Amazon UK has today doubled the minimum spend required to be eligible for Free Super Saver Delivery. From 6PM in the UK tonight, customers will need to spend at least £20 - double the current requirement of £10 - for an order to be eligible for free delivery.
Many years ago, Amazon"s free delivery was much less restrictive, but in July 2013, the company introduced a £10 minimum spend requirement to be eligible for free delivery. The increase to a £20 minimum is likely part of a broader effort to push customers towards Amazon Prime and/or to recoup the cost of its other delivery options. Along with next day delivery, other options available include collecting from local stores on the same day or having an item delivered to your local Post Office.
The increase in minimum spend doesn"t appear to affect Prime customers, who pay £79 per year for free next day delivery on any item sold directly by or Fulfilled by Amazon. If you place several orders with Amazon each month, it may be beneficial to pay for Prime - or at least the company is hoping so.
At present, some items are considered Add-on items for Prime members - meaning they will only be delivered with orders totaling £10 or more - and it"s unknown whether the minimum spend requirement will see this add-on item threshold raised. It"s also unclear whether the increase will apply to other Amazon markets around the world.
Source: Engadget UK