What Does Not Eligible For Amazon Prime Mean?

If you’ve heard that a product was not eligible for Amazon Prime, you might have wondered why.

This is especially disappointing if you’ve checked out with your cart on the website only to be told that you can’t gain free shipping. 

What does it mean when a product isn’t eligible for Amazon Prime?

A product that is considered to not be eligible basically means that it’s a regular Amazon product – it’s not a Prime product. This influences the type of delivery you can get. 

If you see a product listed as “eligible for Prime,” it means that you can get free shipping on it. Since not every product is eligible for Prime, it’s important to read the rules on Amazon’s website and gain information about what you can and cannot gain from Prime.

With that in mind, let’s answer some questions pertaining to Amazon Prime and product eligibility.

What Does “Not Eligible For Amazon Prime” Mean? 

Whether you’re a buyer or seller using Amazon, you might have stumbled across the “not eligible for Amazon Prime” notification when viewing certain products. What does this mean? 

Basically, if you are a buyer and you have an Amazon Prime membership, you won’t be able to order the product and be eligible for free two-day shipping at the same time.

The “Prime eligible” label means that the products are at Amazon warehouses or were sold by sellers who have signed up for seller-fulfilled Prime. This opens up the products to more benefits when it comes to delivery options, such as speedier service. 

You might have also seen the term FBA and wondered what it means. FBA stands for Fulfilment by Amazon. It’s a third-party fulfilment service by Amazon that qualifies listings for Amazon Prime. How it works is that Amazon sellers will send their products to an Amazon warehouse where they’re ready for pickup and shipping. 

When sellers list products as FBA, these items are immediately eligible for free shipping. You’ll be able to spot qualified FBA listings as they are displayed on the Amazon site with the Prime logo. This notifies customers that Amazon will be handling the product’s delivery, packing, customer service, as well as returns.  

What Items Are Not Eligible For Amazon Prime? 

According to the Amazon website, there are various products that are not eligible for Amazon Prime. These include the following: 

• Items that are fulfilled by Amazon Marketplace sellers who are not marked as “Prime-eligible.”
• Magazine subscriptions.
• Any item that doesn’t contain a message that indicates it is eligible for Prime on its product page. This, then, shows you that you have to take note of the product when you view it in the online store.
• Personalized gift cards.

Ultimately, checking out the product details on its page is the most important way to know what products are eligible for Prime and which ones aren’t.

What About Delivery Options? 

It’s important to note that there are delivery-related features that you won’t have access to if you’re not choosing eligible products to buy. Amazon Prime is focused on enhancing the delivery of customers’ orders.

In fact, this subscription service that costs $12.99 per month offers customers a variety of quick and convenient delivery options, which is probably one of the features of Prime membership that made you want to sign up to it in the first place. 

To make the most of your Prime delivery benefits, it’s important to know what delivery options and special features are available. So, the delivery options that you can enjoy include the following, but there are a few catches: 

Free Two-Day Shipping 

Under this delivery option, items that are sold by Amazon will be marked as eligible on their product pages as well as when you check out on the site.

You’ll get unlimited free two-day shipping on all eligible items you shop for on Amazon Prime. Best of all, you don’t have a minimum amount of money that you have to spend in order to reap this benefit. However, it’s worth noting that if you cancel items or combine orders, this could affect your shipping discounts. 

Free Same-Day Delivery

To speed up the delivery of your items, you might want to opt for free same-day delivery. You’ll see this option on the product pages and at checkout, and you can check your zip code on the Amazon Prime website to see if you qualify for this feature.

Note that commercial addresses are not eligible for this speedy service. Also bear in mind that to qualify for free same-day delivery, your Amazon Prime order needs to be $35 or more, so it’s a valuable service if you need a larger order.

Amazon Day Delivery 

If you order more than one package per week from Amazon, you’ll love that Amazon Day Delivery enables you to choose a day in the week when your orders will be delivered, and it’s a free service that comes with your Prime membership.

While this service is available to almost all addresses in continental U.S., there are some things to note. Hazmat items and Amazon key deliveries won’t be eligible for this delivery service. Similarly, Amazon Day isn’t available if you’re shipping to an Amazon Hub Counter or Locker, or a P.O. box. 

Free Release-Date Delivery

Eligible items that you’ve purchased but which need to be pre-ordered can be bought with the Release-Date Delivery option. Shipping fees will vary depending on the items you’re purchasing but delivery is free when you choose two-day shipping.

You can’t make use of this service if you want the delivery sent to an Amazon Hub Locker, international addresses, P.O. boxes, APO/FPO addresses, Alaska, or Hawaii.

Prime Now Shipping 

Prime Now is an extra service that you can make use of if you have an Amazon Prime subscription. It enables you to receive items you need urgently within just two hours!

However, you might not be eligible for this service, which is why you need to go to the Prime website and punch in your zip code. You will need to ensure your purchase is greater than $35 for Prime Now shipping to be free, otherwise you’ll have to pay $4.99. 

Free Standard Shipping 

This delivery option is for items that need extra care and shipping, such as if you’ve purchased a large treadmill or heavy furniture. Faster shipping to addresses in Puerto Rico, Hawaii, and Alaska is unavailable – it will take three to seven business days for items to be delivered.

As a Prime member, you’ll get free two-day shipping on eligible items but you have to ensure that you have at least $25 of eligible items inside your cart. 

Bottom line: As we can see from the above, Amazon has some delivery options for customers that don’t always cater to Prime members. In other words, they’re ineligible for Prime. Examples include items that are meant to go to international addresses or that have scheduled delivery slots. But, as we can also see from the above, there are many fantastic delivery options that are eligible for Prime shopping.  

What Happens If Your Cart Is Filled With Eligible And Non-Eligible Products? 

If you’ve been shopping up a storm on Amazon and have a variety of both eligible and non-eligible products in your cart by the end of your online session, you will see that your shipping fees will vary.

Basically, you’ll be charged applicable fees for the items that aren’t eligible. Therefore, it’s good to be informed of Amazon’s delivery options (as described in detail earlier) so that you can cut down on your costs. 

Can You Buy Amazon Prime Items Without A Prime Subscription? 

Here’s the interesting thing. While you might think that all those items you want to order and have delivered to you quickly require the use of a Prime subscription, this is not always the case.

For example, If you order items that are more than $25 you will get free shipping on your order. However, it’s worth bearing in mind that you won’t be guaranteed of receiving your purchases within two days.

So, Prime is still a good choice if you need items really quickly. That’s really where all the benefits come into the picture!  

Related Questions 

Why can’t you find eligible items for free same-day delivery? 

Make sure that the items you are shopping for have “Today” listed for their delivery. 

How quickly can you get same-day deliveries? 

You can get your items by 10 p.m. on the same day as long as you order your purchases in the morning before noon. 

Conclusion 

If you’ve ever wondered what eligible or non-eligible for Amazon Prime means, now you have a better idea of what these terms are all about and how you can make the most of them, especially when it comes to delivery.