A few years ago, the idea of waiting two weeks for a $3 phone case sounded ridiculous. Then Temu and Shein showed up, and millions of US shoppers got used to it. Amazon noticed, and in November 2024, it quietly launched its own version called Amazon Haul. It's been expanding ever since.
If you've been curious about Amazon Haul but aren't sure whether it's worth your time (or how it stacks up against Temu and Shein now that tariffs have reshaped this whole category), here's what to know.
What Amazon Haul is
Amazon Haul is a section of Amazon where almost everything costs $20 or less. Most items are under $10, and some go as low as $1. It started as an app-first experience aimed at younger, mobile-savvy shoppers, but Amazon has since opened it up. You can now browse it in the Amazon app, on mobile web, or on a desktop computer.
Shipping takes one to two weeks. Orders of $25 or more ship free; otherwise there's a $3.99 shipping fee per order. Amazon also throws in tiered discounts to nudge you toward bigger carts: 5% off orders of $50 or more, and 10% off orders of $75 or more.
Returns are free for items priced above $3, but you only get a 15-day window (versus the usual 30 days on Amazon). Items priced $3 or less are final sale, with no returns and no refunds. Everything is backed by Amazon's A-to-Z Guarantee, the same protection you get on regular Amazon orders.
In the Amazon app, tap the main menu icon or type "haul" into the search bar. On a computer or in a mobile browser, go to amazon.com/haul.
How Amazon Haul is different from Temu and Shein
The whole low-price category shifted in 2025. The US ended a rule known as "de minimis" that had let packages worth less than $800 come in without import duties. That was the loophole Temu and Shein had been built on, and losing it forced both of them to change how they operate.
Shipping speed is no longer a real difference
Temu used to ship everything directly from China, which meant waiting a week or two for your order. After the tariff changes, Temu moved to US-based warehouses, and items stocked locally now tend to arrive faster, often within a few days. Amazon Haul ships in one to two weeks through Amazon's own network. So for anything Temu keeps in a US warehouse, Temu can actually be quicker. If speed is your priority, you know which one you should go with.
A Temu product page calls out the fact that there are no import charges.
Tariffs won't surprise you at checkout
You've probably heard that tariffs upended cheap overseas shopping, and they did. Prices went up across all of these sites after the de minimis rule ended. But here's what matters for you as a shopper: you won't get hit with a surprise customs bill. Shein bakes any import costs into its listed prices and has told customers they won't pay extra at checkout. Temu now fulfills US orders from US-based warehouses, so most items don't trigger import charges for the buyer. Amazon Haul handles it the way Amazon always has. The price you see is the price you pay.
The legal fight over these tariffs is still working its way through the courts, so the underlying rules could shift again. But from a shopper's standpoint, what shows up at checkout is what you'll actually pay across all three.
Amazon has an edge with trust and returns
Amazon oversees the whole purchase process, including order shipment and returns, and Amazon's A-to-Z Guarantee covers you if something goes wrong. Returns are also simple: you can drop eligible items at more than 8,000 locations, including Amazon Fresh, Whole Foods, Kohl's, UPS, and Staples.
Temu's return policy is technically more generous on paper (90 days versus Amazon Haul's 15), but the experience can be messier. You're often dealing with third-party sellers, and refunds can take longer to land.
Amazon Haul won't bombard you
Temu and Shein get relentless with their follow-up notices once you start browsing. Look at a single item and you'll get a steady stream of notifications, pop-ups, spinning prize wheels, and "almost gone!" warnings, all pushing you to buy right now. Amazon Haul doesn't do any of that. It's just the regular Amazon app, so you browse and buy at your own pace.
The pricing is clearer too. On Temu, it can be hard to tell what an item actually costs, between the crossed-out "original" prices, the stacked coupons, and the spin-to-win discounts. On Amazon Haul, each item simply has a price, with no games to play to find out what you'll really pay.
