This blog was updated on March 13, 2024.
In August 2023, Amazon released a major update to its popular Buy with Prime program by allowing brands to now embed an “Add to Cart” button on their DTC website. Previously, the program limited shoppers to individual Prime purchases.
This update is significant because cart-building keeps customers shopping. They can add multiple Buy with Prime products to their cart, increasing the total items per transaction and total value per order. Shoppers can use the new Buy with Prime cart button to purchase up to 20 eligible products at once.
“Cart-building allows shoppers to keep browsing, leading to longer engagement on your site and a greater chance to explore and discover more of your products,” said Melanie Harrison, Director of Client Success at Channel Key. “More items means greater value. Buy with Prime is a win-win situation for both brands and customers.”
To summarize, the Buy with Prime cart button provides the following benefits:
- Increases Average Order Value
Shoppers can add multiple eligible products to their Buy with Prime cart and check out in one transaction, helping increase the number of items per order
- Optimizes Fulfillment Needs
When shoppers purchase multiple products in one order, Amazon can send them in fewer shipments and help you save on fulfillment costs
- Leverages Purchasing Insights
Cart building activity and order data help surface shopping trends that can inform marketing efforts and inventory management
Note: the Buy with Prime cart operates independently of a DTC site’s existing cart. Shoppers can only add Buy with Prime-eligible products to the Buy with Prime cart. Sites will need a separate cart for all other products.
How to Install the Add to Cart Button
Follow these simple steps to install the Buy with Prime Add-to-Cart button:
- In the merchant console, choose Settings from the side menu and then select Buy with Prime button & cart.
- In the Install cart section, turn on cart with the toggle switch on the right side of the screen. In the pop-up window, choose See instructions (select I’ll do it later if you want to customize the placement of the cart icon before installing it on your site).
- On the Install Buy with Prime cart code page, choose Copy. Then follow the specific installation steps for your ecommerce provider.
Note: if you use the Order connector app by Alloy, you will need to upgrade to the latest version to correctly sync Buy with Prime orders with multiple items to your ecommerce site.
What is Buy with Prime?
Buy with Prime enables Prime members to shop directly from a brand’s online store with the trusted experience they expect from Amazon. Shoppers see the Prime logo and delivery promise on eligible products, which signals that the item is available for free delivery with easy returns. Open to all U.S. merchants, Buy with Prime offers the following benefits:
- Deliver on a Promise that Millions Trust
Display the Prime logo and delivery promise on your existing site to convert more shoppers with transparent delivery estimates, secure checkout, and easy returns
- Drive Traffic with Buy with Prime
Accelerate your growth using marketing solutions designed to help brands reach more Amazon shoppers
- Simplify Your Fulfillment
Use your existing inventory at Amazon fulfillment centers to start fulfilling Buy with Prime orders on your site
Display Amazon Customer Reviews on DTC Sites
In addition to offering Amazon Prime perks on your DTC website, Buy with Prime provides other important benefits. For example, brands that use Buy with Prime can display Amazon customer reviews on their own DTC site. This can help achieve the following:
- Enhance Brand Credibility
Improve shopper confidence by displaying consumer-trusted Reviews from Amazon on your Buy with Prime product pages - Keep Shoppers Engaged
Help shoppers validate their purchasing decision by displaying ratings and reviews from Amazon directly on your site - Offer More Reviews
Amplify your existing product reviews from Amazon to give shoppers more information about your Buy with Prime products
Reviews from Amazon can help boost shopper trust and provide social proof for your brand and products. This feature gives shoppers the familiar experience they trust from Amazon (without having to leave your site) while complementing other product review features you might already use. To access Reviews from Amazon, Buy with Prime brands will need to meet the following criteria:
- Have a U.S. entity
- Enroll in Amazon Brand Registry
- Have active Amazon product listings
Access the Buy with Prime Marketing Toolkit
Another advantage of Buy with Prime is gaining access to the Marketing Toolkit. This includes Buy with Prime assets and provides guidance to start creating your own branded materials for your site, social, search, and email channels. The Buy with Prime Marketing Toolkit will help you replicate the Amazon shopping experience in the following ways:
- Engage Prime Members
Discover a new way to engage Prime members across all your marketing channels and drive them to your DTC site - Market Your Products
Maintain your brand’s look and feel while following the Buy with Prime marketing toolkit’s guidelines to highlight Buy with Prime in your marketing - Build Trust in Your Brand
Use the Buy with Prime badge to show Prime members that they get the same fast, free delivery they know from Amazon
The Buy with Prime Marketing Toolkit includes general copy and imagery guidance for marketing assets, with specific guidance and sample messaging for your site, social, email, and search marketing initiatives. This resource makes it easier for brands to comply with the Buy with Prime brand guidelines.
