Using Amazon Cancun in 2023: Everything you need to know

Are wondering if Amazon Cancun is working? I have good news for you! Yes, Amazon Cancun is working wonders and you can even have a Prime subscription.

However, you should know that in Mexico including Cancun, there are even more reliable companies for online shopping.

I have been living in Cancun and other parts of Mexico for many years and I have used Amazon and other companies for online deliveries many times. So in this post, I will tell you all about it. Read on to learn some useful tips! 🙂

You probably know that Cancun has lots of great shopping, but sometimes nothing beats the convenience of ordering on Amazon and having an item delivered to you.

Besides being so convenient and a time saver, it has much more choice than what you find in the shops, no matter how big they are.

Whether you are staying for a short vacation or planning to spend an extended period of time in Cancun, knowing how Amazon works in Cancun can help you get the items you want quickly.

Keep reading to learn all about using Amazon in Cancun. 

Amazon Cancun Mexico: At a glance

Amazon launched Amazon Mexico in 2015, and since then, the platform has grown a lot! Today you can find a big variety of products, although not as many as on the United States Amazon site. You can find books, furniture, things for your house, clothes, and more on Amazon Mexico.

Similar to when you use Amazon in other countries, Amazon Mexico has items that they distribute or items that come from a third party.

If you are in a hurry to get something, it is a good idea to pay attention to this and opt for items that Amazon distributes. These generally arrive much faster and without having to pay any import fees or taxes.

If you are not in a hurry, you can have some items delivered for free even without the Prime subscription.

Is Amazon available in Cancun?

If you are traveling to Cancun, you will be happy to know that Amazon is available in Cancun. Amazon has been rapidly expanding in Mexico and now offers free one-day shipping for Amazon Mexico Prime members to over 30 different cities- including Cancun! 

Amazon Mexico vs Amazon US

If you are already an Amazon US Prime member, you might be wondering if you can use your existing membership to ship items to Cancun.

The answer is yes, but you will not get the benefits of free shipping. In order to get free shipping within Mexico, you will need to be an Amazon Mexico Prime member as well.

When you sign up for Amazon Prime Mexico, you will get one free month, then the subscription costs around 99 pesos, or about $5 a month. 

In addition to free shipping on many items, Mexico Prime membership gets your deliveries on Saturday and Sunday.

There is free shipping for items that are in Mexico, and you get free shipping for many items that come from the United States- although these purchases take longer to arrive.

As with Amazon US, there is no minimum purchase necessary to get free shipping. 

If you will only be in Mexico for a short time and do not want to sign up for Mexico Prime membership, you can use your regular Amazon account to ship things to Mexico.

When you put in the shipping address, Amazon will calculate the shipping cost and any import taxes that will need to be paid. Some products will not ship to Mexico, and Amazon will let you know that too. 

Amazon US has an overall bigger selection of products than Amazon Mexico does. If you are looking for something specific, it is worth checking out its availability on both sites.

You will also want to compare prices. Some items, such as electronics, are usually cheaper in the US, so it might be worth it to buy them on the Amazon US site and pay for shipping and import taxes.

To get the best price and fastest shipping time, you will need to shop around and compare between the two sites. 

Amazon services in Mexico

Amazon offers a lot for its customers- fast shopping and entertainment. Here are the services they offer in Mexico:

🛍️ Shopping

For most people, Amazon is best known for its shopping. The site has tons of different products. You can get everything from furniture, kitchen gadgets, beauty products, books, and even food!

Shopping on Amazon saves you the hassle of having to search around different stores for the products you want, and your items arrive directly to you.

Sometimes I prefer to go shopping myself especially because you have so many shopping malls in Cancun, including the recently expanded Plaza La Isla and the nearby Plaza Kukulcan, and the new Puerto Cancun. And if you want to mingle with the locals you can always check out the good old Plaza Las Americas which never gets tired.

However, if you are in a rush, of course, Amazon Mexico is always a great option.

🎶 Music

You can listen to a variety of different songs and albums on Amazon Music. If you sign up for a Mexico Prime membership you will not have to listen to any ads between songs!

📽️ Amazon Prime Video

Amazon Prime Video in Mexico has a variety of films and shows from around the world. There are plenty of English-language shows and movies, and you will also find lots of Spanish-language entertainment too.

