I was surprised to learn Amazon quietly launched a pilot program towards offering freebies! Their initial foray into the freebie world is technically called their Product Sampling program, but differs slightly than how we're used to getting samples.

Unlike traditional freebies, where you request a sample and receive it weeks later, Amazon is using a secret sauce to randomly send out freebies. Some users reported receiving free samples related to previous purchases, while others hinted all they did was have a lot of similar products sitting in their cart!

Amazon sent me a random coffee sample! Is it because I have like 15 diff types of coffee in my cart 😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/LAXOdmpYMa

— Aman (@amanfbaby) August 25, 2018

Initial freebies have been reported from all the usual players – Folgers, Maybelline, Purina, and KIND.

In the long run, this will help speed up the death of freebie sites like HIF. Whereas the Golden Freebies Years (2008-2013) had 5+ samples and freebies every day, now we're down to much, much less. One of the large reasons why is because companies began demanding more analytics, data, and a higher ROI for their freebies. With Amazon, they get all three at a fraction of the cost.

But in the short run, hey, more freebies!

How to Get Amazon Freebies

One great feature of Amazon freebies are they're open to everyone – not just Prime members!

All you have to do is make sure you have a default address selected under Your Account > Your Addresses. Then make sure you have the correct sampling option selected.

So have any Hiffers randomly received any freebies from Amazon yet? If so, what did ya get?!

Ever wish you could see the freebies arriving in your mailbox before they show up? I know I have! What you may not realize is that you can!

The USPS offers a free service called Informed Delivery. Each morning, they'll email scanned photos of your mail hours before it's delivered!

I started using Informed Delivery during their 2015 soft trial. It was originally super buggy, but today I've actually come to rely on it. Not only does it actually work, but as of 2019, over 15 million Americans are using this free service!

My emails typically arrive between before 8:00am each morning I have mail coming. If I don't have any mail on the way, I don't get an email. Only ~60% of my emails actually have scanned photos, but regardless the emails themselves are nice since they let me know I have mail to grab. And when there are photos of freebies, I tend to get a little excited! Between the emails and then actually getting the freebies, it's like double the joy 🙂

Have any other Hiffers used Informed Delivery yet? What did you think?

This article is freebie-adjacent, so I felt like sharing it here. Business Insider compared Costco and Sam's Club free samples and came away with a clear winner.

On paper, Sam's Club and Costco are almost identical – both are membership-based warehouse stores that offer customers discounted prices on products bought in bulk and other services such as eye and ear exams, a pharmacy, one-hour photo printing, and a food court.

We decided to put one of their best-known perks to the test: the free samples.

Both chains are known for their generous sample policy and customers frequently brag on Twitter about heading to the stores for a free meal.

There is a method to their madness, however. By offering free samples these stores improve the shopping experience for the customer and make them more loyal. It's also a way for customers to try new products and spur them into buying more.

“What started as a fun idea more than 30 years ago is now a core experience that our members love. Sharing samples is a great way to highlight cool, new items and showcase the quality and value offered by our curated assortment,” a spokesperson for Sam's Club told Business Insider.

Who do you think won?