Buy with Prime for Shopify is now available to all merchants. Previously an exclusive invite-only integration, it is now open to all retailers keen on utilizing Amazon’s efficient fulfillment network. We’ll explain all the details below.
Buy with Prime gives shoppers a Prime membership, a convenient way to shop on e-commerce websites other than Amazon and check out using their Amazon account. It’s important to note that Buy with Prime is more than a payment option like PayPal, Shop Pay, or Apple Pay. Instead, it offers a complete e-commerce experience right from a convenient checkout button.
This service kicked off in April 2022. Recently, Amazon and Shopify joined forces, allowing Shopify merchants to integrate Buy with Prime for fulfillment and checkout services. The result of this collaboration is the Shopify app, which is now accessible to all merchants.
Shopify boasts the largest collection of e-commerce brands. However, when Amazon initially launched Buy with Prime, it lacked integration with Shopify and other e-commerce platforms. Notably, Shopify seemed resistant and went so far as to caution merchants attempting to incorporate Buy with Prime, stating, “You have a code snippet on your storefront that violates Shopify’s Terms of Service.”
Before the introduction of the Shopify app, Buy with Prime without it was essentially a workaround devised by Amazon to experiment with a concept. Merchants had to tweak template code manually, demanding technical skills or collaboration with an agency. The integration app effectively eliminates a major barrier to adoption. This recent integration streamlines the process and introduces catalog, promotions, and order synchronization.
In the past, orders made through Buy with Prime wouldn’t automatically show up in Shopify without relying on external plugins. However, some features are still absent in this new integration, such as the inclusion of Amazon product reviews on the product page and a shopping cart for a multi-product checkout, features present in the original integration.
Yet, despite the initial resistance, there has been a recent shift in this stance. Following discussions and negotiations, Shopify and Amazon have come together to establish an integration, allowing Shopify merchants to seamlessly leverage the advantages of Buy with Prime on their platforms. Now, merchants can enjoy the benefits of this collaboration, enhancing their e-commerce offerings and reaching a broader audience.
Merchants can now widely embrace Buy with Prime as it becomes more accessible. The key factor driving the adoption is the increasing number of sellers who operate on both Amazon and Shopify. Shopify stands out as the central platform for Buy with Prime installations because no other e-commerce platform shares such a significant seller overlap. The primary consideration for many brands is whether they perceive enough value in Buy with Prime to take the leap and experiment by sending their inventory to Amazon. For these brands, the ease of integrating with Shopify becomes a secondary concern. Brands most likely to adopt Buy with Prime are those already selling on Amazon and running a Shopify store or planning to launch one. The app simplifies the process for brands with an established presence on Amazon, making it easy for them to explore and implement Buy with Prime.