Use Sponsored Brands to Promote DTC Products on Amazon
Buy with Prime offers an invite-only Sponsored Brands advertising solution currently in beta. Participating brands can showcase their DTC products on Amazon with a new Buy with Prime page within their Amazon Store. Brands can direct Amazon shoppers to those DTC products with Sponsored Brands. As a quick reminder, Sponsored Brands are cost-per-click (CPC) ads that feature your brand logo, a custom headline, and a lifestyle image. These ads help drive discovery of your brand among shoppers looking at similar products and brands. This Buy with Prime advertising feature helps brands achieve the following:
- Connect with Engaged Amazon Shoppers
Help shoppers discover your brand with ads that appear as they shop for products like yours on Amazon - Boost Brand Engagement on Amazon
Spotlight your brand and Buy with Prime products on a dedicated page in your Store on Amazon and direct shoppers to your site - Drive Lifetime Value
Turn Amazon shoppers into your customers and connect with them directly to build lasting relationships
To be eligible to use Sponsored Brands within Buy with Prime, brands must be active Amazon sellers and have, or are able to create, a Store on Amazon. Shoppers who engage with your ads will land on a new page in your Amazon Store that directs shoppers to your DTC website to complete their purchases. On this new page, you can feature up to 24 Buy with Prime products that Prime members can purchase. You can create this new page in your Store on Amazon without coding using the Store Builder in the Amazon Ads Console or Seller Central.
Leverage Social Media Advertising for Buy with Prime
Brands can also drive traffic to their Buy with Prime products with Social Ads that appear on Facebook, Instagram, or both. The Social Ads app syncs your Meta catalog with the products in your catalog that offer Buy with Prime, automatically applying the Buy with Prime badge. Whether prospecting new customers or remarketing to existing customers, this solution helps you build relevant ads for each shopper.
- Streamline Ad Creation
Sync your Buy with Prime catalog with your Meta catalog to automatically generate relevant social ads featuring the Buy with Prime badge
- Measure Ad Performance
Integration with Meta’s Conversion API helps you attribute the impact of your social ads
- Reach Interested Audiences
Create ads for shoppers on Facebook and Instagram who have expressed interest in your brand or products
Note: only products enrolled in Buy with Prime can sync with a DTC site’s Meta catalog and show in Social Ads. Brands must have at least one product synced to their Meta catalog for Social Ad campaigns to run. Social Ads campaign results will report the following metrics:
- Spend: Cost of running a campaign
- Impressions: The number of times a shopper has viewed an ad
- Clicks: The number of times a shopper has clicked on an ad
- Orders: The number of orders placed through the native checkout on your ecommerce site and through your Buy with Prime checkout resulting from your campaigns
- Sales: Income generated from an order, calculated as Price x Units (this total includes sales through the native checkout on your ecommerce site and through your Buy with Prime checkout)
- Return on ad spend (ROAS): The effectiveness of your marketing, measured by sales/spend, including sales through the native checkout on your ecommerce site and through your Buy with Prime checkout
The Latest Buy with Prime Updates
During the 2023 holiday shopping season, Amazon announced three new shopping benefits for customers that use Buy with Prime to make purchases:
- Prime members can view and track orders placed on websites that offer Buy with Prime in their Amazon account, both on Amazon.com and in the mobile app, providing a simplified, post-purchase experience for both Prime members and brands.
- Prime members can get access to customer service through a live chat feature on their order detail page where they can connect with trained representatives to get round-the-clock, live customer service for their Buy with Prime orders.
- Prime members can take advantage of the Prime returns process for eligible items that they purchased using Buy with Prime directly on brands’ websites. Customers can choose from an expanded number of convenient drop-off locations at UPS Stores, Whole Foods Markets, or Amazon Fresh Stores, without boxing up or labeling items.
Channel Key Takeaway
The most important thing to know about Buy with Prime is that brands do not need to sell on Amazon to take advantage of it. The primary benefit of Buy with Prime is the ability to offer Prime-exclusive perks like free shipping, a seamless checkout experience, and easy returns on your own DTC site. According to internal Amazon data, Buy with Prime has been shown to increase shopper conversion by 25% on average. Buy with Prime is especially valuable for brands who want to test how they might perform on the Amazon platform without fully committing to the platform.
