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Amazon makes it harder for non-Prime members to get free delivery

Trevor Mogg
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Amazon is constantly adjusting its delivery costs for its online shoppers, whether they’re Prime members or not.

The latest change, which came this week and affects non-Prime members, will see the minimum purchase cost for free shipping increase to $35 in a number of markets, according to notices on its website that were spotted by CNBC.

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Before the change, non-Prime customers only had to spend $25 to qualify for free shipping, so the extra $10 is a significant increase.

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“We continually evaluate our offerings and make adjustments based on those assessments,” a spokesperson for the online shopping giant said in a statement, noting that those forking out for Prime will “continue to enjoy free delivery on over 300 million items, with tens of millions of items available for free same or one-day delivery.”

Despite the claim, it should be pointed out that Prime members in the U.K. were recently told that starting September 18 they’ll have to pay a new charge of 2 British pounds for same-day delivery if their basket total comes to less than 20 British pounds.

It’s not the first time that Amazon has altered the minimum cost for free delivery. In fact, in 2016, it was set even higher at $49, up from $35 before eventually coming down to $25. With that in mind, don’t be surprised if Amazon makes another adjustment before too long.

The e-commerce company will be watching its numbers closely to see if raising the minimum cost for free shipping for non-Prime members affects its bottom line. It might also persuade more people to sign up for Prime, which currently costs $15 per month or $139 per year and offers better delivery options and a range of perks that include video streaming. If you’re yet to join Amazon Prime, you can try it for free.

Like many big tech firms, the uncertain economic climate has prompted Amazon to search for ways to cut costs and drive revenue. Measures have included 27,000 layoffs since January, equal to about 8% of its corporate workforce.

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