Amazon increases free shipping minimum order to $49

in internet on 2016-02-24 02:41 (#14YNT)

Amazon.com has raised the free shipping minimum to $49 from $35 for non-Prime members, according to information provided on the Amazon website. The company hasn't published a press release with the news. For books, the threshold is still $25.

There is unlimited free two-day shipping for Prime members. "A higher minimum order requirement for free non-Prime shipping effectively increases the appeal of Prime membership, and Prime households spend disproportionately more than non-Prime households." A steep 32.8% increase in fulfillment costs had a negative impact on quarterly earnings announced on January 29. Prime membership increased 51% in 2015.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/amazon-ups-free-shipping-minimum-to-49-from-35-for-non-prime-members-2016-02-22

Re: Prime has me hooked (Score: 1)

by evilviper@pipedot.org on 2016-03-24 16:02 (#185VX)

people ordering everything online shipping at flat rates or weight only has led to overloading the shipping network.

There is no limit to "the shipping network". They can easily hire more employees, build more processing facilities, etc. You can easily see the interstates aren't so clogged with trucks that one more couldn't be added. And the decline of coal in the US has left railroads with plenty of new extra capacity they haven't been able to fill.

various companies now.charge by weight and size.

There's nothing new about that at all. "Flat rate" shipping has and always had quite a few strict restrictions on weights and sizes.

The Australians have been calculating postage this way for a couple of decades.

As have all the US shipping companies, for as long as I can recall...