Amazon raises free delivery threshold to £25 but here are 5 ways to get around it

Amazon has hiked its free delivery eligibility by 25% meaning customers must now spend £25 instead of £20 to qualify for free postage.

The change came into force in April 2023, although Prime members still get free delivery regardless of their spend.

Standard delivery can cost between 99p and £5.99 but there are some ways to either reduce or cut the cost of delivery completely.

1. Find extra items for pennies

Your basket might just be a few pennies short of that £25 threshold meaning you end up spending up to £5.99 on delivery. Instead, look for something you need but which will only cost you a few pennies, and you could tip over into the £25 free delivery category.

There are a few ways to do this.

a) Write 'free delivery items' into the Amazon search bar. Then on the lefthand side, set your maximum price to the shortfall you're looking to fill, or just a few pennies over. (You could even put the same number as the minimum price to find something for an exact amount).

You might be surprised what comes up! OK there are a lot of SIM cards, but also greetings cards, notebooks, pencil case essentials, and we even found tinned food, food storage, chargers, plus bikinis and socks on clearance.

b) Another way to search for products is to use the Super Saver Delivery Tool. Here you put in the exact amount you're looking to spend and you'll get a host of options.

Much better to spend a few pennies extra than a few pounds on delivery! Just try and buy things you actually need or will use in future to make the most of the hack.

2. Amazon pick up location

For free delivery on any order, you can agree to collect your package from a pick up location for free and there's no need to hit a minimum spend.

These are not just the lockers you see at train stations or supermarkets, but also include shops and even Post Offices. For a full list of Amazon pick up locations, click here.

3. Buy books

Amazon lowers the delivery threshold if your order includes £10 worth of eligible books.

If you’re not in the market for a new title, then this probably isn’t worth doing. But if you regularly buy books or perhaps were already looking for a gift for someone, this could be a good option.

4. Sign up for a free Prime trial

Amazon Prime not only offers you unlimited free delivery, but also access to its TV shows and films, and some live sports. You can also access a host of books for free if you have a Kindle.

Amazon offers a one-month trial for free, which you can sign up for and then cancel before the next month begins.

However, if you forget, you'll be charged £95 for a year's membership, or £8.99 if paying monthly (monthly subscriptions cost about £13 more over the year).

5. Get six month's free Amazon Prime if you're a student

Students with .ac.uk email address can get Amazon Prime Student for free for six months. This gives access to free delivery plus streaming services and Kindle benefits.

There are also discounts on other services, such as 15% off National Express coach tickets, 10% off textbooks and discounts on fashion.

For those who stay on with Prime after the trial, students will be charged half the normal price at £4.49 a month or £47.49 a year.

For more information on Amazon Prime Student click here.

Which Amazon items are eligible for free delivery?

Not all products sold on Amazon are eligible for free delivery. Those sold and delivered by Amazon, or sold by marketplace sellers but dispatched by Amazon are eligible for free delivery if the £25 threshold is met.

If you're not sure, the product page will say 'Fulfilled by Amazon' or 'Dispatched from and sold by Amazon'.

Something to beware of is if Amazon cancels an item in your basket. If that takes the total value of the package below the £25 threshold, you may be liable to pay for postage. In this case Amazon advises contacting its customer service.

International delivery of items also requires a fee, although if going to the Republic of Ireland the £25 threshold applies as normal.

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Image courtesy of iStock.com / Daria Nipot.