Amazon Drops $25 Free Shipping Minimum For Holiday Season
NEW YORK (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — Amazon is following Target and temporarily dropping the minimum amount shoppers need to spend to qualify for free shipping.
Typically, Amazon shoppers need to spend $25 to qualify for free shipping or pay $119 a year for a Prime membership. Amazon's offer, which started today, applies to hundreds of millions of items and on orders that arrive in time for Christmas.
Amazon Prime members, who are already entitled to free two-day shipping, will have millions of items available for same-day delivery during the holiday season.
Shoppers who aren't Prime members will get slower shipping, though, which can take five to eight days.
Retailers are competing hard for holiday shoppers, who increasingly expect fast shipping that's free. Target dropped its minimum purchase amount last week, offering free two-day shipping on hundreds of thousands of items until December 22. Walmart, which offers free two-day shipping on orders over $35, told reporters after the Target announcement that it has no plans to change its shipping policy.
Amazon also said Monday that it has also expanded the number of items and locations where Prime members can get free same-day delivery.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)