Free and fast delivery could be an option where you least expect it. More independent stores might be offering Amazon Prime shipping on their websites, and you wonât need to log into your Amazon account to get it.
The announcement this week is an expansion of the companyâs Amazon Supply Chain Services, in which merchants pay the company to house their inventory and pick, pack and ship items to customers. Sellers will not have to pay extra to use Prime shipping as an option for customers and can keep their usual payment processing, order management and store policies.
So, imagine youâre shopping for items at one of the thousands of independent, non-Amazon.com stores on the internet. You select some things to buy, head to checkout and see Prime as one of the shipping options. That could mean fast and free, if you have a Prime account.
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Itâs not an entirely new thing â independent stores have offered Prime shipping on their websites before. Whatâs different now is that you wonât have to click on a âBuy with Primeâ widget and then log in to your Prime account. You can finish checkout on the storeâs website.
Read more: Amazonâs Early Prime Day Deals Are Here. Grab the Top Discounts Before Theyâre Gone
If you choose Prime as the shipping option, Amazon will confirm that youâre a member after the order is placed.
CNET reached out to Amazon to see if the company has a list of independent retailers offering Prime shipping, but a representative did not immediately respond.
There are more than 240 million Prime subscribers worldwide, 180 million of those in the US.
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