One of the most convenient ways to buy products you use on a regular basis is with the Amazon Dash button. With Dash, purchasing frequently used products can be done with a single press of a button. The physical button is small and can be attached to just about any surface, and communicates wirelessly to place orders using your Amazon account.
Now, the Dash button is available for purchase in the U.K. For now, the button can be linked to products from over forty brands, including Air Wick, Gillette, and Pedigree. Once purchased, the buttons can set up using an Android or iOS device. Configuration takes place within Amazon’s app, which communicates with the Dash wirelessly to get it going. The app also provides order notifications, so it can be used to cancel orders that were not authorized, or were placed accidentally. There is also a feature in place that will ensure it does not reorder an item until the current order has arrived to help users avoid ordering the same item more than once. The Dash buttons use Amazon’s Dash Replenishment Service, which is not only used in the buttons but can be built into products that use replicable supplies, such as printers and washing machines so that they can be replenished automatically when needed.
The purpose of the button is to simplify the tedious process of buying products that need to be refilled or replaced on a regular basis by making it much faster and more efficient. According to Amazon Dash director Daniel Rausch, “We wanted to take the one-click experience from our website and put it right where people need it most, in the home, near the products that run out. So that buying them is no longer work.” Dash buttons are only available to Amazon Prime members, so to use them you will need to join if you haven’t already. The cost of the device is £4.99 , however, when you purchase a Dash button, you receive a £4.99 credit towards your next purchase of the item linked to your button, so it pays for itself on the first use, making it essentially free. This provides a great way for Amazon Prime members to easily manage the ordering of household items and is certainly a reason for those who don’t have the service already to consider signing up, particularly if they already order these types of items from Amazon anyway.