Do you find yourself shopping online on Amazon? You’re not alone because Amazon has tens of millions of customers monthly.
Maybe you still don’t have an Amazon Prime membership and wonder, “How much Is Amazon Prime, and is it worth it?”
You’ve come to the right place for answers.
I wrote this guide to explain Amazon Prime’s membership fee, benefits, potential downsides, and alternatives to Prime subscription.
Let’s begin.
Table of Contents
How Much Is Amazon Prime?
First, I’ll answer, “How much does Amazon Prime cost?”
The cost of Prime membership depends on the plan you choose.
Here’s a breakdown of the payment plans.
How Much Is Amazon Prime a Month?
A monthly Prime membership costs $14.99.
This plan is ideal if you want to access all the benefits of Prime but prefer to spread out your payment. You’ll pay $179.88 for an entire year.
Note: If you have an EBT or Medicaid card, you can sign up for a cheaper Prime membership. Instead of paying $14.99 monthly, your subscription fee is only $6.99.
Provide Amazon with the necessary documents and wait for the platform to verify your account.
How Much Is Amazon Prime a Year?
An annual Prime Membership costs $139.
It’s a more significant expense upfront, but you’ll spend less in the long run if you pay the Amazon Prime membership fee annually.
What Does Amazon Prime Cost for Students?
Students with a valid school email address enjoy a discounted Prime Student membership fee of $69 annually or $7.49 monthly. They get a free six-month trial of Prime Student instead of the standard 30-day free trial.
Prime student members can also access exclusive deals and promos.
Prime Video Membership
A standalone Prime Video membership (no other Amazon Prime benefits) costs $8.99 monthly or $107.88 annually.
Note: When you sign up for a free trial, Amazon keeps your credit card details. If you don’t want to keep your membership, log into your account and cancel it. Otherwise, the platform will automatically upgrade you to a paid membership plan.
The Benefits of Amazon Prime
What’s included in the Amazon Premium subscription?
This subscription gives you access to all the benefits of Amazon Prime at no additional cost.
Fast grocery delivery and pickup (Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods)
Free two-day shipping benefits on eligible items
Exclusive access to specific deals and discounts
Prime Gaming
Amazon Music streaming service
Prime Reading
Prime Day (annual savings event)
Discounts and savings on Amazon Prime Rx and Amazon Pharmacy
Video streaming service (TV series, live sports, and movies)
Lightning Deals (promotion and discount)
How Much Is an Amazon Prime Membership for Seniors?
The standard Amazon Prime monthly cost is $14.99, but Amazon Prime for seniors costs only $6.99.
This special discount applies to seniors enrolled in any of the following government assistance programs.
Medicaid
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or TANF
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP (formerly called food stamps)
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children or WIC
Supplemental Security Income or SSI
Amazon Prime Cost for Educators
There has been a long-standing rumor that teachers can get Amazon Prime for free or a 50% discount on their membership fee. However, it’s not free or discounted for educators.
There’s no special price for teachers—they must pay the standard Amazon Prime subscription fee.
Amazon Prime Membership Cost for Veterans
Amazon Prime pricing does not include a free or discounted plan for veterans and military personnel. This misconception probably stems from Amazon’s special deals in the past.
In 2019, Amazon started offering a 50% discount to Prime members who paid for an annual subscription on Veterans Day. However, the company discontinued the program in 2022, three years after its launch.
Amazon Prime Plan for SNAP Recipients
Individuals from low-income households with SNAP EBT cards enjoy 50% off their Amazon Prime membership. These individuals only need to pay a $6.99 monthly fee instead of $14.99.
These Prime members enjoy the same benefits of a full-price membership, including free games, Prime Music and Video, and free shipping.
SNAP recipients can use their EBT cards to purchase eligible grocery food items on Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods Market.
SNAP-eligible foods include fruits and vegetables, canned goods, meat, fish, poultry, dairy products, bread, cereals, and frozen foods.
How Much Is Prime Membership for Students?
With the Prime Student membership plan, students only pay $7.49 monthly or $69 annually. However, students must meet these requirements:
They must have an Amazon account.
They must be a college student actively enrolled at a US school.
They must provide a valid email address containing the domain suffix.edu.
They must provide proof of enrollment.
In addition to a discounted membership plan, students enjoy exclusive perks.
How Much Is Amazon Prime Video?
Amazon Prime Video is free for Prime members. However, you can have it as a standalone service for $8.99 monthly.
The standalone membership is cheaper than the Amazon Prime subscription. However, doesn’t include free same-day delivery, free two-hour delivery of groceries, unlimited music streaming, and other exclusive Prime benefits.
Can I Avoid Paying My Amazon Membership Fee?
There’s been a rumor about certain websites sharing codes allowing people to enjoy Amazon Prime membership for one year for free.
