Alexa for Shopping can monitor prices and make purchases so you don’t have to.
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In the age of AI, it’s no surprise that Amazon’s shopping tools can notify you when an item’s price drops and, for eligible Prime members, automatically purchase it when it reaches a pre-selected price. To start your automated shopping spree, start with Amazon’s built-in price history feature, a small blue button next to the item’s price on a desktop computer. The button is also present in the app, but it appears either as a white button with a blue outline or as a text link. This feature uses AI to show you how the price of a particular product has changed over the last 30, 90, or 365 days.
Amazon’s AI shopping assistant, Alexa for Shopping (formerly known as Rufus), will also answer questions about the product and its pricing history if you prefer to chat. If Alexa for Shopping isn’t your cup of tea, you can use a few third-party apps, like CamelCamelCamel or Keepa, to track Amazon price history and set price watches. However, these services cannot place orders for you, they only monitor and generate reports.
Use the information you collect to set realistic price targets. A good example would be an item that repeatedly drops to $75 but currently costs $100. Setting a $75 alert makes more sense than setting a $40 alert, unless you prefer a very discreet alert history.
Set a price alert or enable automatic purchasing
If you have Echo devices in your home, you’re probably aware of the periodic price alerts announced by Alexa. Ads are usually for items in your purchase history, but you can make things more specific. Open an Amazon listing and simply ask Alexa for Shopping to look at the item at the price you choose. In the future, Amazon will regularly check the item and notify you when it reaches your price. As simple as that.
If you want Amazon to go further and order the item for you, make your request explicit: “Buy these headphones when they cost $75 or less.” This auto-purchase feature allows Amazon to make the purchase when the price reaches your goal using your default payment method. Unfortunately, coupons and promotional discounts don’t work with the automatic purchase option, so you’ll have to pay attention to them yourself. Also be sure to factor in things like sales tax and shipping, especially if you’re determined to set a specific price.
How do I get notified when Amazon prices drop?
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If your notifications are turned off, it doesn’t matter what you tell Alexa for Shopping to do. On an iPhone, open Settings > Apps > Amazon > Notifications > Allow notifications. On most Android phones, open Settings > Apps > Amazon > Enable notifications.
Additionally, you can be a little vague if you’re unsure about a product but want to monitor a specific category of products, like espresso machines or noise-cancelling headphones. You don’t need to know about a specific product to provide Alexa for Shopping with a list of constraints, like budget, color, or specific features. You basically create an overview and allow the service to do its job while you do your job. This style of category alert will typically drop daily updates whenever a matching offer appears.
Alexa for Shopping is available to US customers in the Amazon app and on Amazon.com or Echo devices. You don’t need a Prime membership to browse the site or even set up price alerts, but that’s not the case for Auto Buy purchases.
