Amazon Prime Free Shipping Hits Brazil

It’s hard to imagine life without Amazon Prime. Free shipping; overnight delivery. They’re perks we’ve all come to expect. For many, shopping in a physical store has become something of a relic. Who does that anymore?

In Brazil, e-commerce companies such as Mercado Livre and Magazine Luiza have traditionally been the two market leaders. But Amazon wants to change that. And perhaps adding free international shipping for Prime customers will do the trick.

Amazon is now offering free delivery of US products to customers in Brazil. Prices will be in local currency (reais) and purchases can be made using local formats. This includes payment in parcelas.

It may not seem like a big deal if you’re living in the US, but getting access to American products in Brazil - particularly electronics - is a game changer. There’ll be no more waiting weeks for purchases to arrive. And there’ll be no more worrying about customs as most products will be warehoused locally.

The change comes just in time for Prime Day 2021. Although the date hasn’t yet been announced, it’ll be only the second time that Brazilians have been able to participate in the two-day event. According to Amazon, Prime Day 2020 raked in more than US$3.5 billion in third-party sales.

What remains to be seen is how this change will affect Brazilian travel to the US. There may no longer be a need for shopping trips and stuffed luggage if American products are now more readily available for purchase in Brazil.