NEW YORK, May 10 — Amazon.com Inc said yesterday it cut the threshold for free shipping to US$25 from US$35 (RM108.68 from RM152.15), upping the ante against Wal-Mart Stores Inc in a hotly contested battle for ecommerce supremacy.

Amazon already offers free two-day shipping under its US$99 Prime membership programme but the new offer is aimed at encouraging more customers to shop on its platform.

Amazon also hopes to convert these shoppers to Prime members down the line.

The world’s biggest retailer, Wal-Mart, has been building up its ecommerce business through acquisitions such as Jet.com, as it looks to narrow the massive gap with Amazon.

Wal-Mart started its own membership programme called ShippingPass last year, which offered free two-day shipping for US$49 a year.

However, the company ended the programme in January, replacing it with free two-day shipping on orders of US$35 or more. — Reuters