Shopping with Alexa remains one of the least used features of Amazon's voice assistant. This is understandable, as there are many questions about how it works, the security measures it offers to prevent unwanted purchases, and so on. So, let's delve deeper with this guide, covering everything you need to know about shopping with Alexa.
What is shopping with Alexa
Alexa's shopping feature , as the name suggests, allows you to make purchases on Amazon's online store using voice commands. For example, you can say something like "Alexa, buy milk," and the voice assistant will carry out the action without needing a screen.
Interesting and futuristic at the same time, right? Well, yes, but even though it is already a reality, very few users use this function. The main reason is that of confidence in a system that they do not see as safe due to the fact of buying "blindly". Why what happens if it is not what you really wanted or the amounts are wrong? Well, in principle there would be no problem, because purchases continue to enjoy free returns, although it is logical that they think so.
Likewise, it must also be said that the idea of this function is to be able to make all those purchases that you usually make on a recurring basis from time to time. So there should not be any kind of problem, because you are going to buy products that you already know well, such as all those related to food, cleaning products, etc.
What is needed to order with Alexa
Now that you know what shopping with Alexa is all about, you might be wondering what you need to do it. Well, to make purchases with Alexa, it's important to meet a few requirements :
- The first is to have an Amazon account
- In said account you must have configured a valid payment method
- In addition, the shipping address data must be correct to avoid problems
Done, if you comply with these sections, you can buy on Amazon using the voice assistant. Although there is still another series of aspects that you need to know so that the experience is satisfactory and avoid possible scares with unwanted purchases.
Security when buying using Alexa
Just as any user can use your smart device with Alexa, they can also use its shopping features. Therefore, the first recommended step to make shopping with Amazon's voice assistant safer is to create a voice profile.
Profiles allow the assistant to recognize the person who is speaking to them. In this way they know if it is the account holder or not and can allow the action of buying through voice commands.
To create one of these voice profiles, you only have to perform the following steps, although you may have already done it from some previous configuration for other functions of the assistant:
- Open the Alexa app on your mobile device
- Go to the More option and then to the Settings section
- Then select the option Buy by voice
- In this setting go to Confirmation of purchase
- Now select the manage option to be able to assign the appropriate profile
- When you have it, select it and then click Save
- Finally, you can activate or deactivate this profile for the subject of purchases
This is the first security measure that allows purchases with Alexa, but there's another one that further increases the level of trust in the buying process: the use of a PIN code . To set it up, do the following:
- Again open the Alexa app on your mobile device
- Again, inside More, click Settings
- Select Account settings and then to buy by voice
- In the Purchase Configuration section, click Manage
- Now you just have to activate the voice code and set the four-digit numeric code that you want to use
With these two settings you will now be able to make purchases with Amazon's voice assistant in a safe way, since it will not only have to recognize your voice, but also know the digit that will confirm the purchase. And it is true that having to dictate a security code reduces the agility of the process, but it is also true that it is the way in which many users could rely on using this function.
How to place an order with Alexa
Finally, placing an order with Alexa is quite simple. All you have to do is ask her, just like you would ask for many other things. For example, "Alexa, buy milk." If you want her to buy several bottles of milk, you just have to tell her the number, and so on with practically anything you can think of.
Of course, you have to be attentive to see what options it offers you, so that it is always the one you really want. For the rest, it does not have many mysteries and it does have a multitude of possibilities, although it will be a slow process until you adapt to this way of interacting for something as basic as going shopping.
Complement the shop with Alexa function with shopping lists
To complete all these shopping options with Alexa, there are shopping lists . Even if you don't end up making a purchase through the assistant, being able to use it to add items you need to buy is very useful and also very easy.
To use the shopping lists, you only have to have created one or more lists, depending on whether they are shopping for home, work or whatever, and tell Alexa to add the items that you tell them. For example, “Alexa, add toilet paper to the shopping list” or “Alexa, add paper to the office shopping list.