Technologies
9 hidden Amazon perks other than Prime shipping and video to save money now
You know the big ones: Prime Video, Prime Music and Prime’s free shipping. But there’s a ton of Amazon features that you might not know about and will want to start using ASAP to save some cash.
Amazon has made a name for itself as the supplier of just about anything. But in addition to two-day and even same-day shipping for Amazon Prime members, the trillion-dollar tech titan has dozens of other services just a few clicks away from the homepage. Some, like Amazon Prime Video and Prime Music, make headlines. Others tend to get buried in the vastness of Amazon’s super site. We’re here to help uncover the best of the bunch.
Amazon expanded its reach during the pandemic — with visits increasing 37% from February 2020 to January 2021 — as it pushed new programs, including Amazon Sidewalk, the auto-on broadband-sharing program for Amazon Echo speakers and Ring devices. But its shopping services continue to be its bread and butter.
For avid Amazon shoppers, a heap of lesser known features can score you big perks if you know where to look, including steep discounts on expensive items and free books. We’ve scouted Amazon’s jungle of services to find the most useful (and surprising) Amazon programs that you can use today.
Read more: Amazon Prime Video: The 25 best films to see this week
1. Free reading with Prime Reading and Kindle Unlimited
Prime Reading is your own personal lending library that comes with a Prime membership. With a rotating selection of over 2,500 books and magazines, you can access Prime Reading with the Kindle app on your desktop or portable device or your Kindle e-reader. This Amazon service also lets you share titles with members of your household. Some books in Prime Reading come with Audible narrations so you can multitask while you listen.
Prime Reading also includes First Reads, which gives members a sneak peek at books before they’re released to the general public.
Kindle Unlimited is a $10-a-month subscription service separate from an Amazon Prime account. It gives you unlimited access to more than 1 million ebooks and up to three magazine subscriptions on a Kindle device or Kindle app.
2. Trade in used devices to redeem gift cards and shop preowned, discounted products
Amazon is boarding the train to sustainability station, and it’s something you can directly benefit from. With Amazon Trade-In, you can send back your used electronics in exchange for Amazon gift cards. Make sure to check on the eligibility of each product — some trade-in options are only available for a limited time.
Amazon Renewed gives you access to products that may have been opened but unused by their original owners, or were refurbished. Amazon assures that these preowned items work and look like new, coming with the Amazon Renewed Guarantee. A variety of products and brands are available, even from premium names like Apple and Vitamix.
3. Shop Amazon’s Warehouse items at a discount
Amazon Warehouse resells millions of like-new or preowned items that have been returned by customers. Some of the products only had their boxes opened by original purchasers before they were sent back, unused, so they’re sold again at a discount. While there’s no regular manufacturing warranty on these products, they are backed by Amazon’s 30-day return policy and 90-day renewed item return policy.
To read more about how you can get the most out of Amazon Warehouse, check out our guide on shopping for the best deals on Amazon Warehouse.
4. Find discounts on overstock in Amazon Outlet
Just like a brick-and-mortar outlet store, but without the gas money. The Amazon Outlet features overstocked items and other products at a discounted price. Like at an outlet, you can find premium brands, items under $10 and products ranging from home furniture and clothing to books and pet supplies. It’s a good place to stay within a budget while being the first owner, unlike some items in the Amazon Warehouse.
Keep in mind that although the online shopping experience is convenient, just like an outlet, the best deals sometimes take some sifting to find. Luckily, you can do it from the couch.
5. Discover limited-time offers with Lightning Deals
Amazon’s Lightning Deals are a promotion where a product or service is on sale for a short period of time or until it’s sold out. You can find them all throughout the site, but especially on Prime Day and in Today’s Deals. On Prime Day, Lightning Deals are only for Prime members.
