After coming to the US, one thing many people may find hard to get used to is American snacks. If you grew up spoiled by the huge variety of snacks back home, walking into a supermarket here and seeing aisle after aisle of candy and chips can be a little disappointing. Snacks at Chinese supermarkets are often expensive, not that great, and sometimes may even be close to expiration. So today I want to introduce a website where I often shop for snacks: Yami (yamibuy.com).

[4/19 Update] If you sign up for Yami now, you can get a 500-point ($5) welcome bonus plus a 10% off coupon for self-operated products sitewide. Yami has also launched a new Points Mall feature, where you can use points to redeem discount codes. For example, 300 points can be exchanged for a $5.99off beauty discount code, or for 15% off select products. Compared with redeeming points directly at 100 points = $1, this can be a better deal.

Points Mall screenshot

About Yami

Yami is the largest Asian e-commerce platform in North America. The site launched in March 2013 and focuses on distinctive Asian products across categories including food, beauty, wellness, appliances, and other everyday household needs. After several years of rapid growth, Yami has become a top online shopping destination for Chinese consumers in North America and has built a strong brand reputation within the Chinese community. (Source: Yami official site introduction)

Personally, I buy snacks there most often. From a pricing standpoint, one big advantage of Yami is no tax, plus it frequently runs 15% off promotions, so the total often comes out noticeably cheaper than buying directly from a Chinese supermarket. In terms of quality, Yami’s snacks are generally fresher than what I find at Chinese supermarkets, with longer shelf life remaining. It also offers a much wider selection. That said, this does depend on where you live: in places like New York or Los Angeles, where there are plenty of Chinese supermarkets, Yami’s advantage may not be as large. Still, having snacks delivered without leaving home is pretty great.

Sign-Up Bonus and Yami Points

If you sign up for Yami through a referral link, you can immediately get 500 points (worth $5), and you can use them on your first order.

After registering a Yami account, you earn 1 point for every $1 spent on Yami, and 100 points = $1. So it’s basically like getting an automatic 1% return.

Product Categories

Yami has gradually expanded from a snack-focused site into a broader platform covering food, beauty, household goods, and wellness products. Most of the products come from China, Japan, and Korea, though there are also a few popular American products.

Food

For most people, the best part is probably the wide range of snacks: Want Want Shelly Senbei, Wangzai steamed buns, duck neck, duck feet, beef jerky, pineapple cakes, White Rabbit candy, and all kinds of cute Japanese snacks. Besides snacks, the food section also carries instant noodles and hot pot seasonings. On average, snack prices are similar to Chinese supermarkets, but since Yami doesn’t charge tax and you can stack shopping portal cashback on top, you can usually save around 10% versus buying from a Chinese supermarket. And if there’s a sitewide 15% off sale, that’s a great time to stock up.

Beauty

If you like Asian beauty products, this section is worth browsing. The selection is fairly comprehensive, and Japanese and Korean beauty products often work better for Asian consumers than many Western brands.

Home

Japanese small home appliances are often quite good. I especially recommend Zojirushi rice cookers. I bought one on Amazon before, and it only started showing a little wear on the nonstick coating after 3 years of use, whereas a Walmart rice cooker I had started losing its coating after about half a year. It also makes great rice. As always, compare the price with Amazon before deciding where to buy.

Wellness

I’m not too familiar with supplements and wellness products, so I’d recommend researching individual items carefully before buying.

Ways to Save

Holiday Promotions

Yami runs promotions around both Chinese and American holidays. For example, it may offer sitewide 15% off during Lunar New Year or 12% off around Valentine’s Day. If your purchase is not urgent, you may want to wait for a sale. Keep in mind that some products may be excluded; the easiest way to check is to add them to your cart and test the discount code.

Yami Points

After registering a Yami account, you earn 1 point for every $1 spent on Yami, and 100 points = $1. So it’s basically like getting an automatic 1% return. Points are calculated based on the post-coupon amount and before any points redemption.

Cashback Portals

If you click through to Yami from an eligible cashback portal and complete your purchase there, you can earn extra cashback on top. Cashback is usually around 3%–5%, so don’t forget to use a portal when shopping for snacks. Some examples are below (updated March 2017):

Credit Cards and PayPal

One of the best credit cards to use at Yami is the Citi AT&T card, which can earn 3x TYP. In addition, there have been reports that the AMEX Blue Cash family may code Yami as a supermarket, which would mean 3%–6% cashback. I tested it once myself and did not find that to be the case. If you have any data points on this, feel free to share.

Besides credit cards, Yami also accepts PayPal. If you have discounted VISA/AMEX/MASTER gift cards, you can add them to PayPal and use them to check out at Yami. If you have PayPal MyCash, loading it and spending it directly is likely the safest option.