18 August 2023 , 12:42
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Amazon has become the latest retailer to up its prices in some form, as many Prime customers received an email. The online giant sent an email informing customers eligible for same-day delivery that it will now charge members an extra £1.99 for orders under £20, a perk that used to be included in the monthly subscription price.
Thousands of Prime shoppers received the email which outlines the new charge for the retailer's same-day service, which sees items delivered as long as they are ordered by 1 pm.
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Any customer who spends less than £20 and wants same-day delivery will now be charged for the service, even if they pay £8.99 a month for Prime delivery. Amazon states in its email: "Same-day delivery can be selected at checkout, but there will be a fee of £1.99 per delivery for orders under £20.
"The fee for customers who are not Prime members will remain £5.99."
The change will apply from September 18, 2023.
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The email that landed in many Prime Members' inboxAll other Prime orders, including next-day delivery, will not come with an additional charge, as the retailer's states it will continue to deliver using the fastest available option.
The online retailer used to offer a free dispatch and delivery of items on the same-day for Prime member shoppers, as long as they lived in an eligible postcode. Many households outside of cities, in more rurual areas, will find themselves unaffected by the changes as the service is usually only available to those living in bustling city centres and suburbs.
A spokesperson for Amazon said: “Prime members enjoy fast, free One-Day Delivery on millions of items.
"We are constantly innovating to deliver a wide selection of great value products at the fastest speeds, and more than a million items are now available for Same-Day Delivery in the UK.
"Prime Members can receive Same-Day deliveries where available for free on select orders over £20, or for £1.99 if the total order is below £20. All orders will now be delivered to Prime members with the fastest available free option by default.”
So, is this something worth scrapping your Prime Membership for? It's likely many households won't feel the pinch of the increased £1.99 fee and it may just mean adjusting your orders to ensure you order enough to go over the request £20 mark, then it'll be free anyway.
Especially considering its Prime Membership is packed with other perks. On top of the delivery benefits, £8.99 members can get access to Prime Video, free access to Prime Music (as long as you don't mind adverts) and early shopping access to deals in some of its biggest sale events of the year.
Intrigued shoppers can also try out the service for free before commiting to the monthly bill. To do this, you can sign up to its free 30-day trial and leave for free once it's finished.