Are you ready to pay for another Amazon subscription complementary to Prime? The e-commerce giant is already testing it in some areas of the United States and there is nothing that makes us think that it could not also reach our country in the future.
Although in the past it may have seemed like a possibility for Amazon to continue adding services to its Prime subscription without making users have to pay additional fees, today we see that it was a utopia. The truth is that this would have caused a constant increase in the price of Prime and, in the end, we would have paid for a subscription that gave us access to too many things that perhaps did not interest us. Therefore, little by little Amazon demonstrates the change in policy.
Amazon Fresh with subscription
That’s how it is. This new subscription includes Amazon Fresh, as well as the Whole Foods service that is not available in our country. The monthly payment required is $9.99, but in exchange for this, users obtain the right to free shipping on all orders they make for both services. The only condition they will have to meet will be to place orders that have a value greater than $35.
Another advantage included in the subscription is the opportunity to have free collection of orders placed regardless of their volume, always starting 30 minutes after the purchase. This, although it dispenses with home delivery, the truth is that it can be really useful for all types of people who prefer to go with their car to pick up the products without having to wait for delivery.
Could I reach Spain?
Yes, it is very possible. For now, this subscription is being tested in three locations in the United States: Columbus, Denver and Sacramento. This is a pilot program with which the store may want to see the rate of subscribers it gets and also the volume of orders it receives from them. From there they will consider whether to extend it to more cities in North America and then whether to also take it to other countries.
The reason for the entry on the scene of this new supplementary subscription is the problems that Amazon has had adjusting the Fresh service in the United States. Although originally the conditions they had were similar to those in Spain at the moment, the store found that the business was not profitable. At that point they decided to try different options and ended up, at the beginning of this year 2023, increasing the minimum order that customers had to place to enjoy free shipping. It went from the $35 that originally had to be exceeded to a total of $150, a figure that caused the volume of orders to reduce and it is even possible that there were customers who unsubscribed from Prime.
Due to this, in the month of October Amazon chose to drop from $150 to only $100, a plan with which they hoped to reawaken interest among users. But if they now introduce this new measure in the testing process, it may be because this reduction in the minimum order cost did not work for them either. The alternative for customers who do not reach that amount is to make a shipping payment for each order they place, an option that is obviously not viable at all.
The good news is that with this subscription the minimum order of only $35 is recovered, which is a very positive aspect in view of the fact that it is ideal for making quick orders or purchasing for people who are single. However, the problem is that $9.99 a month, unless we buy a lot, seems a little excessive.
In Spain, the Amazon Fresh service is offered with two minimum order ranges depending on the city. Thus, for shipping to be free in Zaragoza, Seville and Valencia, its value has to reach 30 euros, while in the rest of Spain the value is 50 euros. Of course, it is mandatory to be Prime customers, but, at least for now, you do not have to pay any additional subscription.
