Amazon Student aside, the internet powerhouse offers other ways to save. Namely textbooks, those ten-pound bricks you drag with you all over campus. If you buy from the bookstore, you could drop hundreds of dollars. Want to save that cash? Check out Amazon’s textbook deals.
How can I save with Amazon textbooks?
When you go to the bookstore, you probably already know to look for a used textbook. The selection, however, is usually slim, and they are gobbled up pretty quickly. Why not check out the largest used bookstore in the world? Amazon has used textbooks available for up to 90% off the new purchase price. If you are the type who just has to have a new book – after all, you might encounter a used book with lots of highlighting – you can still save up to 39%.
But why buy at all? You’ve got those gen-ed classes you have to take, and have absolutely no interest in keeping the books for reference. Renting textbooks can save you up to 87% on the retail cost. Of course, if you rent, then you have to keep your highlighting to a minimum, but it can be worth it. Change your mind and want to keep the book? Pay the difference and you can. Although, a word of caution about rentals: there likely will be some highlighting, and the book may be missing supplemental materials, like a CD.
What about returns? Returning books is easy, as Amazon sends you a postage-paid mailing label. You even get a 30-day trial, so if you decide to drop the class, you can return the books without penalty.
Want to save the hassle of shipping? Have an e-reader? Amazon also offers some books as e-texts, available for rent (up to 80% off) and purchase (up to 60% off).
How to qualify for Amazon Textbooks pricing?
Simply visit Amazon Textbooks and search for the ISBN of the book you want to buy or rent.
In the end, you can even trade-in the books you own for Amazon credit. (And more than just textbooks – DVDs, video games, and more.) Now that’s smart.