If you’ve already placed an Amazon order and you realize there’s something you forgot, you may wonder what to do.
Is it possible to add items to an order after you’ve already checked out? How do you add items to an existing Amazon order?
In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know.
Can You Add Items To An Amazon Order That’s Already Been Placed?
Unfortunately, after an order has been placed with Amazon, you are unable to add additional items to it. The only exception to this is with Amazon Fresh, which I’ll talk more about later.
However, this is nothing to worry about! You can place an additional order and if you do it before first order ships, Amazon may combine the orders into a single shipment.
This way, even if the orders are placed separately, they will still arrive as if they were only one order.
Note that if you want to avoid excessive package deliveries, you should take advantage of Amazon Day Delivery, which allows you to choose two days of the week for Amazon to deliver all of your packages at once. This is a free benefit for Prime members that not only cuts down on the number of deliveries, but helps the environment as well.
Of course, the downside of this is that packages will arrive more slowly. Therefore, you shouldn’t use this option if your orders are time-sensitive.
Some people actually prefer to split items into separate orders to have more control over the shipping speed options that Amazon prevents.
Why Doesn’t Amazon Allow You To Add Items To Your Order?
If you’ve already checked out, Amazon doesn’t allow you to add any additional items to it. This is likely due to the way Amazon’s order processing system works.
When your order is placed, Amazon’s automatic systems begin taking your order into account and preparing it for shipment straight away. The process of getting your order from Amazon’s fulfillment center prepared to the time it actually ships is quite complex, and your order can be at any stage of this process at the time you’d choose to add an item to it. That could really complicate things!
Additionally, more than half of the orders on Amazon are sold by third-party sellers, which may or may not ship their items from Amazon’s warehouses.
Therefore, Amazon’s system is not designed for adding additional items to be possible at the moment.
What About Adding An Add-On Item To An Existing Order?
Add-on items require you to spend $25 or more in order to purchase. These are typically low-priced items that aren’t economically viable to be shipped on their own.
If you forgot to add your add-on items to the cart before checking out, don’t worry! There’s a way you can avoid spending an additional $25 just to get the add-on item.
What you’ll want to do is immediately cancel your original order, through the orders page on Amazon’s website. While you can only do this before the products ship (and not all items can be cancelled), if you’re quick you should be able to successfully cancel the majority of orders.
To send an order cancellation request, follow these instructions:
- Visit the ‘Returns & Orders’ page on Amazon’s website, or on the Amazon app.
- Locate your order and click ‘Cancel Items’.
- Select the items you want to cancel.
- Click “Cancel selected items in this order’.
Note that cancellations can take some time to process, and returning money to your card can take a few business days.
However, you are now free to place an additional order with the add-on item included.
How To Add Items To Amazon Fresh Orders
Amazon Fresh is Amazon’s grocery delivery service. It is the only type of order in which you can continue to add on items after the order has been placed, as long as the order has not already been prepared.
Note that only certain cities offer this service, and you are unable to add items to your Amazon Fresh order if you paid with EBT / SNAP.
The instructions for adding items to an existing Amazon Fresh order are easy:
- Visit Amazon Fresh / Whole Foods Market.
- Add items to your cart.
- After you’ve finished, choose “Add to Fresh Order / Check-out with Whole Foods Market”
If you’re able to add to an existing order, you will see a message that says, “You can still add to this order”. Follow the on-screen instructions, and the order will be combined – allowing everything to be delivered together!
Conclusion
There is no way to combine two Amazon orders, or add to an order that’s already been placed. The only exception to this is with Amazon Fresh, Amazon’s grocery delivery program.
However, Amazon will combine orders into single shipments if its viable for them to do so.
If you absolutely need your items combined into a single order, you should cancel your original order and place a new order with all of the items included.
Wishing you the best!
– James McAllister