Amazon Primeis probably best known for two things: two days free (cross that out:1-Tag!) Netflix-style video streaming and delivery. Those are definitely worthwhile perks, especially considering the relatively low annual subscription fee of $119 (a basic one by comparison).netflixThe subscription alone costs $108). But there's more to a Prime membership than just shipping and streaming. Much more.
Here's a look at all the benefits of Prime, along with some Amazon services you might have thought were included but actually cost more. (Not currently subscribed? You canSign up for Prime here, even if it's just a 30-day trial, and if you're reading this during Prime Day season, you'll find out howGet Prime Day deals without being a member.)
The full list of Prime perks is surprisingly long. Let's start with everyone's favorite: free and fast shipping.
shipping benefits
Free Overnight Shipping:Early on, Prime offered a fantastic shipping upgrade: free two-day delivery on many, if not most, physical Amazon products, even if it's just one item and only costs a few dollars. ($3 HDMI cable, anyone?) However, earlier this year the benefit got even better:Amazon has switched to overnight shipping for millions of products. Aren't you in a hurry? When you get to the checkout page, look for the "No Rush Delivery" option which might earn you a small credit (usually $1) that can be used toward digital purchases:E-books, movie rentals, etc.
Free delivery on launch date:Let's say you order a new book by your favorite author or a new technological product. As a Prime subscriber, you'll receive this article on the exact day it's released, not a day or two later. Of course, only certain items are eligible.
Free two-hour delivery:Prime Now takes things hyperlocal, delivering whole foods and other items in just two hours, free if you spend at least $35, $4.99 if you don't. Plus, Amazon offers Whole Foods discounts exclusively for Prime subscribers (see below).
Top 5 AmazonBasics Products
purchase benefits
Free (or flat rate) delivery of groceries and household items:Toilet paper, dog food, shampoo, your favorite cereal—Prime Pantry provides these and other products (just about anything that doesn't need refrigeration). However, to get free shipping (and it will be ground shipping, not one or two days) you need to spend at least $35. Spend less and shipping is $5.99 per order. You can also upgrade your Prime Pantry subscription for $4.99 per month, but the only benefit is that you get free shipping with a minimum of $10 instead of $35.
alexa biet:Have an Echo, Fire tablet, or other Alexa-enabled device? If so, speak those magic words: "Alexa, what's your business?" She'll utter a pretty random listExclusive Prime Offers, and stop after each one to ask if you want to buy it. It's certainly not the most efficient way to shop, especially if you choose to go online to make sure the deal is really good, but it's a Prime benefit nonetheless.
5% cash back with an Amazon Prime Card:How do you get better deals on Amazon? Sign up for one of the company's credit cards; each offers 5% cash back on almost all Amazon purchases. have theAmazon loyalty card, which is only valid on Amazon and offers interest-free financing for multiple purchases. (Currently, you can also get a $60 gift card if you sign up.) then there is theAmazon Prime Rewards Visa Membership Card, a more traditional credit card that also offers cash back for purchases outside of Amazon.
Exclusive discounts at Whole Foods:crossAmazon took over the supermarket chain in 2017, now you can get exclusive benefits and discounts. When shopping in-store, look for prices marked Prime, then open the Amazon app on your phone and scan the QR code at checkout. While you're at it, use Visa Prime Rewards above for an additional 5% back.
fresh amazon:This grocery delivery service, which preceded Amazon's ownership of Whole Foods, seemed to be dying on the vine. But Amazon appears to be doubling the previous fee of $14.99 per month for using Amazon Fresh.He was removed. For now, though, it's only available in select territories (about 21 major markets so far).
Instant reordering with Amazon Dash Buttons:At first, Amazon sold physical buttons that you could use to reorder various household items (such as paper towels, washing powder, or coffee pods). But Dash Buttons are now strictly virtual, i. h Access from your computer, mobile device,echo showor Samsung Family Hub. The functionality remains the same: individual products can be automatically reordered with a tap of the finger.
Early Access to Lightning Deals:Amazon Lightning Deals are for a limited time or while supplies last. If you're a Prime subscriber, you'll get access to these deals 30 minutes before non-subscribers.
Access elements from Amazon:Elements is arguably the "meh" of all Prime Perks, an Amazon store stocked mostly with "premium" vitamins, protein powders and other supplements, and baby wipes.
Graduation discount:to have a baby? If you used Amazon to create a gift list, the final discount gives you an additional 15% off the remaining items on the list (ie, items you didn't purchase for yourself).
Master closet:This exclusive Amazon offer gives you seven days to try on eligible clothing, shoes and accessories at home, then return any items you don't like for a full refund.
