If you are anything like me, or really most Americans, the Amazon delivery driver makes their fair share of trips to your front porch. Amazon has become a staple for convenience, offering millions of products delivered right to your door. But despite its already massive presence, Amazon continues to look for ways to improve the shopping experience.
One of their newest features could help shoppers make more informed purchasing decisions: price history.
What Is Amazon’s Price History Feature?
Amazon’s price history feature is still being rolled out, so you may not see it on every item just yet. However, when it is available, Amazon has made it easy to find.
If an item has the feature available, you will see a price history button located near the current price:
Clicking that button opens the “Alexa for Shopping” toolbar, which displays a graph showing how the item’s price has changed over time, including:
- The past month
- The past three months
- The past year (when available)
This allows you to see whether that “discount” is truly a deal or if it is simply offsetting a recent price increase.
The Price is Right
When shopping online, there have traditionally been two possible outcomes:
- The price is right, and it is time to make the purchase.
- The price is higher than you hoped, and you feel like you missed out on a better deal.
Amazon wants shoppers to consider a third option:
The price is not right yet.
That is where the price alert feature comes in.
Set a Price Alert and Wait for the Right Moment
After viewing an item’s price history, Amazon may suggest setting a price alert. This feature allows you to choose a target price and receive an email notification if the item reaches that price point in the future.
This can be helpful if:
- The current price is higher than you are willing to pay
- You need more time to budget for the purchase
- You are waiting for a sale or seasonal discount
Amazon also offers an option to enable automatic purchasing once an item reaches your selected price. While convenient, use this feature with caution to avoid an unexpected purchase.
Keep Track of Your Shopping Alerts
As you create price alerts, you can view and manage them under Account Settings. You can also ask “Alexa for Shopping” for an update on your active price alerts.
A little patience and a little price tracking can go a long way. Before making your next Amazon purchase, take a moment to check the price history—you may find that waiting a little longer helps you find the deal you were hoping for.
Happy shopping!