Thinking about trying out Amazon Prime, but not sure if the Amazon Prime benefits are worth it? You can get a one month free trial with all the Prime perks, so you can try it out first!
Amazon Prime Benefits – Is It Worth It?
New customers can score a FREE 30-day trial to Amazon Prime HERE! It's a great time to grab this free trial with Black Friday deals running 🙂
Is Amazon Prime worth it? There are a TON of benefits, but it's good to take a look and see if it makes sense for your family to have this service. With Amazon Black Friday deals in full force, this might be a good time to try this service out and see if it is for you.
Also – The mega online retailer just recently increased the price of Prime memberships due to the continued expansion of member benefits and the rise in wages and transportation costs. Sadly, the cost will increase an additional $2 per month or $20 per year. This is something to consider as you think about adding Amazon Prime for your household.
Here is the updated Amazon Prime pricing:
- Monthly fee – from $12.99 to $14.99 ($2 increase)
- Annual membership – from $119 to $139 ($20 increase)
This is the first time that Amazon had raised the price of Prime since 2018. 🙁 Good news is that if you want to try it out, you can still score a free 30-day trial here.
Note from Laurie –
I've had an Amazon Prime membership for YEARS, and people ask me all the time if I think it's worth it. As a busy work-at-home mom I really do love the convenience of Amazon Prime and will continue to use it after the price increase, but it may not be for everyone – and that's totally OK.
You may be wondering with the new price change and competitive Walmart Plus Membership program available, is a Prime Membership still really worth it? Keep reading…
Here are the Amazon Prime benefits laid out for you, so you can make an educated decision yourself!
Top 10 Amazon Prime Benefits
1. Get TONS of items to your home, with no shipping fees.
I love that I don't have to worry over the cost of shipping items to my home on most items at Amazon. If there's something I need that I would normally order online (ie. – office supplies, facial care products, random school supplies, etc), I look for it on Amazon.
If it's a reasonable price, I love having it delivered rather than heading out to the store! 🙂
More Delivery Options for Prime Members:
- FREE 2-Day Delivery: Millions of items delivered fast and free.
- FREE 1-Day Delivery: Available on more than 10 million items with no minimum purchase.
- FREE Same-Day Delivery: Available on over 3 million items on qualifying orders over $35. Order in the morning, typically before noon, and get your items by 9 p.m.
- FREE Ultrafast Grocery Delivery: Get free two-hour delivery on groceries, including quality fresh food and produce (in select cities).
- FREE Release-Date Delivery: Be among the first to get new video games, books, music, movies and more. Choose Release-Date Delivery on qualified items and receive your package by 7 p.m. on that date.
- FREE No-Rush Shipping: Don't need your Prime order right away? Select No-Rush Shipping and earn rewards for future purchases.
Note – To make sure I'm never paying more than the price at Walmart, I always check the Walmart.com price and make sure the Amazon price really is a good deal. You can also compare the prices at Sam's Club online and Costco to do a little research before purchasing!
2. Shop the hottest sales before everyone else.
Amazon Prime members get to shop the hottest Lightning Deals 30 minutes before everyone else (I love snagging super cheap clothing during these sales!). These deals usually don't last long, so if you see one you might like, grab it fast!
3. Enjoy Free movie and TV streaming with Amazon Prime Video.
I stream a ton of Amazon Prime movies and shows through Prime Video, especially to watch on the treadmill in the morning. My kids watch movies on the app as well, and even though Amazon Prime doesn't offer all of their movies for free, there are a lot to choose from!
Prime Streaming Options:
- Prime Video: Stream thousands of movies and TV shows, including exclusive Amazon Originals. Learn more about Prime Video.
- Prime Video Channels: $4.99–$14.99/month for Prime members. Watch your favorite shows and movies from HBO, SHOWTIME and STARZ channels — no cable required, cancel anytime and no additional apps to download. Try it free HERE!
Note – Netflix has more movies included with their basic package than Amazon Prime does, so factor that into your decision making process. Also, there are lots of other cheap options out there if you're considering cutting cable.
4. Read completely Free Kindle eBooks.
Every month, Amazon Prime Members can enjoy a selection of more than 1,000 books and magazines for free! It's basically like a private library that lets Prime members read for free! I love that you can share this perk and many other benefits with other household members at no additional cost!
