Amazon
It’s hard to believe that only a couple of decades ago, ordering online was more of a chore than a convenience. Phone and fax orders were still the primary means of paying for your product in order to have it delivered as fast as possible – through Fed-Ex, UPS, or other courier delivery services. By the mid-nineties, however, the seeds of what would become the purchase making in the 21st century were planted. In 1994, Jeff Bezos founded Amazon.com, which started as an online bookstore. It didn’t stop there, however; the company quickly expanded its offerings and became the poster child for online shopping, although some may say it has recently been overtaken by its younger competitor – E-Bay. One of the services now offered by Amazon.com is the Amazon Prime subscription, which offers improved delivery speed and convenience to its loyal customers.
Amazon.com has a wide array of products, both in-house and from external merchants hosted on the website. Items that can be purchased on the website include books, CDs, DVDs and other media, home items and tools, consumer electronics, toys, wardrobe apparel, personal care, jewelry, health care, clothes, commercial, industrial, and scientific supplies, even fresh groceries. Amazon Prime is just one of the many services Amazon.com offers.
Amazon Prime
Amazon Prime is an optional subscription on Amazon.com. The annual fee for taking advantage of the Amazon Prime service is $79.00. It provides the member with free standard shipping, free-of-charge 2-day delivery, and offers one day shipping at $3.99. In order to qualify for free 2-day delivery, an item has to meet certain conditions; if the item the customer orders is not in stock, it will be delivered 2 days after the day it is restocked as some items may require some preparation before they can be shipped. The customer should check when the item is expected to arrive based on when the order was placed; any order made on a Friday or Saturday will be delivered the following Tuesday. Aside from these standard features, there are also options for Express delivery (limited to qualified locations) for $3.99, and Sunday delivery (i.e. if the customer orders late on Friday or on Saturday) for $15.99. For certain items, the delivery can be free at the release date (also subject to the member’s location). The ‘One-Click’ ordering feature also presents these options to Amazon Prime members.
There are, however, exceptions to these benefits provided by Amazon Prime. Notably, certain items fulfilled by other merchants (though ordered through Amazon.com) are ineligible for expedited shipping. Amazon Prime also disqualifies deliveries for magazine subscriptions, personalized gift cards, and any other items that are not specifically indicated as being eligible for Amazon Prime delivery. The Amazon Prime delivery benefits also exclude locations in the following territories: Alaska, Hawaii, US territories (such as Puerto Rico, Guam, etc.), and many other international destinations. Moreover, the services Amazon Prime offers cannot be used by the subscriber for delivering items for resale or to their customers. Purchases exceeding a certain value also cannot be delivered to P.O. Box addresses and require the recipient’s signature.
The Amazon Prime service is offered as a free trial to those with a valid credit card. All benefits of the Amazon Prime service are enjoyed during the free 30-day trial period. If the customer decides not to upgrade it to a full subscription, they can cancel it in the membership options and still enjoy the service until the free trial period expires. If the subscriber does not cancel the free trial, the membership upgrade happens automatically, charging the user’s card. The full Amazon Prime membership renews automatically every year. The subscriber has the option of sharing their Amazon Prime benefits with up to 4 other family members (assuming they are in the same household) or 4 co-workers (under a common Amazon corporate account).
Summary
- Amazon.com is the parent company; Amazon Prime is a service it offers.
- Amazon.com offers standard delivery for items ordered through its website; Amazon Prime subscribers have the benefit of free, standard, or 2-day delivery, as well as reduced prices for other expedited delivery options.
- Amazon.com’s Amazon Prime service can be acquired as a free-trial and later renewed as a full subscription. Amazon.com does not guarantee that all of its items will qualify for Amazon Prime benefits.