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What Amazon’s Not Telling You About That Discount Button
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Hey there,
Let’s talk about Amazon. But not the usual stuff.
Not the “they started as a bookstore” story.
Not the “they ship fast” thing.
Not the “Bezos is rich” headline.
This is about a small part of Amazon that quietly makes a ton of money.
And no, it’s not AWS either.
It’s something simple: Subscribe & Save.
You’ve probably seen it.
That little box on stuff like toilet paper or coffee that says:
“Save 5% if you get this every month.”
Most people scroll right past it.
But the folks who don’t?
They’ve helped Amazon make billions.
This isn’t really about subscriptions.
It’s about how one small design choice led to:
More repeat customers
Lower dropout rates
A quiet win over other online stores
And the best part?
You can borrow the same idea, no matter what you sell.
Let’s break it down:
Step 1: Don’t Just Sell Stuff. Sell One Smart Decision
Here’s how most businesses work:
“Want this coffee? Cool. Click buy. See you never.”
Amazon flipped it.
Instead of making you decide every month, they said:
“Just decide once. We’ll handle the rest.”
Why does that work?
People don’t like repeating choices.
They like saving time.
And they love a deal that feels smart.
So Amazon added a simple message:
“We’ll send it every month. You’ll save money. No need to think about it.”
No big banner. No pop up. Just a small checkbox.
And that checkbox turned one time buyers into long term customers.
📌 Try this:
What problem does your product keep solving?
Then ask:
Can I help people make one decision instead of many?
Can I automate that for them?
Can I show it as a time saver, not a lock in?
It’s not about subscriptions.
It’s about removing friction later.
Step 2: Give Discounts That Feel Worth It
Let’s be honest:
“5% off” doesn’t sound like much.
But if it comes with “you don’t have to remember this next month”, it feels like a win.
And Amazon takes it further:
5% off for one item
15% off if you subscribe to five or more
People add more items just to get the better deal.
That’s not just saving, that’s growing the shopping cart.
They even say:
“It helps us plan shipments. We save money too.”
Now it feels like a team effort, not a sales trick.
📌 Try this:
If your product comes with regular value (tools, content, templates, products):
Add a small discount
Tie it to something that helps both sides
Let it stack when people do more
You’re not twisting arms.
You’re helping them feel like they made the smart move.
Step 3: Make It Easy to Leave
This is where most subscription models fail.
People worry they’ll get stuck.
That they’ll have to call someone to cancel.
That it’ll be a hassle.
Amazon solved it with three simple words:
“Cancel anytime, easy.”
And they meant it.
You can log in, click a button, and that’s it.
No guilt. No hold music. No weird tricks.
And here’s the twist:
When people trust they can leave, they’re more likely to stay.
📌 Try this:
No matter what you offer, even if it’s not a subscription:
Make leaving easy. Really easy.
Say it up front. Loudly.
Remind them before they get charged.
You’re not just being nice. You’re building trust.
And that trust pays off.
Step 4: Build a System That Runs Itself
Let’s say you sell something for $15.
Normally, that’s it.
One sale. Done.
With Subscribe & Save?
That’s $15 every month.
$180 a year with no extra effort.
And the best part?
Amazon doesn’t ask you to renew.
They don’t ask for your card again.
The box just shows up.
70% of people even forget they subscribed.
That’s not shady.
That’s just good design for real life.
People are busy. They want things that just work.
📌 Try this:
Ask yourself:
What would people keep using if it just showed up?
Can I build that into a system?
Can I remove every reminder and just deliver?
Even if it’s not a product, maybe it’s a course, service, or tool, this still works.
The key:
Make things automatic. Let people forget (in a good way).
Final Thought: Loyalty Isn’t About Feelings. It’s About Design.
Amazon didn’t beg people to stay.
They just made leaving harder than staying.
They made the smart choice the easy one.
That’s the takeaway:
✅ Turn decisions into set-and-forget
✅ Offer discounts that feel smart
✅ Make it super easy to leave
✅ Build systems that work in the background
✅ Focus on the long game, not the hard sell
You don’t have to sell subscriptions.
But you should build for repeat behavior.
Because that’s where the real growth is.
Until next time,
Omar Waseem