Is Amazon Subscribe and Save worth it?

Amazon offers a way to cut the cost of your weekly shopping. But is Amazon Subscribe and Save worth it? Take a look at what’s involved and how much you could save.

The cost of our weekly shop has almost doubled over the last 20 years, although a 4-pack of Stella is apparently cheaper, so it’s not all bad news. With these ever-increasing prices, it’s more important to shop around to find the best prices.

Fortunately, we are no longer stuck with just the major supermarkets when we want to buy our groceries. Recent years have seen the rise of budget supermarkets, such as Aldi and Lidl, and the option to buy online.

One of the major online players is, of course, Amazon. Having come a long way from selling books, you can buy almost anything from them. And one interesting option they have introduced is Subscribe and Save.

How does Subscribe and Save on Amazon work?

Subscribe and Save is pretty self-explanatory.  Subscribe to an item, and save money!

There is a list of items that you can subscribe to. Once you choose an item you want, you select how often you would like it sent. This can be anything from once every two weeks to once every six months. You also have the option to choose how many of the items you want to be delivered. Once subscribed, you will save 5% on the list price. But the potential savings don’t stop there. Subscribe to five or more items to be delivered in one month and you will save 15%.

And, if you find that you’re using less than they send, you can postpone your delivery until another month.

Every month, you receive an email from Amazon telling you what you are subscribed to and when they will send it. You have several days to change or cancel your order if you wish.

Can you use Subscribe and Save without Amazon Prime?

Yes, you can. Subscribe and Save can be used by any customer.

Does Amazon Subscribe and Save save money?

In the table below, I’ve chosen five random products. The first column lists the price from Amazon, the 2nd has the best regular price for the major supermarkets on mySupermarket (unfortunately removed in March 2020). The final column shows the best price including any special promotions being offered.

	Amazon Price	mySupermarket Price	Supermarket Special offers?
45 Andrex Toilet Rolls (44 Rolls from mySupermarket)	£14.88 (0.33p each)	£20.75 (Tesco) (0.47p each)	£2 reduced price (Sainsbury’s) (0.43p each)
18 pack Huggies Baby Wipes	£10.20 (0.57p each)	£18 (Tesco) (£1 each)	2 x 12 pack for £12 (Tesco) (0.50p each)
8 pack Gillette Mach 3 Razor Heads	£10.97 (£1.37 per blade)	£14.00 (Asda) (£1.75 per blade)	£14.99 3 for 2 (Superdrug) (£1.25 per blade)
Finish All-in-1 Max Lemon Dishwasher 90 Tablets	£10.20 (0.11p each)	£12 (Tesco 84 pack) (0.14p each)	None available
Dettol Anti-Bacterial Surface Cleanser, 750 ml x 3	£3.83 (£1.28 each)	£7.50 (Sainsbury’s) (£2.50 each)	£1 per bottle reduction Tesco (£1.50 each)

As you can see from the table, Amazon Subscribe and Save prices are almost always cheaper, even compared to supermarkets’ special offers. Even if you don’t subscribe to five items every month and only receive 5% off, you will still save money.

Is Amazon Prime worth joining?

Anything to watch out for?

Just because you subscribe at a certain price doesn’t mean you will always pay that amount. Prices go up and down, so when you receive a notification from Amazon, make sure it’s still a bargain. I once had three cans of deodorant almost double in price from one order to the next. And remember, if you have five items on Subscribe and Save and cancel or postpone one, you will only receive a 5% discount rather than 15%.

Can I cancel Amazon Subscribe and Save after one delivery?

Yes, you can. There is no penalty for doing so. You don’t even have to wait until your next delivery is due, you can cancel as soon as you like.

How do I cancel?

To cancel Amazon Subscribe and Save, select ‘Accounts and Lists’ and scroll down to ‘Your Subscribe & Save Items’.

Choose ‘Subscriptions’ along the top menu and click ‘Edit’ on your chosen item. You can then change the delivery options or cancel the item altogether.

Does Amazon Subscribe and Save save money?

So, is Amazon Subscribe and Save worth it? After 12 months of receiving toilet rolls from them, it’s a definite yes from me. However, I have found that there are fewer bargains to be found now than compared to when I started using the service.

As I said above, always keep an eye on the renewal price as there is a chance it can increase.

Take a look at what is on offer by clicking the button below.

If you’re already a user, find out the cheapest Subscribe and Save products to reach a 15% discount.

FAQ’s