Amazon unveils rewards for Business Prime users

Amazon Business, the arm of Amazon that provides wholesale and sourcing solutions to businesses, is launching Business Prime Rewards.

The program is exclusive to Business Prime members and allows them to earn up to $1,000 per year in eligible expenses through Amazon Business, the e-commerce giant said in a press release on Wednesday (October 2). These rewards are calculated using a points system where a balance of 100 points is worth $1. They can be redeemed at checkout on the platform and expire after one year.

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

“Recently, Business Prime Rewards introduced a new way to earn 2% back on Amazon retail brands like Amazon Essentials,” Amazon said in the press 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 the first year, the press release said, compared to a typical annual fee of $179. New Business Prime members can also take advantage of this discount. Meanwhile, Duo Business Prime membership remains free for any Amazon Business customer with a Prime account.

Amazon's launch of rewards for its B2B users comes a few months after the company announced a series of new resources designed to help smaller entrepreneurs.

As PYMNTS reported in May, Amazon introduced an online resource center called 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, as well as tips from other founders, PYMNTS said at the time.

Business owners can also learn how to use Amazon Business to simplify procurement and increase operational efficiency. Additionally, businesses with annual revenue of $1 million or less are eligible to apply for grants in excess of $250,000.

“As we set these small businesses up for success, whether through grants, educational opportunities or the innovative tools Amazon Business offers to simplify purchasing decisions, we hope to help them free up time and resources to focus on their mission can,” says Shelley Salomon, vice president of Amazon Business Worldwide at the time.