Amazon Launches Dedicated Hub For Its Affordable Shopping Options

An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: Amazon is launching Amazon Access, a new hub for customers to explore the programs, discounts and features that the online retailer offers for affordable shopping, the company announced on Monday. Amazon also announced that its discounted Prime membership, which launched in 2017, will now be called Prime Access. The new Amazon Access hub gives customers access to information on options like payment with SNAP EBT and Amazon Layaway, which lets users reserve selected items for 20% of the total cost and pay the rest over time. The hub also lets customers clip coupons and find deals on everyday essentials. It also includes information about paying with Amazon Cash, which lets you shop on the marketplace without a debit or credit card.

In addition to surfacing information about Amazon's affordable shopping options, the hub will also display accessibility options. Customers will see an option to change their shopping language, learn about accessibility features and contact accessibility customer support. The hub also includes information about the newly named Prime Access option. The discounted program gives eligible customers access to a Prime membership for just $6.99 per month, which is normally priced at $14.99 per month. The membership option is available for EBT and select government assistance recipients. Amazon says the launch of the new name will make more users aware of the affordable option.

More buy-now/pay-later crap...

[b0s0z0ku]

And I owe my soul to the Scumazone store... What's next? Will "Click Pic" Bezos start issuing company scrip?

Perfectly shitty business model ... use Wall Street fakemoney to drive the brick'n'mortar stores in poor neighborhoods into the sea, lock people into the delivery/debt cycle, profit.

You don't understand Layaway.

[Fly Swatter]

Do you understand what Layaway is? You reserve the item with a down payment, and you only get it once you have paid in entirety for the item.

Layaway has been around in the retail segment forever - Sears, Kmart and JCPenney had it ffs.

Not Content with Scamming the Rich / Middle Class

[TigerPlish]

Not Content with Scamming the Rich and Middle Class, now Amazon will directly steal from the poor. Well-played, bezos.

I'm a subscriber, but Prime is a scam, especially these last couple of years. The price of delivery is tacked on to the price of the article, and then they tell you "free delivery."

Also, 2-day has become 3, 4, 5, or "whenever" delivery for many things. I'm sure they''ll blame the supply chain. Point is... it's getting to be "not worth it" for prime. Time to let it lapse and not renew.

When I was usaf, I had to put things on lay-away. I remember a grill I bought at K-Mart (remember K-Mart?) on layway. Ah, the life of the enlisted..

Re:

[Petersko]

Of course they were.

Re:

[Fly Swatter]

The Kmart and Sears around here have all closed, but their empty stores are still sitting empty going on years now - all with their names still up on the buildings. I hope the current landowner of those buildings, that swindled the real estate via sears holdings, goes bankrupt from property taxes while being unable to sell the land.

Layaway?

[fermion]

For those under 40, this was when something was on sale, or the like, and the shop put it in the back for you. I bought my bicycle under layaway. Canâ(TM)t imagine how it works now. Does Amazon really put the product in storage?

Re:

[b0s0z0ku]

No, they probably just keep it in stock, and send it when you've paid for it. If they don't have it anymore, they'll likely refund you or send a comparable product.

Re:

[Fly Swatter]

All they have to do is keep it as an open but unshipped order so that they can't sell it to someone else, thereby holding it within inventory. On the back end it would be simple to implement.

Re:

[CaptQuark]

Your Layaway plan is 5 payments, including your first payment to reserve the item, with the remaining 4 payments automatically charged every 2 weeks.

You will be able to lock in the price of the item when you start your Layaway plan, including any deals or discounts you see at the time. Once the Layaway order is placed, the price on your Layaway item will not change.

Only certain items qualify for Layaway so it's not like they have to hold every category of items. One advantage I see is placing an item in Layaway locks in the current price so if something is on sale for holiday sales, end of season sales, Prime Days, or going-out-of-business sales, a person can lock in a price that they might not be able to afford in a single payment, but can purchase after their next two paychecks.

Amazon Cash ...

[b0s0z0ku]

This actually sounds like a decent product, but it's of course dependent on the continued existence of the stores that Scumazone wants to drive out of business.

Given an Amazon Locker and a halfway decent "ID", you could shop almost completely anonymously -- which is a good thing for people with warrants, unpaid bills, etc. And yes, freedom is freedom to sneak, to lie, to cheat the system ... the US injustice system is criminal in itself.

More options for less use

[WoodstockJeff]

I've been a Prime member for a dozen years, but, as they've been adding "stuff" to the service, I'm considering dropping it for lack of use.

Other than buying kindle books, my usage has dropped. If I didn't have relatives asking me to "use my Prime!" so they don't have to pay shipping, my 2022 purchase were less than the cost of Prime itself. WITH those purchases, I've just about covered it.

Maybe it's just time to let relatives buy their own "stuff", and drop Prime...

Like an Amazon Factory Outlet?

[Train0987]

I thought those already existed: dhgate and aliexpress

Re:

[Fly Swatter]

Their outlet is called Amazon Warehouse, just type it into their search bar.

More affordable than what? Amazon?

[Eunomion]

This is clearly the company from the movie "Sorry to Bother You."

GrubHub+ w/ Prime tho

[Arethan]

I just noticed that GH+ is included w/ Prime now. Might just be a promotion, but free delivery is nice if you already have a Prime sub. Leaves you with more $ to tip the driver

I approve of layaway

[Petersko]

In the grand scheme of "anything but cash on hand", layaway is a pretty fair and straightforward process. No interest, only time, and no immediate gratification. Basically, it's a carrot on a stick that you, the consumer, dangle in front of yourself. The retailer's commitment is measured in square feet in the warehouse (usually).

Contrast this to the buy now, pay later horseshit you can now do at a Walmart kiosk...