Amazon Prime Perks: Don’t Miss These 9 Little-Known Bonuses

    
    Several lesser-known benefits of Amazon Prime can make shopping easier.
    Angela Lang/CNET
    Online shoppers and streamers know Amazon Prime well for its free two-day shipping and large collection of movies, TV shows and music on Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Music. But Amazon Prime includes lots of perks and bonuses that you might not know about.
    Sign up for Amazon Prime
    For example, Amazon Prime members can get deliveries much faster than two days, sometimes in a few hours. They can also schedule delivery dates for convenience or to avoid times when they’ll be away from home. And they even get exclusive deals simply by?using Alexa on an Amazon Echo.
    If you’re new to Amazon Prime or don’t know much about all of the included features, here are some ways you can get the most out of your Amazon Prime membership.
    Get free same-day delivery on qualifying items
    If there’s a product you want immediately, you can see if it’s available for delivery the same day you order. To check a product’s eligibility, look for delivery that’s marked as “Prime FREE Same-Day” while shopping. Note that your order will need to contain over $35 of qualifying items. If not, you’ll have to pay a small fee.
    Amazon will deliver from morning until evening, so you won’t have to worry about receiving your order at 3 a.m. However, same-day delivery isn’t available in all locations, so enter your ZIP code on the?Amazon Same-Day Delivery page to see if you’re eligible.
    
    Schedule a convenient shipping date during checkout with Amazon Day.
    James Martin/CNET Get extra discounts by shopping with Alexa
    You can use your Amazon Echo to ask “Alexa, what are my deals?” anytime. Alexa will then share Prime-exclusive deals and you’ll have the option to add the item to your cart, buy it now or move on to the next deal.
     Schedule a convenient shipping date for your package

    Everyone knows about Amazon’s free two-day shipping, but another option is to choose a delivery date during checkout. It’s called Amazon Day and it’s helpful if there’s a specific day you know someone will be at home to answer for packages — especially if it’s something pricey that you don’t want to risk leaving unattended.?
    If you order multiple items on different days, you can have them delivered on the same day as long as they’re eligible for this offer.?
     Use your Amazon Echo to help track packages
    If you have an Amazon Echo of any kind, you can use it to track your orders.?
    Just say “Alexa, where’s my package?” and your Echo will let you know where it is, who it’s for and when it’ll arrive. Once your order has been delivered, the Echo’s ring light will pulse yellow
?and if you have the Echo Show, the delivery notification will appear on the screen.
    
    Use any Amazon Echo to track your packages.
    Chris Monroe/CNET Shop Early Access deals before non-Prime members
    If something you’ve been eyeing says “Prime Early Access,” as a Prime member you can shop that sale 30 minutes before non-Prime members. However, you’ll still have to compete with other Prime members who are interested in the product before it sells out.
    Have packages and groceries delivered inside your garage
    “Porch pirates” — thieves who steal packages left in front of homes — are no joke. According to security site SafeWise, about 210 million packages were stolen from home exteriors in 2021.
    The Amazon Key in-garage delivery service can stop porch theft completely and is free for all Amazon Prime members. You’ll need to have a myQ connected smart garage, but once you link Amazon to your garage door in the myQ app, you can select “Key Delivery” during checkout to have your packages placed within your garage on delivery.
    Send a gift to someone without knowing their address
    A new Amazon Prime feature lets you send someone a gift, even if you don’t have their address. For instance, if you’d like to send a coworker something for the holidays or their birthday but don’t know what their address is, you can still send a gift. But there’s a catch — that person must also have a Prime account and you need either their phone number or email address associated with the account.
    Be aware: Not every item on Amazon is eligible.
     Share Prime perks with family
    If you’ve got another adult living in your household, like a significant other or friend, you can share your Prime membership with them. You’ll still be able to keep your personal accounts separate, but you’ll both have access to all the same Prime benefits.?
    You can also share your account with up to four teens and up to four children in your household. While they’ll have their own logins, you can still manage their profiles.
    
    Amazon employees can leave a package inside your house with Amazon Key.
    Tyler Lizenby/CNET Amazon can leave your package inside your house or garage
    When you know you’re not going to be home for a while and you’ve got a shipment on the way, it’s much safer to have an Amazon employee leave your items inside your house or garage to avoid theft. At this time, in-home delivery is currently paused due to COVID-19, but we’ll tell you how to use it for when it’s resumed.
    For in-home delivery, you’ll need a Key-compatible smart lock and an (optional) Amazon Cloud Cam. The Amazon driver will send you a notification when they’ve arrived at your house and will request to unlock your door. Amazon will verify the package is at the right address and the driver is near the door, then will turn on Amazon Cloud Cam and unlock your door.?
    You can also use Amazon In-Garage Delivery — just select Key Delivery at checkout. The garage kit is $29 right now?and turns your garage into a smart garage. It works the same as in-home delivery so Amazon will do all the verifying for you.
    If you’re wary of?letting a complete stranger into your home, keep in mind that you’ll also receive notifications during the entire process. Note that you can opt to?block delivery access to your home — for example, if you know you’ll be home during that time.
    For more shopping tips this year, here’s?how to send your Amazon packages back the fast, easy and free way. Also, read this before you buy a tech gift this holiday season.