The e-commerce festive sale face-off this year has a new facet: Loyalty programs. Days after Flipkart launched its VIP subscription program to take on Amazon Prime, Amazon has launched a limited variant of its Prime membership called Prime Shopping Edition for Rs 399 a year.

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First reported by Moneycontrol, this version is only available for Android users in India, with benefits limited only to shipping like free same day, next day delivery, etc. This means no access to Prime Music, Prime Video, e-books, free in-game content for gaming, etc. In addition, it also doesn’t offer a free trial like the main Prime Membership, which allows you to try it for a limited period and cancel before being charged.

Currently, this seems to be offered and available for non-prime members on their Android apps or web editions.

“To sign up for Amazon Prime Shopping membership visit Amazon App or Amazon website (mobile browser) via your Android mobile: 1. Go to Amazon Prime. 2. Select or tap the sign-up button. 3. Follow on-screen instructions to complete the payment and sign up,” the sign up instructions read.

Amazon's flagship membership program, 'Amazon Prime,' available globally, not only offers shipping benefits but also extends to other Amazon offerings, including membership to its OTT platform Prime Video, access to Prime Music, its e-books, gaming, among others. This membership is sold for Rs 1,499 a year, with the lite version available for Rs 999, along with a few other tiers available for monthly subscriptions.

According to the information on the app, Prime Shopping Edition is called a ‘limited period promotional offer.’ However, it is not yet clear till when this edition will be available, especially since the membership is an annual one.

The launch of the shopping edition comes days after Flipkart rolled out 'VIP,' a loyalty program for Rs 499 a year, in addition to its existing membership program Plus & Plus Premium. Interestingly, Prime Shopping Edition has been priced Rs 100 cheaper than VIP.

VIP gives users added benefits like early access to the sale, free same day delivery in select cities, faster returns, priority customer support and extra SuperCoins. Benefits also extend to Flipkart-backed Cleartrip, offering cancellation or rescheduling of flights once during the membership period, applicable from 8th October 2023, along with added discounts on hotel bookings as well.

Apart from Flipkart and Amazon, Meesho has also rolled out a loyalty program called Supercoins. However, this is not a paid program, with benefits slightly similar to Flipkart's Plus/Plus Premium program. This program allows users to accumulate Meesho Smart Coins with select transactions on the platform. These Smart Coins, each equivalent to Rs 1, can be redeemed for the future.

All e-commerce players are set to launch their online sales this weekend. While Meesho's Mega Blockbuster Sale has already begun on October 6, Flipkart's Big Billion Days and Amazon's Great Indian Festival sale will begin on October 8, with early access for Flipkart's VIP and Amazon's Prime members on October 7. Myntra's Big Fashion Festival also begins on October 7.

We reached out to Amazon for comment; the copy will be updated when they do.

(Edited by : Anand Singha)

First Published:Oct 6, 2023 8:57 PM IST