AmazonSmile
AmazonSmile was a discontinued Amazon.com charitable giving program (2013–2023) that automatically donated 0.5% of eligible US purchases to customer-selected 501(c)(3) public charities, with Amazon covering all operational costs.
- Company typePublic
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersSeattle, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What AmazonSmile does
AmazonSmile was a charitable giving program operated by Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) that launched in 2013 and was discontinued effective February 20, 2023. The program was embedded directly within the Amazon.com website and mobile application, allowing logged-in US customers to select a 501(c)(3) public charity to receive an automatic donation equal to 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases. Amazon covered all operational costs, ensuring that 100% of the donated amount was passed through to the chosen charitable organization.
The core technology was a transaction-level donation mechanism integrated into Amazon's existing e-commerce platform, with no separate consumer-facing product, app, or API. Distribution was entirely through Amazon.com's existing US customer base, and discovery relied on Amazon's homepage and account interfaces rather than independent marketing channels. The program had no independent revenue model; its economics were a cost center for Amazon representing 0.5% of eligible purchase volume plus operational overhead.
AmazonSmile was owned and operated as a sub-brand of Amazon.com, Inc., a publicly traded Delaware corporation founded in 1994 and headquartered in the United States. As a cause-marketing initiative, AmazonSmile served two constituencies: end-consumer Amazon shoppers who selected beneficiary charities, and registered 501(c)(3) public charities that received donations. Following the program's shutdown, Amazon consolidated its philanthropic activities under a new Amazon.org initiative.
AmazonSmile firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AmazonSmile
- Legal name
- Amazon.com, Inc.
- Website
- https://smile.amazon.com
- Company type
- Public
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Closed
- Short description
- AmazonSmile was a discontinued Amazon.com charitable giving program (2013–2023) that automatically donated 0.5% of eligible US purchases to customer-selected 501(c)(3) public charities, with Amazon covering all operational costs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AmazonSmile industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Charitable Giving Platform
- NAICS
- Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132)
- SIC
- Retail-Nonstore Retailers (5960)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services (FSAAANAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Trust Advisory (FSAEAKAH)
Keywords
Where AmazonSmile is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Seattle
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
AmazonSmile business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
AmazonSmile product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AmazonSmile was a charitable giving program that donated 0.5% of eligible purchase prices to 501(c)(3) public charities selected by Amazon.com customers. Customers shopped on Amazon.com as usual and Amazon automatically directed 0.5% of qualifying purchases to the customer's chosen charitable organization at no additional cost to the customer or the charity. The program was discontinued effective February 20, 2023, with charitable activities consolidated into Amazon.org.
Product overview
AmazonSmile was Amazon's charitable giving program that donated 0.5% of eligible purchase prices to customers' selected charitable organizations. The source data provided is from the main Amazon.com website rather than the AmazonSmile portal.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- AmazonSmile: Charitable giving program that donated a portion of eligible purchases to charitable organizations (discontinued February 2023)
- Amazon Basics
- Prime Video
- Amazon Music
- Amazon Pharmacy
- Amazon Haul
Products and services
- AmazonSmile AmazonSmile was a charitable giving program available to Amazon.com customers in the United States that donated 0.5% of eligible purchase prices to 501(c)(3) public charities selected by the customer. Amazon covered all operational costs so 100% of the donation reached the chosen charity. The program was discontinued effective February 20, 2023.
Companies that use AmazonSmile
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles2 records
AmazonSmile technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AmazonSmile partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
AmazonSmile competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GoodShop: Online cashback-donation platform that contributes a share of purchases from partner retailers to user-selected causes. Highly comparable to AmazonSmile's automatic donation on purchase model.
- eBay for Charity: eBay's embedded charitable giving program allowing sellers and buyers to direct a portion of transaction value to nonprofits. Directly comparable to AmazonSmile as a marketplace-integrated donation mechanism.
- PayPal Giving Fund: PayPal's nonprofit donation platform that channels donations from PayPal transactions to vetted charities. Comparable to AmazonSmile as a payment/platform-based charitable giving mechanism.
- iGive: Online shopping portal that donates a portion of purchases from partner merchants to selected nonprofits. Directly comparable to AmazonSmile's purchase-triggered donation mechanism.
Emerging players
- Rakuten Cash Back: Cashback rewards platform that returns a percentage of purchases to users, with optional charitable donation integrations. Comparable to AmazonSmile in routing a slice of purchase value back to the user/cause.
- Giving Assistant: Cashback donation platform that allows shoppers to direct a portion of cashback from partner retailers to selected nonprofits. Closely comparable to AmazonSmile's purchase-triggered donation model.
Broad incumbents
- Walmart Spark Good: Walmart's charitable giving program including round-up donations and corporate nonprofit support. Comparable to AmazonSmile as a large retailer's embedded charitable giving initiative.
- Amazon.org: Amazon's consolidated philanthropic initiative succeeding AmazonSmile. The natural successor and most direct contextual peer for Amazon's charitable giving strategy going forward.
Market position
Strengths3 records
Weaknesses3 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights4 records
Customer concentration
AmazonSmile social profiles
Digital presenceAmazonSmile financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AmazonSmile leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
AmazonSmile subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries14 records
AmazonSmile funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AmazonSmile M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about AmazonSmile
What does AmazonSmile do?
AmazonSmile was a charitable giving program that donated 0.5% of eligible purchase prices to 501(c)(3) public charities selected by Amazon.com customers. Customers shopped on Amazon.com as usual and Amazon automatically directed 0.5% of qualifying purchases to the customer's chosen charitable organization at no additional cost to the customer or the charity. The program was discontinued effective February 20, 2023, with charitable activities consolidated into Amazon.org.
Is AmazonSmile a public or private company?
AmazonSmile is a public company. It is classified as public and is currently closed.
When was AmazonSmile founded?
AmazonSmile was founded in 1994.
Where is AmazonSmile based?
AmazonSmile is headquartered in Seattle, United States, in the North America region.
Who are AmazonSmile's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GoodShop, eBay for Charity, PayPal Giving Fund and iGive. Emerging players are Rakuten Cash Back and Giving Assistant. Broad incumbents are Walmart Spark Good and Amazon.org.
Does AmazonSmile have an API?
No public API is recorded for AmazonSmile.
What industry is AmazonSmile in?
AmazonSmile's product category is Charitable Giving Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAAANAI, Philanthropic & Charitable Trust Services, with a secondary code of FSAEAKAH, Charitable Giving & Philanthropic Trust Advisory. Its NAICS code is 813219 and its SIC code is 5960.