Temu and Shein have the better selection
Temu and Shein still have far bigger catalogs, especially in fashion, novelty items, and ultra-cheap accessories. Shein in particular is still the giant in fast fashion. If you want the widest possible selection at the lowest possible price, those two win.
Amazon Haul has a section called "Brand Scores" that offers products from recognizable brands offered at steep discounts, sometimes 40% to 50% off. These are backed by Amazon's A-to-z Guarantee, so you have easy recourse if you're stuck with a product that doesn't meet your expectations. Shein has a similar section called "All Brands," with a wide range of products. However, with Shein, you'll need to be more careful because return policies are based on the seller and and a name-brand listing does not necessarily mean Shein is an authorized seller for that brand.
What's worth buying on Amazon Haul
I've spent enough time on the store to have opinions on where Amazon Haul shines and where it doesn't.
Tech accessories
This is probably the strongest category. You'll find phone cases, charging cables, phone stands, tripods, screen protectors, and storage organizers: the kind of stuff where you don't need premium quality, you just need it to work. A $5 phone stand from Haul does the same job as a $25 one from a brand-name accessory maker.
Skip anything that needs to last under stress (long cables, anything with a battery) and stick to the simpler items. Check reviews carefully, because you'll see plenty of duds alongside the surprisingly decent stuff.
Beauty and personal care
Hit-or-miss. The Brand Scores section is where you'll occasionally find recognizable name brands, and that's where I'd focus. The generic, unbranded mascara and skincare can be fine if you read the reviews first, but I wouldn't bet on anything described in vague marketing terms.
Home odds and ends
This is where Haul covers the practical, low-stakes household stuff: memory foam slippers, kitchen organizers, drawer dividers, and small storage solutions. These are things where "good enough" really is good enough, so the low price rarely bites you. Bedding and towels can be hit-or-miss, though, since the materials are often thinner than the photos suggest.
Fashion basics
Through Brand Scores, you can sometimes find recognizable clothing brands for less. The unbranded fashion is where I'd be more careful. Sizing tends to run small, and quality varies. Stick to basics like socks, T-shirts, and simple accessories rather than betting on statement pieces.
Read more: Alexa for Shopping can now auto-buy items when prices drop
Where Haul falls short
The catalog is smaller than Temu's
Temu and Shein list millions of items, while Amazon Haul offers a much smaller, curated selection. If you're hunting for something specific or unusual (a case for an older phone, an oddball kitchen gadget), there's a decent chance Haul just won't carry it. The upside is that you're wading through less junk, and the sellers go through Amazon rather than a wide-open marketplace. But if variety is what you're after, Temu still wins easily.
The 15-day return window is tight
Amazon's standard return window is 30 days, but on Haul you get half that. The 15-day clock starts ticking the moment your order is delivered, not when you finally open it. So if a package sits on your counter for a week while life gets busy, you've already burned through half your window. Test anything from Haul as soon as it shows up, rather than assuming you can sort it out later the way you might with a regular Amazon order.
Final-sale items under $3 are exactly that
Anything priced $3 or less is final sale: no returns, no refunds, period. That covers a lot of Haul's cheapest items, including the small cables and accessories that are easy to toss in your cart on impulse. If one of those arrives broken or just isn't what you expected, you're simply out the money. None of it is going to bankrupt you, but a cart full of $1 and $2 items adds up, and not a cent of it is protected.
So is Amazon Haul for you?
If you already shop on Amazon and want Temu-style prices without the Temu-style learning curve, Amazon Haul is the easier choice. Returns are simple, shipping is reliable, and the Brand Scores section gives you real name brands at low prices.
If you want the absolute lowest prices, the biggest catalog, and don't mind a more chaotic shopping experience, Temu and Shein still win on raw value. The gap between these three has narrowed a lot in the past year, and for most shoppers it now comes down to your tolerance for spammy notifications and where you already feel comfortable spending money.
[Image credits: Amazon]
