It is not easy to believe that a few decades ago, shopping online was not as convenient as it is today. Phone and fax orders were the primary means of payment for the goods ordered. In the late 1990s, the grounds for online shopping were established, and it didn’t stop there as more improvements were made to enhance online shopping in the 21st century. In 1994, Jeff Bezos started Amazon.com, which initially served as an online bookstore. Upon expansion, the company began to offer additional services and afterward become an online shopping hub. Amazon has dominated the world of online shopping, followed close by its rival E-bay.
Amazon offers multiple services, one of which is Amazon Prime subscription, which offers enhanced delivery speed and convenience to customers who have pledged their loyalty to Amazon. Amazon mission and vision statement show that the company works and develops to make it convenient for the customers to shop online regardless of their location.
Amazon offers multiple products, both from within and outside dealers hosted on the website. Products that can be purchased on the site include consumer electronics, jewelry, books, industrial and commercial supplies, CDs, DVDs, wardrobe apparel, and more. Amazon Prime is simply one of the numerous services offered by Amazon.com.
Amazon Prime Benefits
Amazon Prime is only available to those who subscribe to this service, as it is optional on Amazon.com. The Amazon Prime annual subscription fee stands at $79.00. Subscribers of this service enjoy free standard shipping, zero cost of delivery for items that take two days, and $3.99 for one-day shipping. However, to qualify for a free 2-day delivery, a product has to meet specific criteria, if the product ordered is no longer available in stock, it will be conveyed in 2 days after restocking to allow time for preparation for safe shipping. A customer should make an inquiry on when the product is expected to be delivered based on the date the order was placed; orders made on Friday’s and Saturday’s are delivered the following Tuesday. Besides the standard features, Amazon offers Express delivery. Still, it is only limited to a few locations for only $3.99, and Sunday delivery for the customers who place orders on late Friday and Saturday is $15.99. Amazon offers free delivery for various items, but it also depends on the customer’s location. Amazon Prime subscribers can access these options via the “One-Click” button.
Useful Information About Amazon Prime
It’s worth noting that there are exceptions to the benefits offered by Amazon Prime. Notably, various items provided by external merchants though ordered via Amazon are not eligible for faster shipping. Anything outside Amazon Prime delivery is considered ineligible for deliveries by Amazon Prime. Some of the ineligible shipments include personalized gift cards, magazines, and more. The Amazon Prime delivery benefits are not available in all locations. Those living in Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico, Guam, and many other international locations are ineligible for Amazon Prime delivery benefits. However, the benefits of Amazon Prime delivery the subscriber enjoys cannot be extended to his or her customers when it comes to resale or shipment of the items. Purchases surpassing a particular figure are ineligible for shipment to P.O. Box addresses because these shipments demand the recipient’s signature.
Those with a valid credit card can access the Amazon Prime service at no cost during the initial stages. This offer lasts for 30 days, with members enjoying all the benefits, however, if the customer chooses not to upgrade to a full subscription, Amazon is left with no choice other than to terminate the membership.
