Amazon has increased its minimum purchase to qualify for free shipping from $35 to $49 — unless you’re buying over $25 in books.
The company has updated its “shipping options” page to reflect the change:
“Orders including $25 or more of eligible books qualify for FREE Shipping. All orders of $49 or more of eligible items across any product category also qualify for FREE Shipping. With free shipping, your order will be delivered 5-8 business days after all of your items are available to ship, including pre-order items.”
This is the first minimum purchase increase to free shipping since 2013, when Amazon bumped the requirement from $25 to $35.
Amazon Prime remains at $99, meaning the company will continue promoting the service to customers who want fast and free shipping. Prime subscribers receive free two-day shipping on all orders.
According to Engadget, the company’s logistics costs increased 33 percent over the last year, meaning the price increase can likely be attributed to rising shipping costs and customers demanding fast deliveries.