Other Prime Reading Benefits:
- Prime Reading: Prime Reading gives you unlimited access on any device to more than a thousand eBooks, popular magazines, comics, books with Audible narration, and more.
- Amazon First Reads: Prime members get to choose one free Kindle book each month!
- Prime Print Magazines: Prime members can score great magazine deals!
- Prime Book Box: Subscription program that delivers hand-picked children's books every 1, 2 or 3 months. Each box costs $19.99 ($16.99 for your first box!), saving Prime members over 40% off the list price!
Prefer listening to books? Try Audible for free and get 2 free audiobooks!
5. Get unlimited, full-resolution photo storage.
Don't you hate it when your cloud storage fills up and you have to delete some photos off your phone to make space? Prime members get free unlimited full-resolution photo storage, custom print options, and the ability to share pics with friends and family.
6. Take advantage of Grocery savings.
Amazon's Grocery program allows you to order groceries delivered to your door! These items do take a little longer to ship (typically 4 days because they have to be shipped by ground, but you can score some nice saving!). Occasionally Amazon offers special free coupons or free shipping on these items, so you can really stock up!
7. Listen to millions of songs for free, without ads.
I love using Prime Music while exercising or doing chores! Amazon Prime Music is a streaming service that's included with your Prime membership at no extra charge. It features more than 2 million songs — including thousands of stations and top playlists — all ad-free.
Prime Members also get a 20% discount on Music Unlimited, which gives you access to tens of millions of songs, the ability to download music for offline listening, and the option to listen ad-free with unlimited skips. Amazon Prime Members pay just $7.99/month (regularly $9.99/month). Start a 30-day free trial HERE.
8. Students get Amazon Prime for free for 6 months.
If you're a student or know someone who is (or have an .edu account), it's definitely worth signing up for a free 6 months of Amazon Prime Student (and other student discounts here!). Just be sure to cancel your trial before your six months is up.
And, if you have a video game playing kiddo or college student, they'll love getting free game content every month and a Twitch Channel Subscription for free with Prime Gaming!
9. Save 20% on diapers & wipes with Amazon Family.
If you have young children at home, it is definitely worth trying out Amazon Family. You'll get up to 20% off diapers & wipes when you subscribe, and 15% off eligible products from your baby registry (not to mention a free Welcome Box filled with goodies!). Plus, there are often clippable coupons, making these baby staples even cheaper!
You'll definitely save a bundle on diapers and wipes, all conveniently delivered to your door (which is so worth it when your kids are tiny!).
*Note – Go here to see how Amazon's diaper prices compared to Costco and Sam's Club! You might be surprised!
10. Get exclusive savings at Whole Foods Market.
Have a Whole Foods store nearby? Amazon Prime Members get exclusive savings at Whole Foods Market in-store, including 10% off Sale Items (look for the yellow signs), exclusive Prime Member deals, and more! There are also lots of great deals online, too!
Amazon Prime Discount for SNAP/EBT Holders
In addition to all of these discounts and features – did you know that if you have a EBT or Medicaid card, you can get an Amazon Prime Membership for 50% OFF the normal price?
SNAP EBT or Medicaid Cardholders can pay just $5.99/month for the full gamut of Prime benefits – including FREE Shipping, Prime Member Deals, Discounted Groceries (Using Subscribe & Save) and Award-Winning TV and Movies.
EBT cardholders can also use their EBT card to buy groceries – which is a great benefit for those trying to stay home more.
Sign up for your $5.99 monthly discounted rate here to start enjoying the benefits of Amazon Prime!
SO, is there a downside to Amazon?
Well, sort of. I love Amazon Prime and pay for it in part because it's just convenient, but the $119 $139 annual price tag really isn't necessary for many of the deals on Amazon. Many items ship free when you spend $25 or more without Prime.
If you can keep a running list of things you need and wait until you've reached the $25 threshold, you can skip that extra annual fee. Plus, there are several ways to try it free or score a discounted Prime membership:
- Students get a free 6-month Amazon Prime Trial with an .edu account.
- Prime is just $5.99/month for qualifying customers in select U.S. government assistance programs such as holders of the EBT card.
- Everyone can try one month of Amazon Prime for free – go HERE to check it out and see what you think!
So, what do you think? Do you have an Amazon Prime membership and is it worth it for you? I'd love to hear your thoughts ~ leave a comment to share!
Love Amazon? Don't miss my list of 16 items you should be buying on Amazon.
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