Amazon stops physical Dash buttons for one-click buying

Amazon is discontinuing sales of the Dash buttons, which allowed customers to purchase specific products such as laundry detergent or toilet paper with a single click. According to the manufacturer, the buttons were a prelude to smart homes.

Amazon has confirmed the discontinuation of the Dash buttons to CNet. The company started in 2015 as a test with the buttons in an attempt to make buying products that customers have to purchase regularly as easy as possible. Wide availability followed in 2017.

After pressing them, the buttons send a signal via WiFi to the Amazon Shopping app, after which an order for the specific product associated with the button is automatically placed. The user then has half an hour to cancel the order. Amazon charged $5 for the buttons, but refunded that amount for an order after the first use.

It is not known how many buttons Amazon has supplied in total. According to Daniel Rausch, who co-founded the Dash project, it concerns ‘millions’. The most popular buttons would be for toilet paper, tissues, water bottles, pet food, printer ink and condoms. According to him, the buttons were a stepping stone to smart homes and they have succeeded in that mission. With that, it looks like Amazon is phasing out Dash in favor of Alexa.

The removal of Dash comes a few months after a German judge declared the buttons illegal because consumers were not properly informed about the price they have to pay for products. Amazon disagreed with that statement.