Amazon Mexico wants to attract as many Mexican customers as possible, so there are shows and movies that are popular in Latin America on the streaming service.

If you try to use your US Prime account to watch Prime video outside of the US you may find that a lot of the content is blocked. 

In that case, you can use a VPN service and select a US state to connect to and the problem is solved. If it doesn’t work with one state, try with others.

One time I was connected to NYC and I had to switch to New Jersey to be able to see a Prime Video, for some reason.

👉 Use this link to try the VPN Express service and get 3 months free!

📖 Kindle and eBooks

You can purchase Kindles and eBooks on Amazon Mexico. Once you have a Kindle, the process to purchase books and load them onto your Kindle is exactly the same with Amazon Mexico as it is with Amazon US.

You can often find eBooks in both their original language and a Spanish version. Pay attention when shopping to make sure you purchase the book in the language that you prefer.

Also, you will need to register your Kindle and your Amazon account for the site to recognize it and send the book for downloading.

If you have an iPad you don’t need a Kindle and you can download the Kindle App there. I prefer that as it’s bigger than the Kindle but it’s also heavier, so, that’s something to keep in mind.

How to order from Amazon in Cancun Mexico

The Amazon Mexico site looks just like Amazon US, except that it is in Spanish. In general, it is an intuitive and easy-to-use site. If it’s your first time using Amazon Mexico, here is how to place your orders:

If you are not familiar with the Spanish Language you can also ask Google to translate it into English.

Usually, if you are on Chrome Browser you should see the option in the navigation bar, if not you can change the language directly on Amazon. Keep scrolling to see how to do it.

1. Visit the Amazon Mexico website/app

You can visit the Amazon Mexico website www.amazon.com.mx on your computer, tablet, or phone. Or, if you prefer, you can download the app. 

2. Create an account (If you don’t have one)

It is fast and easy to create an Amazon account if you do not already have one. You will just need your name, phone number, and email address to get started. You can decide if you want to sign up for Amazon Mexico Prime too. 

👉 Keep in mind that if you have a US Amazon account, you can use the same credential to sign in to the Amazon Mexico account.

If you are not familiar with Spanish, you can always activate the automatic translation in the grey circle in the top navigation bar and select English as indicated in the picture below.

If you can’t see the translate option, you may need to go to Google settings, select languages and make sure that Spanish is not among the languages for which the translation option is not activated. See the screenshots below.

3. Start shopping

Now the fun begins – you can start shopping. The Amazon Mexico site is in Spanish, but if you search for an item in English, it will usually pop up. Most web browsers allow you to set up automatic translation from Spanish to English too. If you are not comfortable shopping in Spanish, this can be a big help! 

4. Complete check-out with payment

Once you have picked out everything you want to buy, you will need to complete the check-out and payment.

Here is where you will need to put in your shipping address if you did not already set a default shipping address for your account.

Make sure that you have the correct address- incorrect addresses are one of the top reasons for packages being delayed.

Lastly, you will need to pay for your items to complete the purchase, then wait for them to arrive!

Accepted payment methods in Amazon Mexico

Just like US Amazon, Amazon Mexico makes it easy for you to pay for your items. Here are the acceptable payment methods:

✅ Debit and credit cards

You can use any debit or credit card to pay for your Amazon Mexico purchases. You do not need to have cards issued in Mexico.

All the prices on Amazon Mexico are listed in pesos, and when you pay with a foreign credit card, Amazon usually shows you the cost in your home currency too, so you do not have to guess at the exchange rate.

✅ Amazon cards

You can use Amazon gift cards to make purchases on Amazon Mexico. You can buy the cards in many supermarkets such as Walmart or convenience stores such as the popular Oxxo or many others.

✅ Cash payment

There are multiple ways to do cash payments on Amazon Mexico

► Pay cash upon pick up.

To do this, you will choose “paga en efectivo y recoger” when you check out. You will then need to pay in cash for your order at an Amazon pickup site. 

You can read more about it here

► Pay cash in a convenience store

In this case, you select the option to pay with cash and you will be given a unique code that you will present in some specific establishments to pay for your order. You usually have 72 hours to make the payment, after which your order will be automatically canceled.