There is one lightning deal per customer until the promotion ends or all the deals are claimed by other shoppers. You can join a waitlist for a deal, but keep in mind that these discounts are extremely time-sensitive, so grab them fast. Unless refreshing the page over and over is your thing, these deals aren’t necessarily the tool to find something specific because of their fleeting nature and limited availability.
6. Back up photos and videos with Amazon Photos
Amazon’s online shoebox for photos and videos offers secure and unlimited full-resolution photo storage plus 5 GB of video for Prime members. To use this feature, you can choose to manually or automatically upload media in the Amazon Photos app. You can personalize the displays on Amazon devices like Fire TV, Echo Show and Fire tablets as long as you have the app. There are also ways to create keepsakes using the pictures you upload, such as custom cards and prints.
With the Family Vault perk, up to five family members can share in the same plan. If you want more beyond what Prime offers, there are paid plans available. If you choose to switch — which can be done anytime — there is a 100GB option for $2 per month and 1TB plan for $7 per month.
7. Share Prime benefits with Amazon Household
Sharing is caring, and Amazon Household lets you divvy up Prime benefits and digital content with others. Using Household, share your Prime account with:
- Up to two adults (aged 18 and over), each with their own Amazon account. Adults can manage accounts of teens and children.
- Up to four teens (ages 13 through 17). Teens can have their own Amazon login to shop with parent approval and stream content.
- Up to four children (children can’t shop on Amazon).
8. Shop exclusive discounted Whole Foods hauls
Healthy shopping can rack up the number at the bottom of the receipt. But if you enter your email address, phone number or scan the QR code on your Whole Foods Market app at checkout during your next grocery haul, Prime members receive discounts on select products.
Blue tags indicate sales exclusive to Prime members, while yellow tags mean an extra 10% off of an item already on sale. This gets you discounts on weekly best-sellers, including produce, packaged goods and beauty products, but note that it excludes alcohol. The few cents saved on items may seem insignificant individually, but savings do add up at the end of the shopping trip.
Also, if you don’t want to make the trip across town, Amazon offers two-hour delivery of groceries for free, as long as you meet the minimum purchase amount. But if you don’t mind the drive, there are also one-hour pickup windows depending on your location — just remember to check in with the Amazon app to see if you need to enter the store.
9. Build a wish list with Prime’s wedding registry
If the big day is coming up, Amazon’s wedding registry can get a gift wish list set up for everything from daily essentials to group presents. Amazon can help you cover all the gifting bases, and that makes it a convenient option for you and your wedding guests.
The registry includes lists of editors’ picks and best sellers to help you sort through Amazon’s options, while the browsing feature can inspire new ideas or highlight something you may have forgotten about. You can also buy any item that’s left on the registry for 20% off — which can be returned within 180 days if you decide you don’t like it.
For more, here are our picks for the best Alexa devices and which e-reader is right for you.
Technologies
Prime Video Subscribers: Grab 6 Months of Apple TV Plus for $36 This Cyber Monday
Binge watch top-notch shows like Ted Lasso and Shrinking TV from Apple for as little as $6 per month. The best part? It’s not the only deal available.
Cyber Monday deals are coming in hot. Not only will you save on laptops, audio gear and gifts, you can also save on streaming service subscriptions. We found a Prime Video add-on deal that’ll get you Apple TV for a paltry $6 per month.
The streaming service formerly known as Apple TV Plus is one of the add-on subscriptions that Prime Video offers, and now you can sign up for a subscription for only $6 per month for six months. You need a Prime membership, which costs $15 per month or $139 per year, to get Apple TV through Prime Video (and snag the deal). The offer ends tomorrow Dec. 1.
Apple TV typically costs $13 per month and is ad-free. A subscription delivers the sci-fi hit Pluribus, the award-winning Severance and family fare too. It’s the exclusive home of Peanuts, including classics like A Charlie Brown Christmas.
This Apple TV discount is just one of many deals you can score as Amazon enters Cyber Monday mode. Here are some more Prime Video offers to consider right now.
Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.
Prime Video subscription deals
Each of these deals is only available if you use Prime Video to sign up.
Apple TV: $6 per month for six months. Typically $13 per month.
Starz: $2.75 per month for two months. Typically $11 per month.
MGM Plus: $2 per month for two months. Typically $8 per month.
BritBox: $2.75 per month for two months. Typically $11 per month.
BET Plus: $1.50 per month for two months. Typically $6 per month.
Crunchyroll: $3 per month for two months. Typically $12 per month.
PBS Kids: $1.25 per month for two months. Typically $5 per month.
AMC Plus: $1.75 per month for two months. Typically $7 per month.
Acorn TV: $2.25 per month for two months. Typically $9 per month.
Hallmark Plus: $2 per month for two months. Typically $8 per month.
BBC Select: $1.50 per month for two months. Typically $6 per month.
PBS Masterpiece: $1.75 per month for two months. Typically $7 per month.
Moviesphere Plus: $1.25 per month for two months. Typically $5 per month.
UP Faith & Family: $1.50 per month for two months. Typically $6 per month.
Ryan and Friends Plus: $1 per month for two months. Typically $4 per month.
PBS Documentaries: $1.25 per month for two months. Typically $5 per month.
Great American Pure Flix: $2.50 per month for two months. Typically $10 per month.
The Great Courses Signature Collection: $2 per month for two months. Typically $8 per month.
You can also save on streaming service bundles. Browse all of the options right now at Amazon.
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Technologies
Cyber Monday Is Here and We’ve Found Some Amazing PlayStation, Xbox and Switch Deals
Technologies
Escape the Holiday Noise With These Bose Headphones — Under $150 for Cyber Monday
Whether you’re traveling or hiding from family chatter, these Bose QuietComfort headphones are a steal for Cyber Monday.
We’re big fans of personal audio gear, especially high-quality headphones. Which means we’re pretty picky about what we like. The Bose QuietComfort headphones have been ranked by CNET’s experts as some of the best noise-canceling headphones available. As part of Cyber Monday, Amazon is offering these excellent headphones at a new low price.
Right now, Amazon is running a deal on one of the colors for $160 and $30 in digital credit for Amazon, effectively bringing the price down to $130, a record-low. It is worth remembering that you need to use the code BOSE30 to get the full discount. This is a Cyber Monday deal, so availability may be limited and we don’t know how long it will last.
The QuietComfort headphones include active noise cancellation with Quiet and Aware modes so you can block distractions or let in ambient sound when needed. They’re designed with plush over-ear cushions and a padded headband, making them comfortable enough for long listening sessions.
You can also customize your sound with adjustable EQ, fine-tuning bass, mids and treble to match your preferences. Battery life is impressive, offering up to 24 hours of playtime on a single charge. And if you’re in a rush, a quick 15-minute USB-C charge provides up to 2.5 extra hours of listening.
These headphones are versatile, too. They include a wired option with an in-line microphone, multipoint Bluetooth for switching between your phone or media player and Bose app support for updates and controls.
For more headphone options, check out our roundup of the best headphone deals. You can also explore broader seasonal picks like the best Cyber Monday laptop deals or Black Friday office finds.
HEADPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK
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$248 (save $152)
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$170 (save $181)
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$199 (save $150)
Why this deal matters
Bose is a leader in personal audio, and the QuietComfort headphones are a staple for travelers, commuters and music lovers. With over 50% off, this Cyber Monday deal is one of the best prices we’ve seen. With premium noise cancellation, plush comfort and long battery life, it’s a strong value for anyone looking to upgrade their listening experience. Act fast because we don’t know how long this deal will last.
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Get hand-picked deals from CNET shopping experts straight to your phone.
By signing up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to receive recurring marketing messages at the phone number provided. Consent is not a condition of purchase. Reply STOP to unsubscribe. Msg & data rates may apply. View our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
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