are only valid for a few hours and the number of items is also limited. While coveted lightning deals sell out quickly, you have 24 hours to snag the daily deals.

Prime customers often have 30 minutes early access to Lightning Deals, which can be a key benefit during shopping events like Black Friday/Cyber ​​Monday. However, the daily offers have become more and more numerous and lucrative over the last few years, so that the “exhausting” hunt for lightning offers is no longer worthwhile for many. If you still don’t want to do without it, you should sign up for a free Prime Trial membership shortly before Cyberweek.

A keyword with four letters that makes bargain hunters’ hearts beat faster is of course also available at Amazon …!

Sounds banal and maybe it is, but many Amazon customers forget that the online giant has a fairly large outlet. In the Amazon Sale you will find an impressive selection of reduced seasonal items, discontinued goods, remaining stock and temporarily reduced excess stock as well as many other selected bargains from all categories. Definitely worth taking a look.

And even more potential savings await on the next page…

Everyday items that you buy regularly, such as drugstore products, groceries or household goods, can be ordered from Amazon as a saver subscription. Articles that you buy in the saver subscription are 5 percent cheaper and are automatically sent to you free of charge at individually defined intervals. With five or more savings subscriptions at the same time, you even save 15 percent.

It is also possible to place just one order and then immediately cancel the savings subscription. In this way you save five or even 15 percent as well as the shipping costs without having to make any further commitments.

Get as cheap as possible? Then the following option might be interesting…

In addition to the savings subscription, Amazon coupons offer the best opportunity to save regularly with the online giant without having to rely on lightning offers or temporary deals. Amazon coupons are available for a variety of different products, and discounts range from pennies to 40 percent or more. You can find all current coupons listed on the Amazon Coupons page.

Click on “Activate Coupon” and place the item in the shopping cart. The discount will then be calculated automatically at checkout. The offer changes constantly, as most coupons are only valid for a certain period of time. It is worth checking regularly, especially for everyday products such as drugstore items or household goods.

At Amazon you can not only save money, but also a lot of time …

With Amazon gift vouchers you don’t save any money yourself, but you save a lot of time and make others happy. There are many different design options available to you on the Amazon gift card page. If you need a last-minute gift in a hurry, simply create a gift certificate and print it out yourself or send it by email.

Collect points and collect credit – how does that work?

A notice: The Amazon credit card can no longer be applied for until further notice. You can find free alternatives in the linked article.

You can save money with the Amazon credit card, because you get two points for every euro you spend on Amazon.de. If you use the Visa card outside of Amazon.de, there is still a point for two euros in sales. Once you have collected 1,000 points, you can exchange them for a 10 euro voucher. If you frequently order from Amazon, the Amazon credit card is also worthwhile with regard to the starting credit of 20 euros. However, the Amazon credit card is only free of charge in the first year, after that it costs 19.99 euros per year.

Improved conditions apply for Prime members:

You get three instead of two points for every euro you spend at Amazon.deThe card is completely free of charge instead of 19.99 annually from the 2nd year.

With an Amazon credit card you can not only collect points, but also…

In order to save maximum at Amazon, you definitely need a credit card. The best bargains are not found on Amazon.de, but on the English (Amazon.co.uk), Italian (Amazon.it), French (Amazon.fr) or Japanese (Amazon.co.jp) Amazon site. The ordering process itself works exactly the same as on Amazon.de, however, delivery to Germany can only be paid by credit card.

You have ordered something and a short time later it is available much cheaper? …

At Amazon, the prices for some products change every day. It is all the more annoying when you realize that the item you bought yesterday is suddenly much cheaper today. Fortunately, the largest online retailer in the world is very accommodating at this point and will refund the difference, because there is a price guarantee at Amazon, which is not officially communicated. For this you have to become active yourself and write to or call customer service.

Using Amazon’s own features…

The Amazon Assistant is a browser plugin that helps you keep track of Amazon deals and compare them to products from other websites while shopping online. You can also add items to your wish list anytime, anywhere.

The Assistant is worthwhile for passionate online shoppers who don’t want to miss any offers on Amazon.de and who also like to compare the prices of the products with other retailers.

You probably didn’t know the following incredibly cheap items…

You may have come across them at one time or another: items on Amazon that only cost 1 cent. Of course, that sounds somehow dubious at first and in fact you should take a very close look at these so-called 1-cent items. In addition, there are the shipping costs, which are usually around ten euros.

Nevertheless, it is worth taking a look from time to time, because many products are still very inexpensive, even including the shipping costs.

Also interesting:

Save when shopping online: 18 professional tips