Amazon Subscribe and Save, explained

Subscribe and Save lets you get a discount on items you buy on a schedule, like paper towels, coffee or skincare. It is one of the few Amazon discounts that stacks with other offers, and one of the easiest to use badly.

How the discount works

When a product offers Subscribe and Save, the product page shows a separate price for the subscription. The standard discount has usually been 5%. When five or more subscriptions arrive in the same monthly delivery to the same address, the discount on eligible items has gone up, often to 15%. Amazon changes these rates by category from time to time, so trust the number on the product page over anything you read elsewhere, including here.

Why it can beat a sale price

Subscribe and Save discounts can stack with clip coupons and with a lower sale price. When a product is already on sale, subscribing can take a little more off on top.

The catch: the price is not locked

The price you pay is the price on the day each delivery is prepared, not the day you subscribed. If the item goes back up, your next delivery costs more. Amazon emails you before each delivery. Read that email.

How to use it without overpaying

1. Subscribe while the item is on sale and your first delivery ships at the low price.
2. After it ships, go to "Subscribe and Save items" in your account and skip or cancel the next delivery if the price has gone up.
3. There is no fee or penalty for canceling. You can cancel right after the first order ships.

What is worth subscribing to

Things you use at a steady rate and that do not go bad: detergent, paper goods, trash bags, dishwasher pods, pet food, and your usual skincare. Skip anything you only buy once in a while, since the reminders become clutter.

Browse current cleaning supply deals and skincare deals. Many of them show a Subscribe and Save price on Amazon.