In December 2019, Amazon offered a variety of freebies and promotional programs available to U.S. consumers, with many benefits tied to an Amazon Prime membership. These offers spanned categories including books, digital entertainment, cloud storage, and physical product samples. The availability and eligibility for these programs varied significantly, with Prime members receiving exclusive access to certain benefits, while non-members could also access select freebies. The following information is based exclusively on the provided source material from December 2019.
Amazon First Reads: Free eBooks for Prime Members
A prominent freebie available in December 2019 was the Amazon First Reads program, which provided Prime members with early access to new Kindle eBooks at no cost. This program is designed to give subscribers to Amazon’s Prime 2-day shipping service early access to select new titles before their general release. For December 2019, Prime members could download one of eight specific eBooks for free, which would then become a permanent part of their digital library. The listed titles for that month were: - Unspeakable Things - A Beginner Guide to Free Fall - I Choose You - Lost Hills - Toward the Midnight Sun - This is Not How it Ends - We Will Rise - Naughty Ninja Takes a Bath
For consumers without a Prime subscription, Amazon First Reads still offered a discounted purchase option. Non-Prime members could acquire one of the monthly selections for $1.99 (a reduction from the regular price of $6). The program was free to join for all Amazon customers. Access to these titles was available through the Amazon First Reads hub, and downloads could be sent to a Kindle device or the free Kindle app for iOS and Android.
Prime Member Exclusives
Amazon Prime membership in December 2019 unlocked several exclusive freebies and benefits beyond the First Reads program. These included digital entertainment, food delivery, and gaming services.
Free Video Games with Amazon Luna
Prime members had access to stream video games for free through Amazon Luna. This service required a compatible device, such as a PC, a compatible smart TV (with a full list of models available), or a Fire Tablet from 2018 or newer. A compatible controller was also necessary; many users could use controllers they already owned, including those for Xbox or PlayStation, or purchase a dedicated Luna controller. The free titles available for streaming included popular games such as Hogwarts Legacy, Fallout 4, Tomb Raider, and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. To start streaming on a PC, users needed to be logged into their Prime account and visit the designated Amazon Luna page.
Free Grubhub+ Food Delivery
A significant benefit for Prime members was a complimentary Grubhub+ subscription, which provided free food delivery on qualifying orders. Grubhub+ typically costs $9.99 per month, resulting in a potential annual savings of approximately $120. To access this benefit, members were required to activate it and link their Grubhub account with their Amazon Prime account.
Free Amazon Music Unlimited Trial for Non-Prime Members
While not an exclusive Prime benefit, a 30-day free trial of Amazon Music Unlimited was available to non-Prime members. This offer required the purchase of an eligible item sold and shipped by Amazon, such as an Echo device. Alternatively, if a customer already owned an eligible device, they could register it in the Alexa app to trigger the free trial. The trial would automatically apply to the account after the purchase or registration was complete.
Freebies and Benefits Available Without a Prime Membership
Several Amazon freebies were available to all U.S. consumers, regardless of Prime membership status. These included cloud storage, physical product samples, and a free trial of Amazon Prime itself.
Free Amazon Prime Trial
Amazon offered a 30-day free trial of its Prime membership to anyone. This trial provided access to the full suite of Prime benefits, including: - Free 1-Day or 2-Day Shipping - Prime Video streaming - Free Amazon Photos unlimited storage for Prime members (5GB for non-Prime members) - Early access to Lightning Deals - Free returns
Free Baby Box with Amazon Baby Registry
Consumers could receive a free welcome box of baby product samples by creating an Amazon Baby Registry. This offer was not exclusive to Prime members. To qualify, users needed to add at least 10 products to their registry and complete a $10 purchase from the registry. The welcome box contained trial- and full-size samples of baby products. Additionally, creating a registry unlocked a 15% completion discount on baby-related items. The source material noted that users could add non-baby items (such as dog food or paper towels) to their registry to meet the purchase requirement.
Free Amazon Photos Cloud Storage
All Amazon customers, including non-Prime members, received 5GB of complimentary cloud storage through Amazon Photos. This storage could be used for photos and videos. The source material indicated this was sufficient space for approximately 1,500 photos.
Free Amazon Returns at Kohl’s
A convenient, free return option was available at Kohl’s stores. Customers did not need a box or label to process an Amazon return at Kohl’s. The process involved using the Amazon app: navigating to My Orders, selecting Return or Replace Items, choosing a reason for return, and selecting the Kohl’s Dropoff option. Amazon would then email a QR code, which the customer could present at a Kohl’s store for a no-box, free return.
Send Me a Sample via Alexa
A program called "Send Me a Sample" allowed consumers to request free samples through an Amazon Alexa-enabled device. This was available to both Prime and non-Prime members. The first time a user asked Alexa for a free sample, they were prompted to create and link a "Send Me a Sample" account within the Alexa app. Once the account was linked, users could ask Alexa for available samples. The availability of samples was irregular, and Alexa would sometimes indicate that no freebies were currently available. Past samples offered through this program included products from Drunk Elephant, DripDrop, and Aestura.
Free Credits and Amazon Vine
The source material mentioned two other avenues for obtaining free value from Amazon, though details were limited: - Free Credits: Amazon offered multiple ways for customers to earn free credits, which are deposited into their account and can be used toward future purchases. A separate article was referenced for more details on these methods. - Amazon Vine: This program provides free products in exchange for honest reviews. However, the source material notes that it is difficult to get invited to the program. The invitation is extended by Amazon to experienced reviewers, and there is no application process for consumers to request an invitation.
Conclusion
In December 2019, Amazon provided a diverse range of freebies and promotional offers to U.S. consumers. Prime members enjoyed exclusive access to free eBooks through First Reads, free video game streaming via Amazon Luna, and a complimentary Grubhub+ subscription. Non-Prime members could also benefit from a free 30-day Prime trial, a free baby registry welcome box, 5GB of free photo storage, and the ability to request free samples via Alexa. The availability of these programs was subject to specific terms, such as purchase requirements for the baby box and the need for a compatible device for Amazon Luna. Consumers were advised to check the official Amazon pages and Alexa app for the most current information and availability, as offers and terms are subject to change.