Online shopping is a magical experience for most people. It is, in fact, a money saver all by itself. But Amazon upped the game with its success and continuous expansion of both items and consumers.

If we have convinced you to finally start, or get more involved with, shopping on Amazon, here are some life-saving and money-saving tips:

1. Keep it in your cart.

This trick has been around for years now and is actually applicable not just on Amazon but also on some other sites as well. Load up your cart with your items, but don’t check out, even if you’re itching to click that tempting “checkout” button. Let a few days go by, and Amazon will notify you of your seemingly forgotten loaded cart. You’d be surprised that some of the items in your cart have been discounted. I have to warn you though, THIS IS NOT THE CASE EVERY TIME. But there’s no harm in trying, right?

2. Never pass on checking out ‘Today’s Deals’ section.

The ‘Today’s Deal’ section is not the one that automatically pops up on their homepage (this is usually the current season’s item suggestions) so people ignore it most of the time. But it is located in the top menu section, so it can’t be that hard to miss. The reason why people usually pass on it is it is most unlikely that they will find what they are looking for in there. But what if fate is being kind to you and you can score what you are looking for in the ‘Today’s Deal’ section? It would be a real shame if you missed out on an awesome opportunity. The ‘Today’s Deal’ section offers specific items at great discounts, but only for a limited amount of time.

3. Amazon gift cards for trade-ins.

Do you have sellable item that you are no longer using? You can trade them in in exchange for Amazon gift cards. As long as your item is in good condition, with minimal defects and issues, it is totally eligible for selling again. You cannot get cash but Amazon gift cards can still do you good when online shopping. And besides, trading in is like getting free cash (well, cash in the form of an Amazon gift card). You’d be surprised at how many people are hunting for vintage finds on Amazon.

4. Try purchasing used items.

The opposite of the previous item on this list, you can opt to settle for pre-loved items being sold on Amazon. Amazon backs you up when you get defective used items (just in case) but so far, a lot of people are satisfied. If you are ever unlucky, you can return it free of charge. But for your own safety, be persevering enough to thoroughly read through the used item’s description.

5. Take advantage of the $25 minimum for free shipping.

Pile up your items (that is, if they are not needed in a hurry) on your shopping list before ordering so you can easily reach the minimum $25 eligibility for free shipping. If you have all your items and they still don’t reach the minimum $25, look around the house and see what you’ve been missing. Usual household items can be added, as they are sure to be used. If you’re almost out of shampoo, add that to your cart. Another option is choosing gift cards for stores or establishments that you frequent. Just be sure that you will not impulsively choose the additional items just to hit the minimum.

6. Do not ignore the add-on suggestions when checking out.

Sure, the add-on suggestions when you’re checking out may not always be valuable items, but like the previous tip, think about whether they are something that you can use. The suggestions always vary, and if they are especially cheap, why not try purchasing them? The add-on suggestion appears when you’ve finally hit that $25 minimum, and if the suggestions are good deals, you can always go for a bit more than the minimum.

7. Sign up for ‘Save & Subscribe’.

If you’re regularly buying everyday essentials from Amazon, sign up for their ‘Save & Subscribe’ program for convenience. With it, they offer free shipping and an extra 15% off (20% for Amazon Prime members) your entire order if you have 5 items or more. Also, you would just be placing your subscription order once and they will routinely delivery them to you on your preferred schedule. They even send you any applicable discounts for your upcoming deliveries.

8. Price change refunds.

Perhaps everyone is familiar with the annoying situation of seeing a great price drop for an item we recently purchased. You could have saved money had you been a little more patient with your purchase. Amazon offers you a solution: you can get a refund for the excess amount you have paid for your recent purchase. This method is usually applicable to items sold and shipped by Amazon and not by independent sellers doing transactions on Amazon. Though a lot of customers say that this one rarely works (or that Amazon may have probably discontinued this policy), there are still a few who reportedly get refunds for their higher-priced, recently-bought items. Some say the trick here is to be persistent (but still in a good and non-demanding way) when in communication with Amazon’s customer support.

9. Make use of deal & coupon.

Deal sites save you time by going through Amazon for the lowest price point as well as looking for the best deals out there. Ultimately, they save you money which you can use to splurge for more items. Other advantages of deals & Coupon sites like Vipon are:

✔ All the best deals on the Internet are found on one single site. You don’t have to spend hours browsing through various sites just to land on the best ones. This ultimately saves you time and money for your data consumption.

