One-Click shoppers, meet “Buy with Prime,” the new online payment choice Amazon Prime shoppers can use, even when they’re not shopping on Amazon if the company they’re shopping with has the Buy with Prime experience added to their store.
In a press release dated April 21, Amazon promises that ease of use will be “a new way for merchants to grow their stores.”
“Allowing merchants to offer Prime shopping benefits on their own direct-to-consumer online stores is an exciting next step in our mission to help merchants of all sizes grow their business—whether on Amazon or beyond,” said Peter Larsen, Amazon’s vice president of Buy with Prime. “With shoppers purchasing directly from merchants’ online stores, Buy with Prime will allow merchants to build customer relationships and brand loyalty while offering conversion-driving benefits like fast, free shipping.”
Pricing for merchants will be based on a service fee, a payment processing fee, and fulfillment and storage fees that are calculated per unit. There are no subscription fees and merchants can cancel at any time. According to their press release, for merchants already using FBA, Buy with Prime can be added to their online store within minutes because their inventory is already stored in Amazon fulfillment centers. For those not already using FBA, Buy with Prime is invite-only, but merchants can sign up on an interest list.
If they choose to Buy with Prime, Prime members get the added bonus of paying with a brand they trust already, and there’s less hassle because they use the information already stored in their Amazon account. On top of that, if they’re using Buy with Prime, Prime members won’t pay shipping, one of the great Prime perks. E-commerce sites let Amazon take care of order fulfillment, and Prime users can track their Buy with Prime orders just like they do with other Amazon shopping experiences.
According to the press release Buy with Prime is designed to work with most online stores. “Prime set the bar for a shopping experience customers trust, including convenient and fast shipping,” said Troy Cox, Senior Vice President of Product at BigCommerce. “As one of the top eCommerce platforms collaborating with Amazon to add Buy with Prime, extending these benefits to our merchants will help elevate their online shopper experiences, build brand loyalty, and power them to grow and scale.”
Buy with Prime gives consumers another reason to pay the yearly Prime subscription, DTC merchants another way to provide goods to their customers, and Amazon one more step to world e-commerce domination.
Mary Beth Lee retired from teaching in Texas this year after 28 years as a student media adviser. She spends her time these days reading, writing, fighting for public education and enjoying the empty nester life in Downtown Fort Worth.