The only way to avoid paying the Prime membership fee is to sign up for their free 30-day trial (or a 6-month trial for students). However, you can only do this if you haven’t been a Prime member in the last 12 months.
You also need a valid credit card to sign up for the free trial.
How Much Is HBO on Amazon Prime Video?
US Prime members can sign up for HBO Max for a $14.99 monthly subscription, allowing them to access over 15,000 hours of curated content from Warner Bros.
How Much Is Starz a Month on Amazon Prime?
Starz’s subscription fee is cheaper than most of Amazon’s add-on streaming services like HBO Max and Showtime.
Starz costs $8.99 monthly or $74.99 annually for Prime subscribers. The annual subscription is 30% cheaper than the monthly payment plan.
Is Amazon Prime Worth It?
There is no way to tell whether Prime is worth its annual fee because it depends on how frequently you shop online and order food deliveries.
Amazon Prime is worth its price if you prefer shopping online, using food delivery services (ex., DoorDash, Grubhub, etc.), enjoying Prime Video channels, and getting early access to promos.
You may be better off paying the shipping cost per item if you rarely order online. Another option is to ask a friend who is an Amazon Prime member to order a product for you.
Can I Get a Refund of My Amazon Yearly Fee After Cancelation?
You’re eligible for a full refund if you paid for a membership, never used any Prime benefits, and canceled within three business days of converting from the free trial.
You can only receive a partial refund based on the remaining time in your membership if you’ve used any of the Prime perks.
Amazon typically processes refunds within three to five business days.
Are There Alternatives to Amazon Prime?
Yes. One of the best Prime alternatives is Walmart Plus, an annual subscription that is $40 cheaper and provides these benefits.
Free delivery on eligible pre-order items
Fast groceries online deliveries
Free shipping with no minimum order
Fuel discounts at select gas stations
Video streaming with Paramount Plus
Access to sales events and promotions
Discounts on prescriptions from Walmart pharmacies
Target RedCard, ShopRunner, and Instacart are excellent alternatives to Amazon Prime.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How Much Is Amazon Prime in 2023?
The subscription service is $14.99 monthly or $139 annually. However, Amazon offers discounted membership plans with the same perks, including free and fast delivery on eligible items, coupons, and discounts.
Who Can Enjoy Amazon Prime Price Discount?
Students, seniors, and SNAP recipients enjoy a discount of around 50% when they sign up for Amazon Prime.
Is It Cheaper To Pay for Amazon Prime Yearly or Monthly?
The subscription service costs $14.99 monthly or $179.88 for an entire year. The annual subscription fee is $139.
Paying a lump sum will save you $40.88 annually in the long run.
What Does Amazon Prime Include?
Prime members enjoy these key benefits.
Free same-day delivery
Free standard shipping
Free two-day shipping
Free release-date shipping
Fast expedited shipping
Discount on prescriptions and other products on Walgreens and Amazon Pharmacy
Free Twitch channel subscription
Exclusive deals
Free unlimited photo storage
Access to over a thousand books and magazines through Prime Reading
Ad-free access to video and tv streaming
Amazon Music Unlimited
Early access to some promos
Is It Worth Getting Amazon Prime?
It depends.
Prime is worth it if you’re a frequent online shopper and want to enjoy discounts, coupons, exclusive deals, fast and free delivery options, and unlimited access to Prime Video and other services.
What Is an Amazon Prime Card?
Consider applying for the Amazon Rewards Visa Signature Card, which gives you 5% cash back on purchases on Amazon and Whole Foods Market and comes with a $100 Amazon gift card.
However, this card only gives 3% cash back for non-Prime members.
What Is Amazon Prime Photos?
Amazon Photos is a secure online storage for photos and videos that Prime members can access for free.
How Much Is Amazon Prime Video a Month?
Prime members can enjoy this service at no additional cost. However, you can have it as a standalone, video-on-demand service for $8.99 monthly.
What Is Amazon Family Program?
This program allows you to share Amazon benefits with family members. Adults can manage the profiles of teens and children in the Amazon Household.
How Much Is Amazon Prime Going Up?
Amazon raised the price of Prime annual membership from $119 to $139 (or $12.99 to $14.99 for those paying monthly).
The 17% Amazon Prime cost increase forced some Prime members to cancel their subscriptions.
Amazon cited increasing inflation and operating costs as the reason for the price hike.
How Much Is Amazon Prime for Seniors?
Senior Prime subscribers pay a $6.99 monthly fee, significantly cheaper than the standard $14.99.
The Bottom Line
Amazon Prime is worth your money if you spend more than $139 in shipping and delivery fees yearly and enjoy its video and streaming services, in-game content, Amazon Photos storage, and discounts.
However, more affordable alternatives like Walmart Plus are worth considering if Prime doesn’t fit your budget.
