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Sharing an Amazon account with family and friends helps split subscription costs, but sharing can be a pain when ordering surprise gifts from the same account. What if your family members accidentally see the gifts you’ve bought for them? Amazon’s Archive Order feature fixes this problem.
What Is Amazon’s “Archive Order” Feature?
Screenshot by Marissa Zupancic — no attribution
Amazon’sOrderssection features an option toArchive Orders, which hides them from the mainOrderstab of your family’s Amazon account. This is a fantastic option if you’re buying gifts you’d like to keep hidden until the day you plan on giving the gift.
Is your family an Amazon regular? Or do they stock up on household goods or other items they’ll likely have to return? At some point, someone will open the orders tab and see those gifts ahead of time.
Why I Use “Archive Order” on Amazon
I love using Amazon’s Archive Order feature during the holidays or my family’s birthdays. This feature allows me to hide gifts and birthday/holiday decorations I want to keep secret from my family until a given day.
Because my family and I order from Amazon multiple times per week, they constantly check past orders to see estimated shipping dates, process returns, and/or make sure they put the right shipping address since we live in different places.
Using the Archive Order button provides an extra layer of protection, so I know my family won’t accidentally (or intentionally) snoop on upcoming gifts!
How To Use The Archive Order Feature on Amazon
Using theArchive Orderfeature on Amazon is simple.
If you need to access that specific order later to start a return or see other order details, go to theOrderssection, click thedrop-down menunext to the number of orders placed in a given timeframe, and scroll all the way down until you get the option forArchived Orders.
While your family may still sneak a peek if they know how to navigate this section, the Archived Orders give me peace of mind in knowing my family won’t accidentally see any upcoming gifts. Amazon also offers anAmazon Household subscription, allowing you to add another adult to your plan to share subscription benefits.
Amazon’s option to archive orders is a necessary feature if you share an account with family/friends and frequently order holiday and birthday gifts from the site. Now, you can still surprise family and friends with gifts, even with a shared account!
