Amazon is one of the top retailers in the entire world.
While Amazon offers multiple account types, such as a basic account, an Amazon Prime Account, and an Amazon Student Account, you might be wondering whether you can shop without an account at all.
About Amazon
Despite starting as an online book store, Amazon today offers many different products and services.
These include (but are not limited to):
- Online Retail
- Movies and TV Shows
- Streaming Services
- Music Streaming
- eBooks and eReaders
- Book Publishing
- Smart Home Assistant Devices
- Library Services
- Photo Sharing
- Online Grocery Store
- Credit Cards
- Registry Services (Baby Showers, Weddings, etc.)
Amazon prides itself on being the leader in the online retail space as well as being able to maximize shipping times and efficiency.
How to Shop on Amazon Without an Account
Not ready to get started with an Amazon account but want to purchase something from this massive online retailer?
Unfortunately, Amazon does not allow individuals to checkout without creating some kind of account.
Anyone can browse through Amazon’s extensive catalog before signing up or signing in. Still, once you get to the checkout phase, you will be prompted to log into your account or create an account before proceeding.
However, just because Amazon requires you to log in to an account, it doesn’t have to be your own.
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Using Another Person’s Account to Shop on Amazon
If you really do not want to make an Amazon account, you always have the option to use the account of a friend or family member.
Because many people buy gifts for others on Amazon, Amazon does not flag items going to an address different than the one listed on the account.
That means you can buy whatever you want and have it shipped to you from another person’s username.
When doing so, just make sure you carefully change the shipping address so that your items go to the right place.
Are There Any Limitations When Shopping Without an Account?
As previously mentioned, you cannot checkout without logging into or creating an Amazon account, which can be a big limitation and ultimately means that you cannot shop on Amazon.
Can You Shop on Amazon as a Guest?
This might seem weird because many other online retailers have a guest option that does not force you to create an account or password.
Benefits of an Amazon Account
You may not think having an Amazon account makes much difference, but it does!
There are many benefits to having your own Amazon account (even the free version!)
These benefits include:
Order Tracking
One benefit to having an Amazon account is that you can log in at any time and track your order status from purchase all the way to delivery.
This also helps with placing reorders. Simply pull up an old order and reorder any items you would like.
Returns
Returns are made easy when you have an Amazon account.
Simply click on an order you have already placed, and select return on the desired item.
Amazon will even provide you with a shipping label!
Suggestions
When you have your own Amazon account, it keeps track of the types of things you order, making items that Amazon suggests even more personalized.
Lists
Like something but not ready to buy?
One cool benefit of having an Amazon account is making lists you can come back to later.
Ease of Purchase
Another great benefit to having an account is that you can store all your payment and shipping information to streamline your checkout process.
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Different Account Types
If you are looking into getting an Amazon account but aren’t sure which one, here is a quick overview of your choices!
Basic Amazon Account
The basic Amazon account is free to use and is mostly just a way to store your information for later.
This account comes with all the benefits listed above.
Amazon Prime Account
Amazon Prime is the paid membership that Amazon offers.
In addition to the previously listed benefits, you get many more.
These benefits include:
- Free 2-day shipping
- Prime Reading for free eBooks
- Kindle First for exclusive first access to pre-released books.
- Download options for offline video viewing
- Prime Music and Video
- Prime Photos for free photo storage
- Same-day grocery delivery
- Prime Day deals
- Amazon Family subscriptions
- Prime Gaming
- “Try Before You Buy” for clothing
The Amazon Prime Membership payment options are either $14.99/month or $139/year.
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Amazon Prime Video Account
Suppose you only want access to Prime Video streaming and are not interested in the other benefits a full Amazon Prime account offers. In that case, you can subscribe to a Prime Video account for only $8.99/month.
Amazon Prime Student Account
Amazon Student is a great resource for college students.
Featuring the benefits of an Amazon Prime account, this membership only costs $7.49/month or $69/year.
To be eligible for this account, you have to sign up using a school email address.
How to Make an Amazon Account
To make an account on Amazon is very simple.
Here are the Steps:
- Hover over “Hello, sign in Accounts & Lists” in the upper right-hand corner on Amazon.
- Click “Start Here”
- Input the requested information of your name, phone number or email, and password.
- Select “Continue”
From here on, you will have an Amazon account and can begin ordering or upgrading your account if you want to.
You can also fill out your card and create an account from there using similar steps.
Can You Remove or Hide an Order on Your Amazon Account?
While you cannot delete your Amazon orders, you are able to archive them to stop them from being referenced or showing in the order history.
The process to do so is very simple and consists of the following steps:
- Go to “Your Orders”
- Locate the order you are trying to archive
- Select “Archive Order”
Conclusion
While Amazon doesn’t allow guest orders on their platform, there are many benefits to having an Amazon account, and it won’t cost you a thing!
If you still don’t want an account, you can always use one from a friend or family member.