Amazon Prime Membership

I did an interview with Kelli Grant of SmartMoney.com yesterday, for a story that ran today about Free Shipping clubs/memberships. The interview forced me to do some research on the different merchants that have free shipping clubs that shoppers can join.

You should do your homework on each free shipping club you are considering to join so that you know if it will be worth the cost. Things to take into consideration are:

• How many times per year will you shop at that website?
• Will you recoup your membership costs in what you save on shipping?
• Does the website already have a regular free shipping code that you can take advantage of to save on shipping costs?
• Do you really need the items faster than standard shipping?
• Is there a physical store close to your home that you can shop at instead?

Below are 7 free shipping clubs that you can join with cost and benefits about each.

1. Amazon Prime – $79 per year
   With Amazon Prime you will get free 2-day shipping and $3.99 1-day shipping on orders that include Amazon.com items. This does not include reseller items that are featured on Amazon.com.
2. Sears ShipVantage – $79 per year
   Sears ShipVantage program gives you 2-day shipping for 99 cents and 1-day shipping for $3.99. ShipVantage works at Sears and Kmart.
3. Overstock.com Club O – $20 per year
   Club O members get free shipping on every order and a 5% discount on most items. They also get exclusive coupons and discounts by email.
4. SmartBargains.com Smart Shoppers Club – $10 per year
   Smart Shoppers Club members get $2.95 standard shipping and $4.95 3 to 6 day shipping on all orders. You also get first access to new sales and markdowns.
5. Wamart.com Site to Store Express – $29 per year
   For $29 per year you can get items purchased through Walmart’s Site to Store program in 3 to 5 days instead of the regular 7 to 10 days which is free.
6. Barnes and Noble Membership – $25 per year
   Barnes and Noble members get free 1 to 3 day shipping on their orders, and they get access to exclusive monthly coupons and discounts like 20% off hard-cover books. Note: You can get free shipping at Barnes and Noble on orders over $25 every day of the year.
7. eCost.com Platinum Premium – $39.95 per year
   With Platinum Premium from eCost.com you get free ground shipping on orders less than 10lbs five times per year. Platinum Premium members also get discounted express shipping rates and exclusive access to limited inventory products.