Participating establishments:

• OXXO
• 7-eleven
• Savings Pharmacies
• Circle K
• Extra
• Waldos
• kiosk

You can read more about this method here.

I have never used this option, to be honest, but I heard it’s available for some items. I don’t think it’s very practical though.

Amazon delivery in Cancun Mexico

Mexico infamously has a slow mail system. Thankfully, Amazon has figured out ways to work with different shipping companies, as well as hire people to exclusively deliver for Amazon.

The result is that you can rely on your packages arriving when Amazon says they will.

Does Amazon ship to Cancun?

Yes, Amazon does ship to Cancun. In fact, in Cancun, some items are eligible for free next-day delivery if you sign up for Amazon Prime Mexico. 

Does Amazon deliver to resorts and hotels in Cancun?

Yes, it does. This is great news if you need something while on vacation and do not want to spend time going all over town to look for it.

If you are going to ship something to a hotel in Cancun, make sure to ask the front desk for the exact address of the hotel. This will help reduce the chance of any delays. 

Amazon shipping cost in Cancun 

Amazon Mexico offers free shipping to prime members for items within Mexico. If you are ordering an item that is not currently in Mexico, you may need to pay for the shipping.

Make sure to keep the address you want to ship to up to date while shopping, and Amazon will tell you which items are free to ship, or how much it will cost you. 

Amazon shipping delivery time to Cancun

Amazon offers free one-day shipping to certain items in Cancun. When you are shopping, pay attention to the estimated delivery date. In general, the date is very accurate to the delivery date. 

Tips for using Amazon in Cancun Mexico

1. Compare prices on both account US and Amazon Mexico

Amazon Mexico is a great way to get a wide range of products, without having to search all over town for them. If you already have an Amazon US account, check the items you want to order on both sites to compare prices. In general, Amazon US has cheaper prices, especially on electronics. 

2. Make sure your shipping address is correct

If you are not from Mexico, or even if you are, the addresses in Cancun can be very confusing. Make sure that the shipping address you use on Amazon is correct. This will make sure that your delivery arrives on time. 

For deliveries, you, or someone in your household will need to be home to receive your package. Amazon delivery drivers will not just leave it, as they might in your home in the US.

3. Look for a message from the delivery driver in case you are not at home to receive your package

You will receive an email the day that your package will be delivered. If you miss your delivery the driver will leave you instructions to call and reschedule it. 

4. Double-check the delivery date

Sometimes the delivery date that you see before ordering the item, is not the same as when you do the checkout. That is because the delivery date depends on availability, type of subscription (if you are a Prime Member should be faster for some products), or delivery cost.

So before finalizing the purchase make sure you have selected the delivery option you like.

Amazon alternatives in Cancun Mexico

If you cannot find what you are shopping for on Amazon, or simply want to compare available products and prices, there are other e-commerce sites available in Mexico. Here are the best alternatives to Amazon:

Mercado Libre

For a long time, Mercado Libre has been the favorite e-commerce site in Mexico. You can find everything from electronics and furniture to cooking products.

Mercado Libre works with many Mexican companies and offers free shipping on many products for its members.

The shipping is fast and reliable, and you can choose to either have an item delivered to your home or pick it up at a shipping center. 

I usually prefer to use it over Amazon because it has lots of products and very fast delivery. I find them very reliable and a wonderful alternative to Amazon.

Also, you should know that Mercado Libre works well with used items as well, whether you want to sell it or buy it.

Linio

Although not as widely known as Mercado Libre, Linio is considered an excellent platform for comparing prices and products. It offers a wide range of items such as clothing, furniture, books, and electronics.

While I haven’t personally used it, I’ve heard positive feedback about Linio’s services.

Frequently Asked Questions

Final Thoughts: Amazon Cancun, Mexico

If you love the convenience of Amazon, you will be happy to know that you can use it in Cancun, and all over Mexico, for fast and easy shopping. Bigger cities, including Cancun, even have some items available for next-day delivery.

Amazon Mexico does not have the enormous variety of items that Amazon US does; however, they are constantly adding more to their online store.

You can shop for everything from furniture to clothes- but always compare with other e-commerce shops to get the best deals possible.