One of our favorite features here at The Coupon Project is a regular roundup of the best Amazon Subscribe & Save deals. Many of these offers are pretty solid, especially when you factor in the time and gas savings involved.
If you’re unfamiliar with this great way to save on a wide variety of items for your family and home, here’s a brief overview of how Amazon Subscribe & Save works. Already familiar? Be sure to read through this post as well to make sure you’re taking full advantage of all the savings available through this unique program.
What is Amazon’s Subscribe & Save Program?
Amazon Subscribe & Save gives you an extra discount on top of Amazon’s prices just by signing up to receive shipments on a regular basis on select products. Often, these are the products you’re buying at regular intervals anyways – such as diapers, paper products, and groceries.
The beauty of this service is that you can easily manage future subscriptions through your Amazon account. There’s no obligation to continue shipments after you’ve received your first one. This means you can change dates or even cancel with no hassle.
One other huge perk is that all Subscribe & Save shipments have free shipping.
How to Use Amazon Subscribe & Save
1) First, select an eligible item from Amazon’s Subscribe & Save store (items are always changing).
2) Next, choose the quantity of the item you’d like to receive as well as a delivery schedule. You can choose to have your order delivered in monthly intervals from 1 month to 6 months. You can change the delivery frequency at any time.
3) Click “Subscribe Now,” enter your payment information, and you’re all set to go! Amazon will process your payment when your order ships.
Save More When You Sign Up for More Subscriptions
If you receive 5 or more subscriptions on your monthly delivery day, you’ll save 15% on your entire order instead of the usual 5%.
Here’s a trick: “pad” your Subscribe & Save order with a few low-priced Subscribe & Save items to get this extra discount. In our list of the best Amazon Subscribe and Save deals, we’ve highlighted items priced under $3 to help you maximize your savings.
Using Amazon Coupons with Subscribe & Save
Amazon also offers coupons on select items, some of which are also eligible for Subscribe & Save discounts. Look for these coupons on the individual product pages, right underneath the price.
Amazon Prime Member Exclusives
Yes, all Subscribe & Save shipments have free shipping. However, Amazon reserves select deals and coupons for Prime members only. Amazon clearly marks these items, as pictured above. If you’re a Prime member, simply log in to your account to purchase your items of choice.
If you’re not a Prime member, you can try Amazon Prime free for 30 days. I have been a Prime member since 2009 and it is worth every penny to me and my family.
Managing Your Subscriptions
You’ll need to choose a monthly Subscribe & Save delivery day. This will be the day you receive all of your upcoming subscriptions, not the day Amazon ships your order. This helps reduce the number of boxes you receive.
Need to change your delivery day? No problem! Just visit your Subscribe & Save account and click “Change schedule.” However, your new day needs to be at least 9 calendar days after the day you make the switch.
If you’re worried about forgetting that you signed up for select subscriptions, have no fear. Amazon sends you an email a few days before they process your order. This gives you a chance to update and/or cancel any subscriptions if you’d like.
FAQ
Q: If I add a product that’s on sale today to my order, what if the price increases before my next shipment goes out? Will Amazon charge me on the day I add the item to my order, or the day it ships?
A: You’ll be charged the price the item was (with coupon, if applicable) when you first added it to your cart and checked out. If it goes up in price after that, no worries.
Q: Does the price of an item change after the first month it’s delivered?
A: Yes, the price may change. The first order goes through at whatever price you initially added it to your cart for. However, any additional orders in subsequent months will go through at whatever the current price is at the time your order is processed. That’s why it’s best to stay on top of your subscriptions and see if you still want to keep them from month to month.
Q: You really need to know your prices on household goods to know if you’re saving or not! Do you mind saying what specific products you order?
A: We keep an on-going list of the Best Amazon Subscribe and Save Deals updated every week with the best deals we’re finding. I have been using Subscribe and Save regularly for many years now! Here are some posts that detail what I’ve bought in the past:
- My Amazon Subscribe & Save Order (July 2015)
- My Subscribe & Save Order: How I easily Maximized my Savings!
- What I Bought with Amazon Subscribe and Save (May Edition)
Q: How can I see what the actual price I will pay is for the items I have added to my Subscribe and Save list?
A: The first time you order, the price will be locked in at the price it was when you first subscribed. You can check your order history in your Amazon account for this information. In subsequent months, you’ll need to check the individual product’s information from your account. You can also just wait for the email from Amazon letting you know that you have a few days to edit your box before it ships. (I wish there were an easier way!)
Q: If I only want to receive 5 items a month, can I move my items to the next month and still get them at the same price as when I first signed up?
A: The jury’s still out on this one. I think you can move items to the next month and still be locked in to the price it was when you first signed up, but again, that price will not necessarily hold for future shipments.
