Amazon Changes Minimum For Free Shipping to $25

​In a recent announcement, Amazon revealed they would be offering free shipping (without a Prime membership) on orders of only $25 or more.  This is in response to Walmart, which in January of this year, started offering free shipping on purchases over $35 – no membership fee necessary.  In response, Amazon started to offer free shipping (without a Prime membership) on orders of $35 or more but are now lowering it by an additional $10. 

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Amazon’s new shipping policy is offering free shipping on more than 50 million items of $25 or more.  Items should arrive in 5-8 business days.

Internet Retailer and Bizrate Insights found in their recent study that free shipping is a major factor in online purchasing decisions.  The study also found that more than half the participants surveyed rated free shipping as more important than fast shipping, while only 2.5% said fast shipping is more important. 

In January of this year, Wal-Mart announced that they will offer free shipping to users who spend more than $35, which covered more than two million items. In addition, you did not have to pay any membership fee, or join any service. It was a simple yet effective move, where buyers could simply enjoy a cheaper method of shopping online. 

Naturally, Amazon had to respond. Keeping in mind that Amazon had upped their free deliver fee to $49 in 2015, brought it down to $35 in February.