Alternatives to Amazon Prime for Free Shipping and More
You don’t need to pay Amazon Prime’s juiced $139 annual fee to find a wide swath of products online at different retailers.
That’s it. Enough. You’ve had it. Amazon Prime just raised its annual membership fee from $119 to $139, and now the two of you are breaking up. It’s time to swipe right on a new online retailer, a place to land to meet at least most of your online shopping needs -- conveniently, all in one place, without exorbitant shipping fees that add up, up, up.
Here’s where we step in. We’ve evaluated nine alternatives to Amazon Prime for your consideration. Warning: There will be some compromises. You'll find supply may not be as wide and deep as Amazon. You may have to shop strategically or sign up for credit cards or loyalty programs to avoid shipping fees. Take a look.
Walmart+ is Less Expensive Than Amazon Prime
Walmart+ is the brick-and-mortar megaretailer’s answer to Amazon Prime. And expect to hear a lot more from Walmart+ as Amazon Prime’s subscription hike finishes landing (for new subscribers, it's already in effect; for current subscribers, the increase begins for renewals on and after March 25). This is a prime opportunity for Walmart+ to gain subscribers from Prime’s frustrated masses.
- What they sell: Automotive goods, baby supplies, books, children's toys and games, clothing, electronics, furniture, general household items, groceries, luggage, music/movies, office supplies, personal care products, pet supplies, sporting goods.
- Annual membership fee: $98 (or $12.95 a month) after a 30-day free trial.
- Shipping options: Free same-day shipping on eligible items. Grocery items have a $35 minimum to qualify for free shipping.
- Return policy: Free for most items returned within 90 days of delivery. Select items are non-returnable.
Additional perks: Walmart+ members receive 5 cents off each gallon of gas at Walmart gas stations as well as Murphy stations and Sam’s Club fueling centers. Walmart+ members also have the option of shopping in-store with the Walmart app and using the scan & go feature for contactless shopping. The app will let you scan grocery items with your phone and pay at the self-checkout. Walmart+ members also get early access to select deals and promotions, including for Black Friday.
Walmart.com (fee-free)
You don’t have to go full membership to get a number of Walmart’s benefits.
- What they sell: Appliances, automotive goods, baby supplies, books, clothing, electronics, furniture, general household items, groceries, movies/music, office supplies, personal care products, pet supplies.
- Annual membership fee: N/A.
- Shipping options: Free two-day shipping on eligible items with minimum purchase of $35. Up to five days on all other items, shipped free. Freight shipping is available for heavy or oversized orders, and cost is based on order size.
- Return policy: Varies by department. Most unopened items can be returned up to 90 days after purchase.
Additional perks: Online order/in-store pick-up available for most items. Walmart grocery app subscribers can place orders and schedule a pick-up time. A Walmart team member will load your groceries in your car's trunk for you. Walmart credit card holders can earn up to 3% back on online and grocery purchases.
Newegg.com
To anyone who shopped online for computers and computer peripherals in the 2000s, yes, Newegg is still around, widening its retail horizon significantly. But it still has that nerd-techie buzz, with dongles, PCs for gamers, and computer memory chips front and center on the home page.
- What they sell: Apparel, appliances, automotive goods, electronics, general household items, flowers and gifts, office supplies and furniture, toys and drones.
- Annual membership fee: N/A.
- Shipping options: Free shipping on orders over $25.
- Return policy: Free returns on defective items only (30-day window). Some items will be marked with a 45-day return policy.
Additional perks: Look for promo discount codes adjacent to items you wish to buy. Another way to save is to shop the Newegg Certified Refurbish Outlet.
ShopRunner.com
ShopRunner is a members-only special deals site representing hundreds of retailers. Free two-day shipping? Yes, please!
- What they sell: A variety of goods ranging from apparel to fine jewelry to prescription glasses from more than 100 retailers including Saks Fifth Avenue, Cole Haan and Under Armour.
- Annual membership fee: Complimentary membership for existing PayPal members, Mastercard World and World Elite cardholders, American Express U.S. Consumer and Small Business cardholders and Chase. For others, there’s a free three-month membership to get free shipping and returns. After that, it’s a $79 yearly membership.
- Shipping options: Free two-day shipping with no minimum purchase at most participating stores.
Return policy: Free. Each retailer under the Shoprunner banner has different return windows, from one week to one year.
Target.com
Like Walmart, Target has both a bricks & mortar and a significant online presence.
- What they sell: Appliances (small), baby supplies, books, clothing, electronics, furniture, general household items, groceries, movies/music, office supplies, personal care products, pet supplies.
- Annual membership fee: N/A.
- Shipping options: Free two-day shipping with minimum purchase of $35 or when you use your Target REDcard credit card (no annual fee). One day and same-day delivery is available through the Shipt app; Instacart has one-hour delivery (fees apply).
- Return policy: Most unopened items can be returned within 90 days of purchase (if purchased with a Target REDcard, you getadd 30 more days). Electronics and entertainment items must be returned within 30 days of purchase. Mobile phones must be returned within 14 days of purchase. Apple products must be returned within 15 days of purchase.
Additional perks: Online order/in-store pick-up on most items. Pharmacy services, such as online prescription renewal, are available. Target app subscribers can place orders and select the drive-up pick-up option. Upon arrival, a Target team member will load your car's trunk for you. Target REDcard holders receive 5% off on purchases and early access to new product releases.
Fall into the Gap and its “Sister Sites”
Many brands share corporate ownership. Generally, this is more of interest to investors than shoppers, but there’s a way that it matters: shipping deals. If free shipping is your thing, shopping with “sister sites'' can help reach the minimum free shipping threshold, says smart shopping expert Trae Bodge of TrueTrae. “A good example of this is the Gap family of brands, including Gap, Athleta, Old Navy, and Banana Republic,” said Bodge. “These sites offer free shipping on orders of $50 or more, so if you need something from Gap and something from one of the other sister sites, you can score free shipping for yourself.”
Here's how it works: You can shop for something in the Gap site and add it to your shopping bag. Then you can switch over to, say, Banana Republic -- there's a link at the top of the page -- Athleta or Old Navy, add items to the shopping bag, then head to the checkout. All the items from the different Gap sites land in one shared shopping bag.
Be Loyal Customer and Get Free Shipping at These Retailers
Being loyal has its perks. Staying loyal could mean the same free shipping you’ve tapped Amazon Prime for and possibly other rewards.
“Another hack is joining loyalty programs where your membership qualifies you for free shipping,” says Bodge. “Bloomingdale’s, Converse, and Nike are examples of this. By belonging to the loyalty program, you can get free shipping on your orders.”
