How Much Does Amazon Prime Cost for a Membership?

For shoppers who are too busy to visit multiple brick-and-mortar stores to pick up everything on their shopping lists, from groceries and gadgets to books and apparel, the Amazon Prime subscription-based service has made buying these items online a whole lot easier.

<h3 class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="SEE ALSO: 9 Money-Saving Hacks for Amazon Shoppers” data-reactid=”19″>SEE ALSO: 9 Money-Saving Hacks for Amazon Shoppers

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Free two-day shipping is one of the most popular benefits of Amazon Prime, along with unlimited music and video streaming. These and other perks have combined to lure 100 million shoppers worldwide into shelling out extra cash for an annual or monthly Prime membership. With the average Prime member spending $1,300 annually, according to a 2017 study conducted by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, expedited shipping alone can quickly make the membership fee worthwhile depending on how often you order.” data-reactid=”20″>Free two-day shipping is one of the most popular benefits of Amazon Prime, along with unlimited music and video streaming. These and other perks have combined to lure 100 million shoppers worldwide into shelling out extra cash for an annual or monthly Prime membership. With the average Prime member spending $1,300 annually, according to a 2017 study conducted by Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, expedited shipping alone can quickly make the membership fee worthwhile depending on how often you order.

If you haven’t joined Amazon Prime yet, but are considering it, read on to learn more about the various plans offered, the costs and key perks.

How Much Is Amazon Prime? Choosing the Right Membership Plan

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="The annual Amazon Prime plan membership fee jumped to $119 from $99 on May 11 for new members. Renewing Prime members were hit with the new rate effective June 16. You're charged upfront, and the annual membership auto-renews every 12 months. Perks include free two-day shipping, access to same-day or one-day delivery on some orders, unlimited music streaming and photo storage, as well as access to Prime Reading (book and magazine downloads) and Prime Pantry (discounted groceries and household products).” data-reactid=”23″>The annual Amazon Prime plan membership fee jumped to $119 from $99 on May 11 for new members. Renewing Prime members were hit with the new rate effective June 16. You’re charged upfront, and the annual membership auto-renews every 12 months. Perks include free two-day shipping, access to same-day or one-day delivery on some orders, unlimited music streaming and photo storage, as well as access to Prime Reading (book and magazine downloads) and Prime Pantry (discounted groceries and household products).

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="If you aren't ready to commit to an annual membership, test out the monthly Prime plan. The monthly Prime membership fee remains the same at $12.99, for a total of about $156 a year, if you don't upgrade to the annual plan. You're privy to the same perks as annual members, but you'll have to pay more every month to enjoy them. It's a good option for shoppers who fear they might get cold feet and want to cancel their Prime membership midway through the annual subscription.” data-reactid=”24″>If you aren’t ready to commit to an annual membership, test out the monthly Prime plan. The monthly Prime membership fee remains the same at $12.99, for a total of about $156 a year, if you don’t upgrade to the annual plan. You’re privy to the same perks as annual members, but you’ll have to pay more every month to enjoy them. It’s a good option for shoppers who fear they might get cold feet and want to cancel their Prime membership midway through the annual subscription.

College students can register for a free six-month Prime Student plan trial membership. Initially, you’re supposed to register using a “.edu” e-mail address so Amazon can confirm your student status (the email can be changed later). Once verified, students can enjoy the same Prime perks as annual members, as well as get access to Twitch Prime (which includes free gaming content and ad-free viewing on Twitch.tv). Student members also get first dibs on daily deals on everything from skincare products to school supplies. Once the free trial is over, you can sign up for a discounted annual Prime membership ($59) that’s good for four years or until you graduate, whichever comes first. The monthly Prime student membership fee is $6.49.

Attention film buffs: Even if you’re not a big online shopper, and you prefer your music on CDs and your books on paper, there still might be an Amazon membership for you. The Prime Video plan allows you to stream movies and television shows on a variety of platforms for $8.99 a month.

The Benefits of Amazon Prime

If you order from Amazon on a weekly basis, then Prime’s free two-day shipping is probably enticing enough. However, that’s not the only noteworthy perk members with annual, monthly or student plans can take advantage of free of charge:

Free same-day or one-day delivery is available in select metro areas. You must spend at least $35 on eligible products to qualify for expedited delivery. For same-day shipping, orders must be placed before noon to receive them by 9 p.m. the same day. For one-day shipping, orders placed in the afternoon will arrive by 9 p.m. the next day. You can enter your shipping zip code on Amazon.com to find out if either shipping option is available near you. There’s also the Prime Now option, which provides a two-hour delivery window on select items in certain areas.

<p class="canvas-atom canvas-text Mb(1.0em) Mb(0)–sm Mt(0.8em)–sm" type="text" content="Prime members can also register for Amazon’s in-home delivery service. It provides keyless, in-home delivery of your orders when you’re away. You’ll have to separately purchase and install Amazon’s Key Home Kit, which gives the delivery person access to your home to drop off packages near your front door instead of leaving them outside. You’ll need to download the Amazon Key app so you can lock and unlock your front door remotely, as well as watch your package being delivered.” data-reactid=”30″>Prime members can also register for Amazon’s in-home delivery service. It provides keyless, in-home delivery of your orders when you’re away. You’ll have to separately purchase and install Amazon’s Key Home Kit, which gives the delivery person access to your home to drop off packages near your front door instead of leaving them outside. You’ll need to download the Amazon Key app so you can lock and unlock your front door remotely, as well as watch your package being delivered.