✔ Deal sites offer not only coupons and promos for online retailers, but also physical restaurants and other outlets like clothing, electronics, food, etc.

✔ You can find secret deals and coupons on deal sites that are not available on the seller’s website. Patience pays off greatly when looking for hidden deals and coupons for various online shopping sites and brands that takes off some of the total of your purchased items or maybe scores you free shipping.

10. Pre-order Price Guarantee.

Amazon lets you pre-order soon-to-be-released items. With its highly competitive streak, they offer the lowest prices on the market. In case of a price drop upon an item’s release, they give you a refund for the excess amount you have paid. They automatically give you back the refund through your credit or debit card.

11. Check out Amazon Warehouse and Amazon Outlet.

Amazon Warehouse and Amazon Outlet are a goldmine for people looking for exorbitant discounts and out-of-this-world deals. Amazon Warehouse is a place for returned, used or damaged items that are still worthy of being sold. You can even filter out the conditions of the items for easy navigation. Amazon Outlet, on the other hand, offers you new items, but at great discounts due to markdowns and overstocks.

12. Spend time browsing through the Amazon Coupons page.

Amazon coupons are a godsend for everyone. Amazon offers a multitude of coupons for a multitude of items. Imagine how much you can save when you found the lowest price offer for an item and then you also found a coupon for it! Just clip the coupon and add the item to your cart, and the discount coupon will automatically apply at checkout. Regularly browse through the Amazon Coupons’ page to score great discounts.

13. Use Amazon Prime…but with a twist.

With Amazon Prime, you can get a hold of loads of special discounts that are not offered with a regular Amazon membership account. The notable benefits are the two-day delivery, access to a whole slew of movies and music, and unlimited storage for your photos. There are two loopholes to experience Amazon Prime temporarily. The first one is signing up for one-month free trial for Amazon Prime and canceling your membership before it expires. Enjoy the Amazon Prime benefits for less than a month and then dodge the annual membership fee by canceling. The second one applies if you are a student. You can register using your student email (ends with .edu) and you can have access for free for 6 months. Just like the first one, you can cancel before your free trial expires, but Amazon offers you half off the membership fee if you ever wish to continue. So while you’re on free access, load up your cart and shop as much as you can.

14. Share your Amazon Prime account with family members.

Amazon Prime allows you to share some of its features to your family members so they can join in on the benefits. You can add up to six family members and you can even ask them to split the annual membership fee with you to save money! No more using each other’s personal Amazon accounts for purchasing items.

15. Get free one-month extension for your Amazon Prime membership.

Don’t be too patient when Amazon Prime has some delays with your package/s. They actually offer you compensation for it – they extend your Amazon Prime membership for one, and it’s free of charge. Just contact their customer support hotline and they’d be happy to offer you this deal.

Moreover, here are some reasons why you should shop at Amazon:

• There’s a reason why they are Number 1 – It’s really simple, a company as big Amazon has amassed a large number loyalists because of their impeccable service. Its popularity is a result of more than a decade of good business and service to its customers who eventually spread Amazon’s greatness through reviews and recommendations.
• They have EVERYTHING – As mentioned earlier, Amazon practically sells anything that you could ever think of. It’s basically a one-stop shop for everything. They started out as an online bookstore and eventually expanded to the Amazon we know today. They routinely update their inventory with the freshest stock and latest items to sell.
• Low Prices – Seeing as how they have the largest inventory as an online retailer, it is only natural that they also have the cheapest price point in the market. Amazon houses a lot of sellers who are competing with differing prices for the same products. Trust that you can almost always find the most competitive price point there.
• Flawless Return Policies – Amazon made it effortless for you to return defective items (though not all items can be returned). You can get help from their Online Returns Center for any return transactions. Pack the item back in its original box (or get a new box if the original box had been disposed of already), and send it back with the return label attached.  Check out their Return & Refunds page for more information.
• Comfort – As with any online retailer, Amazon has made it easier for you to shop endlessly from the comfort of your home. You can save on gas and even airfare for travel trips just to get your hands on imported goods. With just your computer or smartphone, you can browse and buy with a single click or tap of your finger.

So, there you go! Some of the best tips when on a shopping spree on Amazon. Make the most of your money with these tips. It only takes a savvy shopper to conquer this famous online retailer that has a lot to offer their customers for an unmatched online shopping experience.

Happy shopping!