Amazon hikes free shipping minimum to $35 for non Prime members
Amazon has reportedly started increasing the free shipping minimum to $35 for non-Prime members in some markets, per a CNBC report, which said the hike was first noticed on Ecommercebytes, an e-commerce newsletter.
Shoppers who don't subscribe to Prime will have to spend at least $35 to qualify for free shipping, up from a previous minimum of $25.
Kristina Pressentin, an Amazon spokesperson, confirmed to CNBC that the company is testing a $35 minimum for non-Prime members. “We continually evaluate our offerings and make adjustments based on those assessments,” Pressentin said in a statement to CNBC. “Prime members continue to enjoy free delivery on over 300 million items, with tens of millions of items available for free same or one-day delivery.”
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The report also noted that Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has embarked on a wide-ranging review of the company’s expenses amid slowing sales and an uncertain economic outlook. Amazon cut 27,000 jobs, froze corporate hiring and paused or canceled some experimental projects. The company also started charging delivery fees on Fresh grocery orders below $150, and instituted fees on some returns at UPS stores.
This is not the first time that Amazon has increased the free shipping threshold for non-Prime members. In 2016, it raised the minimum to $49 from $35, then reverted back to the earlier threshold a year later before dropping the minimum down to $25 in an effort to compete with Walmart, the CNBC report said.
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Walmart also has a $35 free shipping minimum for shoppers who aren’t part of its loyalty program, Walmart+.