How to Get Free Stuff on Amazon
Scoring free stuff on Amazon might seem too good to be true, but there are actually many legitimate ways to get everything from free samples to Amazon gift cards. As an avid Amazon shopper myself, I’ve tried all the tricks and hacked the system to get the most freebies.
In this guide, I’ll share all my tips, tricks and hard-won wisdom on how you too can get free stuff on Amazon. From signing up for Prime trials to creating a baby registry, I’ve got you covered on all the sneaky ways to score free stuff. Let’s dive in!
1. Sign Up for an Amazon Prime Free Trial
Amazon Prime is basically a shopper’s paradise, with free 2-day shipping, Prime Video, Prime Music and more. The best part? You can try it out for free!
Amazon offers a 30-day free trial for new members. All you need is a valid credit card to sign up. During the trial, you’ll have full access to these Prime perks:
- Free 2-day shipping
- Prime Video and Prime Music
- Early access to lightning deals
- Free books and magazines from the Kindle and Prime Reading libraries
Tip: Set a reminder to cancel before the trial ends to avoid being charged $139 for a year of membership. But during your 30 days, take advantage and score some free stuff!
For example, get free expedited shipping on eligible items, download free Kindle books and songs, and access Prime-exclusive deals. You’d easily get more than $139 worth of freebies out of the trial.
2. Snag Free Products with Amazon Vine
Amazon Vine is an exclusive program where companies provide free products to select reviewers in exchange for honest, unbiased reviews. Products span electronics, kitchen gadgets, toys, beauty items, pet supplies, and more.
If you love trying new products and have a knack for writing helpful reviews, Vine may be perfect for you. Here’s how it works:
Become a Vine Voice: To qualify, you need a solid history of reviews on Amazon across different product categories. Amazon looks at the quality and helpfulness of reviews when choosing candidates.
Get exclusive invites: Once a Vine Voice, you’ll receive emails inviting you to claim free products that match your interests and shopping history. Claim them fast, as supplies are limited!
Review products: Test out your free stuff thoroughly then write an honest, detailed review that gives both pros and cons. Adhere to Amazon’s review guidelines.
Enjoy member perks: Vine Voices get a special badge on their profile, gain access to exclusive benefits and qualify for other review programs.
Tip: Checking the “Vine for Voice” option when writing reviews increases visibility to brands looking for testers. This helps score more free products!
3. Take Advantage of Giveaways, Deals and Coupons
Outside of Vine, Amazon still offers plenty of free stuff through giveaways, red-hot limited deals and coupon clippings. Here are the key programs to know:
Amazon Giveaways
- Sellers provide merchandise as prizes for social media giveaways
- Browse the giveaways section and follow entry instructions
- Prizes span gift cards, electronics, kitchen tools, toys and more
Lightning Deals
- Timed discounts on select products in limited quantities
- Check upcoming deals and grab when the timer starts counting down
- First come, first served so act fast!
Amazon Coupons
- Special discounts listed on eligible product pages
- Click “Clip coupon” to automatically apply savings at checkout
- Prime members get exclusive access to extra coupons
Tip: Enabling deal notifications will alert you to new giveaways, lightning deals and coupons so you never miss a hot freebie opportunity!
4. Score Free Samples
Beyond the occasional free samples tossed into your existing orders, Amazon offers dedicated programs just for requesting and discovering samples.
Amazon Prime Free Samples
- Prime members can shop sample-size and trial-size products across health, beauty, groceries and more
- Pay just the price of shipping (usually $1-3)
- Amount paid gets refunded as an Amazon credit for future use
Amazon Samples Program
- Request free samples without being a Prime member
- Check the “Amazon Samples” section for available offers
- Receive beauty samples, protein powders, health products, snacks and even pet food
Tip: If you like a free sample, buy the full sized version and get another sampling opportunity for that same item. This maximizes chances to try popular products.
5. Get Free Products to Review
Okay, this next hack takes a bit more effort, but yields some of the biggest rewards. Many sellers offer free or hugely discounted products in exchange for reviews.
While Amazon has cracked down on incentivized reviews, there are still legitimate ways to score free stuff if you’re willing to leave fair, unbiased reviews.
AMZ Review Trader
- Score free and discounted products across all categories
- Choose offers that match your interests
- Write honest reviews meeting Amazon’s strict guidelines
Vine for Voice Reviews
- As mentioned before, enable this setting to increase visibility to sellers looking for testers
Check seller listings
- Some sellers advertise discounted or free products for honest reviews right on the Amazon product listings
The key is being upfront about receiving an item for free in exchange for a review. Your credibility is crucial!
6. Trade in Devices, Books and More
Amazon allows you to trade in used electronics, textbooks, instruments and more for Amazon gift cards. I’ve earned so much credit this way that I hardly ever pay out of pocket!
- Head to Amazon Trade-In Center
- Search for your specific device or item
- Answer the provided condition questions
- Print free shipping label if item condition is eligible
- Receive your quoted value as an Amazon e-gift card
I like to use the credits earned this way to purchase expensive items like a DSLR camera for my kids’ photography hobby. But you can spend it on literally anything sold directly by Amazon.
Tip: Time your trade-ins to align with big sales like Prime Day or Black Friday to maximize savings!
7. Snag an Amazon Baby Welcome Box
Expecting or know someone who is? Creating an Amazon Baby Registry allows scoring a fantastic free baby welcome box worth over $35.
- Build registry and add qualifying products from Baby Store
- Box ships two days after registry completion
- Includes new mom care package, baby products, coupons and more
And no obligation to actually purchase the registry items either. Win-win!
8. Enter Giveaways and Sweepstakes
Amazon routinely runs exciting giveaways and sweepstakes with awesome prizes including Echo devices, Prime memberships, laptops and more.
- Check Amazon sweepstakes hub for official contests from Amazon
- Browse website and Instagram for seller-run giveaways
- Complete any required entry steps like following social accounts, watching a video, etc.
- Cross your fingers and hope luck is on your side!
I actually won a $500 Amazon gift card from a beauty seller’s Instagram giveaway last month. So these things do pay off!
9. Explore Third Party Freebie Sites
Beyond the free stuff offered directly by Amazon, there are entire platforms dedicated to scoring free and nearly free merch.
One of my favorites is Jump Send, where sellers heavily discount products leftover from inventory liquidations, Kickstarter projects not funded etc. I’ve snagged phone cases for $1, Bluetooth speakers for $5 and more. Can’t beat it!
Just be sure to vet third party services and read all terms and conditions before providing payment or personal information.
Some key takeaways as you embark on your free stuff quest:
- Check all available Prime perks during free trial
- Write stellar Vine Reviews to qualify for more program perks
- Enable deal notifications so you never miss out on time-sensitive offers
- Be honest about receiving free items in exchange for reviews
- Add lots of cool stuff on baby registries, not just essentials
- Only enter personal info on trusted third party deal sites
Whew, that covers everything I’ve learned about scoring free stuff! What will you try first – the Vine program? Prime trial? Trade-ins?
Let me know your greatest Amazon freebie wins when you put these hacks to use!