Q: When will I be charged for my items?
A: You will be charged the day your items ship. For example, my delivery day is the 1st of each month, so my subscriptions usually “lock” around the 24th-25th and my card is charged at that time.
Q: I clipped a coupon for a product and received it at the discounted price. For my next shipment, if there is a coupon for it, do I have to cancel the subscription and subscribe again to use the coupon, or can I clip it and have it automatically applied?
A: Once your first order ships (with the clipped coupon), the coupon will not apply to future shipments so you’ll need to cancel, then start it up again with any new coupons.
What questions do you have about Subscribe & Save? Please leave a comment! I’ll do my best to answer your questions as well as clarify the information within the post itself.
JoAnn says
January 14, 2014 at 5:05 pmThis was a timely post for me as I just signed up for the 30 day free trial for Amazon Prime and was wondering about subscribe and save. You really need to know your prices on household goods to know if youre saving or not! Its a little confusing….with so many products and sizes! Do you mind saying what specific products you order? Thanks 🙂
Sarah b says
January 14, 2014 at 5:12 pmI’d like to see how it compares to Costco where I shop at least weekly.
Candace says
January 14, 2014 at 5:16 pmI would love to see regular amazon deals! This is where I get my diapers, wipes, and much more! Thank you so much for all the hard work you do- such a blessing to my family!
Candace says
January 14, 2014 at 5:18 pmI would also love to see grocery deals from Amazon! Don’t know if you are considering that or not 🙂
Holly says
January 14, 2014 at 5:35 pmI’ve been using Amazon’s Subscribe and Save for about three years now and I LOVE it. I started using it for diapers and wipes, but soon learned there were a lot of other products I could save on. I buy everything from dishwasher detergent to coffee to spices. Best part is it’s delivered to my door for free! I will say that you do need to know what is a good price on each product you buy – some things are priced very well and some things are still cheaper in a store – it just depends. If I’m in a store and want to comparison shop, I just pull up my Amazon app on my phone. Thanks for any updates/deals on this program, I look forward to them 🙂
Carrie says
January 14, 2014 at 6:48 pmLearning about some good “padding” items for the S&S option will be fantastic! I currently have a couple items ship (tea and a supplement) but I would love to take full advantage of my Amazon Prime membership (actually, Amazon Mom, which offers an even greater S&S discount on multi-items!) by getting over the 4 item hump. Thanks!
Julie says
January 15, 2014 at 2:59 amI’m already using subscribe and save, but I’d love some ways to take better advantage of it.
kristi says
January 23, 2014 at 6:12 amthanks for the post. i never thought of putting cheap fillers in to bump me up to the 20% every month. i have found quite a few good deals lately and they have been having a bunch of coupons even. i love not leaving the house to shop with 2 babies.
Beth says
August 20, 2014 at 1:36 pmI just started using Subscribe & Save and got my first shipment on the 15th of this month. If I add a product that’s on sale today to my order, what if the price increases before my next shipment goes out? Will I be charged for the cost on the day I added it to my order or the day the order shipped?
Thanks for your advice on making the most of Amazon’s program.
Laura Wales says
August 25, 2014 at 3:49 amBeth – Great question! You’ll be charged the price the item was (with coupon, if applicable) when you first added it to your cart and checked out. If it goes up in price after that, no worries. 🙂
Meghan says
January 14, 2015 at 1:07 pmSo after the first month you item is deliver does the price of an item change? Like if an item was $5 when i first ordered but the following month its gone up to $10 do I get charged $10 when that month’s deliveries ship?
Laura Wales says
January 14, 2015 at 3:53 pmMeghan – Yes, the price may change. The first order goes through at whatever price you initially added it to your cart for, but any additional orders in subsequent months will go through at whatever the current price is at the time your order is processed. That’s why it’s best to stay on top of your subscriptions and see if you still want to keep them from month to month.
mary heatherly says
July 21, 2015 at 3:00 pmread most replies lot confuse me.like does the whole order need to be in s&sike i had 5 15% in s&s 2 in cart 1 with a kind order. pls unconfuse me by email.tu
Beth says
November 20, 2014 at 9:51 amHow Can I see what the actual price is I will pay for the items I have added to my Subscribe and Save list. All I can see it the current price. Is there an easy way to track this?
Michael Elkin says
January 22, 2016 at 10:34 amBe very careful with rising prices. I finally had something to subscribe and save to. Arrived fine for 2 months and then the price went up like crazy, way above convenience store prices. It seems subscribe and save has no limit on it’s prices. Say you order tide for $10. Say it goes out of stock and the only seller has it for $50 for the same product that is what you will pay. What a ripoff this ended up being for me.
