Amazon.es glossary: 40 terms, plainly explained
In short
This glossary explains in a sentence or two the 40 terms that come up most when shopping or subscribing on Amazon.es: services such as Amazon Prime, Audible or Kindle Unlimited, concepts such as free trial, automatic renewal or minimum term, and product-page facts such as seller, return period or price per unit.
0-9
48-hour method
A saving habit that consists of saving a product to the wish list and deciding two days later whether to buy it. It cuts impulse purchases.
See the guide: The 48-hour method: using the wish list to spend less
A
Affiliate link
A link that leads to a shop with an identifier for the site recommending it. On qualifying purchases the shop pays that site a commission, at no extra cost to the buyer.
Alexa
Amazon's voice assistant, built into speakers and other devices. It lets you ask for music, audiobooks or information by voice, hands-free too.
Amazon Associate
A person or website that takes part in the Amazon Associates Programme and earns a commission when someone buys or subscribes after using one of its links. The buyer's price does not change.
Amazon Hub
A network of automatic lockers and shops where you can collect an Amazon order instead of receiving it at home. It is available to any customer and avoids failed deliveries.
See the guide: Fast delivery on Amazon.es: options, times and how to receive sooner
Amazon Music Prime
The music service included in the Amazon Prime subscription. It offers music and podcasts with an experience closer to a radio station than to on-demand listening.
Amazon Music Unlimited
Amazon's paid music streaming service: on-demand listening, no adverts and downloads for offline use. It is a subscription separate from Prime, with a 30-day free trial.
Amazon Prime
Amazon's paid subscription bringing together fast delivery at no extra cost, Prime Video, Amazon Music Prime and Amazon Photos. In Spain it costs €4.99 a month or €49.90 a year and has a 30-day free trial.
Amazon Segunda Mano
The section of Amazon.es with returned or open-box products, checked and sold at a discount. Each listing describes the condition of the unit.
Audible
Amazon's audiobook service, with more than 90,000 titles and exclusive content. It has a 30-day free trial, or 3 months for Prime customers, and then costs €9.99 a month.
Audiobook
A recording of a book's complete text read aloud by a professional narrator, an actor or the author. A title of average length runs between eight and twelve hours.
See the guide: Getting started with audiobooks: a practical guide to your first month
Automatic renewal
The system by which a subscription is extended and charged again at the end of each period unless cancelled first. It is the model for every Amazon free trial.
See the guide: How to cancel a free trial on time: a four-step method
B
Baby registry
A free Amazon.es service that gathers under one link what a family needs for a baby's arrival, so that relatives and friends know what to give.
Baby shower
A gathering held before the birth to support the parents-to-be and give them the gifts they will need. It is usually held between weeks 28 and 34.
See the guide: Baby shower: how to plan it step by step and where the registry fits
Black Friday
The sales event held on the Friday after the fourth Thursday in November, which opens the Christmas shopping season. It is open to all shoppers.
See the guide: Prime Day and Black Friday: how to prepare and really save
E
E-ink reader
A device for reading ebooks with a screen that does not dazzle, reads well in sunlight and uses very little battery. The Kindle is Amazon's e-reader.
See the guide: Reading on your phone with the Kindle app: settings that help
F
Flat rate
A subscription model giving access to a whole catalogue for a fixed fee, without paying per title. Kindle Unlimited and Audible work this way.
See the guide: Audible or Kindle Unlimited: differences, price and which to try first
Free trial
A period in which you use a subscription without paying. It asks for a valid payment method and, if not cancelled before it ends, becomes a paid subscription.
G
Group gift
A higher-priced gift bought jointly by several people, such as a group of friends or colleagues. On a wedding registry they should make up about 15%.
See the guide: How many gifts should you put on a wedding registry? Rule, table and examples
K
Kindle app
The free app for reading Amazon ebooks on a phone, tablet or computer, with no need for a Kindle e-reader. It syncs your last page read and your highlights.
See the guide: Reading on your phone with the Kindle app: settings that help
Kindle Unlimited
Amazon's flat rate for reading, with more than a million ebooks. It has a 30-day free trial and then costs €9.99 a month, with no minimum term.
L
Legal guarantee
The protection consumer law gives the buyer of a new product against manufacturing defects. In Spain it is three years when buying from a professional seller.
See the guide: How to read an Amazon.es product page before you buy
M
Minimum term
An obligation to keep a service for a minimum time. The Amazon subscriptions explained here have no minimum term: they can be cancelled whenever you like.
See the guide: How to cancel a free trial on time: a four-step method
O
One-day delivery
The Amazon Prime benefit that delivers two million items the next day at no extra cost. The exact date for each product is shown on its page.
See the guide: Fast delivery on Amazon.es: options, times and how to receive sooner
P
Pickup point
A place other than your home, such as a locker or a shop, where you collect an order. On Amazon.es they form the Amazon Hub network.
See the guide: Fast delivery on Amazon.es: options, times and how to receive sooner
Price per unit
A product's price divided by its units, litres or kilos. It is the figure that lets you compare formats and packs of different sizes.
See the guide: How to read an Amazon.es product page before you buy
Prime Day
An Amazon deal event reserved for Prime customers, held in summer.
See the guide: Prime Day and Black Friday: how to prepare and really save
Prime Student
The Amazon Prime subscription at half price for students and people aged 18 to 24: €2.49 a month or €24.95 a year, with a 90-day free trial.
Prime Video
Amazon's video streaming platform, with films, series and original productions. In Spain it is included with Amazon Prime.
Prime Video Channels
Themed channels from other companies that Prime customers can add to Prime Video one by one, each with its own fee and no minimum term.
R
Reference price
A product's price noted a few weeks before a sales event. It lets you check whether the advertised reduction is real.
See the guide: Prime Day and Black Friday: how to prepare and really save
Return period
The time during which a product can be returned. It is shown on each Amazon.es product page and varies by product and time of year.
See the guide: How to read an Amazon.es product page before you buy
S
Same-day delivery
An Amazon Prime delivery option available in 15 Spanish cities for eligible products from €29, according to Amazon's June 2025 announcement.
See the guide: Fast delivery on Amazon.es: options, times and how to receive sooner
Streaming
A way of watching video or listening to music over the internet without downloading the file first. It needs a connection, unless the service allows downloads.
Streaming player
A device that plugs into a television's HDMI port and adds apps such as Prime Video. Fire TV devices are Amazon's players.
See the guide: How to watch Prime Video on your TV: three ways and what to do if it fails
Subscribe & Save
The Amazon.es option to receive consumables regularly at a discount. You can cancel or skip a delivery.
T
Thank-you list
A downloadable record of the gifts received through the Amazon.es Wedding Registry. It is used to thank each guest without forgetting anyone.
See the guide: How to thank people for wedding gifts: timing, method and 8 example messages
Third-party seller
A business other than Amazon that sells its products on Amazon.es. It may ship the order itself or let Amazon ship it from its warehouses; the product page says which.
See the guide: How to read an Amazon.es product page before you buy
W
Wedding registry
A free Amazon.es service that gathers under one link the gifts a couple would like for their wedding. It accepts products from any category.
Wish list
An Amazon list where you save products without buying them. It is used to wait before deciding, to compare and to prepare the next order.
See the guide: The 48-hour method: using the wish list to spend less