Transmission Benefits
Unlimited Video Streaming:Prime Video is similar to Netflix and offers movies, TV shows, and original content. It is accessible on virtually all mobile and streaming devices, along with most game consoles and smart TVs. Also, many TV shows and some movies can bedownloaded to your phone or tablet for offline viewing, same as Netflix. Here is our summary ofAll the New Movies and TV Shows on Amazon July 2019
Restricted Music Streaming:Amazon Prime Music gives you unlimited, ad-free access to a music library of over 2 million tracks. You can stream them to multiple devices, but the songs can also be downloaded to your phone or tablet for offline listening. Prime Music should not be confused with Amazon Music Unlimited (see "What's Not Included in Amazon Prime" below), which aA lot ofLarger library, but costs extra. However, Prime subscribers get a discount.
media benefits
Unlimited photo storage:Like Google, Amazon Prime offers subscribers unlimited cloud storage for photos. For most people, that means using the Amazon Drive app to upload photos from phones and tablets, but there's one too.desktop app(for Windows and Mac) that can archive photos from your hard drive. In addition, Prime Photos offers you 5 GB of storage space for documents and videos.
Free eBooks and Magazines:As part of your Prime membership, you get access to Amazon Prime Reading, which, similar to a lending library, allows you to borrow up to 10 titles. The problem: This particular library offers a relatively small selection, so don't expect a lot of new titles or bestsellers. However, the magazine selection, which changes quite frequently, can be decent. For example, you can now get Entertainment Weekly, Martha Stewart Living, and Men's Health, to name a few.
Free eBooks Part 2:It's called Amazon First Reads, and it works like this: Every month, Amazon publishers curate more than a dozen books that haven't yet been published and give Prime subscribers the chance to pick one of them, for free. And it's forever too; You don't just borrow the book.
Free audible channels:Amazon owns the Audible audiobook service. Audible Channels is one of Prime's best-kept secrets: a small selection of audiobooks only available to Prime members (and only available to stream—if you want to download one, you'll have to buy it). Speaking of secrets, these books are somewhat hidden: to find them, you need to venture into the Audible app on your phone, tap the channel icon, and scroll until you see Audiobook Collections.
Free PC Games and Extras:Hardcore gamers know what they're doingMuscle contraction, which allows users to watch and share gameplay videos. Prime subscribers who link their Twitch and Prime accounts can get free games and in-game loot. (To access the former, you need the Twitch desktop client.)
Offal
Share members:Do you share the house with another adult? so you can enjoyAmazon familiesto share many of your Prime benefits with that person. Families also allow up to four teens (ages 13-17) to create their own shopping and streaming profiles.
Amazon Prime also lets you add premium video subscriptions (HBO, Starz, Showtime, etc.) to your Prime Video viewing screen, though that's just a convenience — you don't get any discounts compared to buying those subscriptions separately. .
What is not included in Amazon Prime
That's a lot of Prime goodness. However, some Amazon services are not included in your subscription, and some services are no longer. For example,Amazon restaurants that offered food delivery similar to GrubHub closed earlier this year.. There's also no more a free 6-month subscription to The Washington Post. Here's a look at what costs extra, and how much extra.
Unlimited Amazon FreeTime:FreeTime Unlimited is a subscription service designed specifically for ages 3-12, featuring select apps, eBooks, games, movies, TV shows, and other kid-friendly content. It is compatible with Kindles, Fire tablets and thefire tvand includes parental controls for things like setting time limits, adjusting content filters, and reviewing photos taken with the tablet. You don't need a Prime membership to get FreeTime Unlimited, but it's cheaper: $2.99 per month for one child or $6.99 per month for up to four children. If you don't have Prime, the service costs $4.99 and $9.99 respectively.
Unlimited Kindle:Kindle Unlimited, priced at $9.99 per month, is designed to expand the eBooks, digital magazines, and audiobooks that are already included with your Prime subscription. It's not really clear how much more content you'll get, so sign up for a trial first. (CasuallyPrime subscribers are currently eligible for a three-month trialFree of charge.)
Unlimited music:Amazon's response toapple music, Spotify and Co. give you access to over 50 million songs, much more than with Prime Music. If you already have a Prime membership, adding Music Unlimited costs $7.99 a month, a few dollars less than competing rates. However, a family plan costs $14.99 a month whether you're subscribed to Prime or not, and that's not a real savings compared to the competition. In fact, you may wantCheck if Amazon Music Unlimited is a good dealfor you before adding it to your account.
Currently running: Watch this: Fun Perks Every Amazon Prime Member Gets
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Originally published a year earlier. It will be updated regularly to reflect changes to the service.
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