There was no notice of a price increase until I checked my account myself.
Laura Wales says
January 22, 2016 at 3:03 pmI *always* get an email from Amazon 2-3 days before my payment is processed to be sure I really want everything that’s set up for a particular month’s box. I almost always cancel a few items because I either don’t need them right now or the price has risen too high.
Samantha says
March 16, 2016 at 8:13 pmI have a couple of questions.
1. I see the price can change when subscriptions ship each month….is this only for future subscribe and save orders or can it also change from when you first sign up for an item and the first months delivery?
2. If I only want to receive 5 items a month can I move my items to the next month and still get them at the same price as when I first signed up? For example I do not have any renewing subscriptions, I currently have 6 new subscribe and save items on my 1st shipment coming in April. If I move 1 item to May’s delivery will I still get the price when I signed up in March?
Thanks
Samantha says
March 16, 2016 at 8:18 pmcan the cost of a subscribe and save item change from when the order is placed to when the item is delivered the first time?
Laura Wales says
March 16, 2016 at 8:30 pmSamantha – Good questions! Here are my answers:
1) The price can change for *future* subscriptions (not the first month). For the first time, once you’ve gone through the checkout process and received a confirmation email from Amazon, that’s the price you’ll pay once they ship your box. For future subscriptions, they’ll send you an email before your box ships and give you a few days to add/delete items in case you no longer want or need the items you’ve subscribed to, or if you think the price is too high.
2) I’ve never tried moving items around once they’ve been ordered, but I see that in Amazon’s system you have the option of skipping a delivery and pushing it to a future month (even for first-time orders). However, I do not know if you’ll receive the initial price you got when you first placed your order since you’re pushing it out a month. If you try it, please report back and let us know!
Samantha says
March 16, 2016 at 8:55 pmThank you so very much for your help! I will give the move a try on an item and let you know what happens in May
Jay says
May 17, 2016 at 4:19 pmWorth noting, if you’re ordering multiple quantities of the same item they will NOT contribute to the 5 separate items you need for the 15% discount. However.. there is a trick to this: you can add 1 of the item, check out, then go back and add 1 Qty as often as you like. Each S&S order done this way contributes to your 5 items needed for the 15% discount.
Another trick to making up the 15% is to add out-of-stock items. For the first month, at least, they will count towards your 5 items, even though they won’t go ahead to dispatch nor be billed.
sahra says
June 4, 2016 at 8:31 amhello there i signed up today and my first shipment is the 24 of june when will be charged for my items? i’m a little confused on when i will be charged.because i am on a budget and always like to make sure it lands on a payday
Laura Wales says
June 4, 2016 at 8:56 amSahra – Your card will be charged when your items ship.
Jennifer says
August 29, 2016 at 12:43 pmHow can we know the exact day that our items will ship?
Laura Wales says
August 29, 2016 at 2:16 pmJennifer – If you log in to your account and click “Your Subscribe & Save Items” under the “Your Account” tab, you can see your upcoming delivery dates and you have the option to change your delivery date there.
ETA: They will email you when your order ships. It varies each time in terms of how far in advance it will ship but your items will get to you no later than your delivery date (in many cases it will be a day or two before).
Monica says
November 24, 2016 at 4:22 pmI just started using S&S.
I clipped a couple coupons already. For my next shipment, if there is a coupon for it, do I have to cancel the subscription and subscribe again to use the coupon?
Can I clip it and it applies already?
Laura Wales says
November 25, 2016 at 7:23 amOnce your first order ships (with the clipped coupon), the coupon will not apply to future shipments so you’ll need to cancel, then start it up again with any new coupons (I do this all the time).
Leigh says
August 24, 2019 at 8:18 amI just set up a S&S with 11 items. 8 of the 11 items had additional 10-40% coupons. However, when preparing to checkout, only some of the discounts were there. As I understand it, when you select S&S the price then reflects the 5% initial discount. Then, any applicable coupons would be remove. Correct? If so, I am not seeing this. For example, I have Presto Toilet Paper selected with a price of $21.14. Cart states that this price is with 5% S&S discount applied. It also states this product has a 40% first time order discount of 40% to be applied at checkout. Therefore, I should see a “coupon” discount line of $8.46 for this product, but that is not what is happening. Fine print states up to a $40 max, but my total coupons (including S&S discount) is only $14. So I am not over that. What am I missing here?
Laura Wales says
August 24, 2019 at 9:43 amHmmm…did you try ordering each item individually? That’s what I usually do. Also, be sure that you’ve “clipped” the coupon by checking the box and/or clicking the button to make sure it’s applied. You will see the 5% initial discount on each item ordered until you add the 5th item to your monthly order. They will go back and retroactively apply the 15% discount to the other items when your order ships.