Amazon Doubles Down on SMB Focus With Business Prime Rewards

Amazon Business, the branch of Amazon that offers businesses wholesale and procurement solutions, is rolling out Business Prime Rewards.

The program is exclusive to Business Prime members and allows them to earn up to $1,000 a year on eligible expenses via Amazon Business, the eCommerce giant said in a Wednesday (Oct. 2) news release. Those rewards — calculated through a points system where a balance of 100 points is worth $1 — can be redeemed on the platform at checkout and expire after one year.

Amazon noted that the program was soft-launched earlier this year for Business Prime Duo or Business Prime Essentials members in the U.S., and continues to expand how users can generate rewards.

“Most recently, Business Prime Rewards rolled out a new way to earn with 2% back on Amazon private label brands like Amazon Essentials,” Amazon said in the release.

Additionally, Amazon Business customers who have a personal Prime membership can join the first tier of Business Prime membership for free, or upgrade to the next tier for $9.99 in their first year, according to the release, compared to a typical annual fee of $179. New Business Prime members can also utilize this discount. Meanwhile, Duo membership for Business Prime continues to be free for any Amazon Business customer with a Prime account.

Amazon’s introduction of rewards for its B2B users comes a few months after it announced a slew of new resources designed to help smaller entrepreneurs.

As PYMNTS reported in May, Amazon unveiled an online resource center dubbed the “Small Business Success Studio” as part of its third annual Small Business Month.

The free service offers small business owners lessons in finance, marketing, procurement and operations, along with tips from other founders, PYMNTS said at the time.

Business owners can also learn how to leverage Amazon Business to simplify procurement and enhance operational efficiencies. In addition, businesses with yearly revenue of $1 million or less are eligible to apply for over $250,000 in grants.

“Setting these small businesses up for success, whether through grants, educational opportunities, or the innovative tools Amazon Business offers to simplify buying decisions, our hope is to help free up some time and resources so they can focus on their mission,” Shelley Salomon, vice president of Amazon Business Worldwide, said at the time.