Martin Lewis reveals how to avoid Amazon delivery fees without going above £35 cap

Amazon shoppers beware - Martin Lewis has spoken. And, as always, what he said could make a big difference to the bottom line.

As he broached a savings special on his BBC podcast, Martin Lewis warned listeners to be wary that the Amazon delivery cap, which gives buyers without Prime membership free delivery if they spend over a certain amount in a single purchase, has been raised. Previously all purchases over £25 were free of postage and shipping but the cap is now £35.

Speaking on the Martin Lewis Podcast just ahead of Amazon Prime Day, the Money-Saving Expert revealed there are still ways buyers can circumvent the shipping fees without going over the new £35 cap. He explained: “If you’re buying a book, buy it with other stuff because book delivery has a minimum of £10.

“As long as you’re buying a book worth a £10 you can add other stuff in and still get the free delivery.” Some other quick tips from the finance mogul included getting Amazon orders dropped off at pickup locations for free and waiting until you can group a few orders together to get over the cap.

He also reminded listeners that delivery fees tend to be “around £4-£5 on top”. With this in mind, he suggested buyers who are close to but not over the price cap just yet use the Amazon UK Super Saver Delivery tool, which he applauded: “It’s actually developed by one of my old team members who built it because he was frustrated by it.”

The MSE founder explained that this tool scours the site for small, filler items that can get you over the cap for as little as possible. He explained: “Let’s say you were buying a £34.99 candle gift set, you would face a £5 delivery on top because it’s less than £35.

“But the tool shows what is the cheapest item you can find to fill the gap, which is 22p safety pin set. Add the safety pin set to the candle gift set, you’re paying £35.21 total and therefore the delivery is free. Often the thing you can find is cheaper than the delivery fee if you’re close to £35.”