Subscriptions · 6 min read
Subscribe & Save Math for Pantry Staples
How to tell whether an Amazon Subscribe & Save subscription is cheaper than buying on price drops: discount, delivery pace, and price changes.
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A subscription discount applies to the price at the time each delivery ships. Compare the yearly total with what you would otherwise pay per item.
Worked example
Worked example (illustrative): an item at $14.99 with a 5% subscription discount costs $14.24 per delivery. Six deliveries a year: $85.44. If you could reliably buy it at $13.49 elsewhere or on a sale, that is $80.94 — the subscription costs $4.50 more a year. The subscription would need a 10% discount to match.
How it is calculated
Subscription price per item = current price × (1 − discount). Yearly totals multiply by items per delivery and deliveries per year. The break-even discount is the percentage that would bring the subscription price down to your other price.
The price can change between deliveries
Subscription prices follow the item’s price when each delivery is prepared, so a year of deliveries is not locked at today’s price. Check the current Subscribe & Save terms on Amazon for how discounts and price changes work, and review upcoming deliveries before they ship.