Why You Should Become an Amazon Prime Member in 2023 | Benefits and Drawbacks of Amazon Prime
I’ve been using Amazon Prime for a few years now and have always loved the fact that their membership offers faster delivery, has a unique selection of products and discounts as well as early access to Amazon Prime Day sales.
So, if you’re not subscribed to Amazon Prime then you’re missing out on quite a bit. Their premium membership plan is one of the best plans out there, but is it worth it and should you become a member now?
Let me take you through all you need to know on why you should become an Amazon Prime member and read on to find out what perks will be made available to you.
Why You Should Become an Amazon Prime Member
What is Amazon Prime and How Much Does it Cost?
Amazon Prime is a premium membership plan that includes various perks for a certain period of time.
These perks get activated the moment you purchase a Prime membership and will last for either a month or a year depending on the plan you selected.
As of now there are two Amazon Prime membership plans available; $15 for a month and $139 for a year and each plan includes a 30-day free trial for new members.
Amazon also offers Prime membership at a discount to certain students and some government assistance programs.
As of 2022, Prime is available to students at a cost of $69 for a year and in order to purchase Prime membership with a student discount, you will need to sign up for Amazon Prime using your college or edu email address.
The final discounted membership plan is for certain government assistance programs such as Medicaid and EBT who can get Prime at 50% off per month, but these qualified members are requested to reapply for their membership once every 12 months.
Reasons Why You Should Become an Amazon Prime Member
Amazon’s loyalty program or Prime membership is one of the best in the market and they have been able to retain customers thanks to this model.
There are a number of reasons why you should however consider buying Prime membership if you’re not a member already.
Amazon Prime Fast Delivery
Prime members get access to fast next-day delivery options with no minimum purchase amount.
Products that carry the Prime badge are eligible for next day delivery and apart from this members also have shipping and delivery options such as Free two-day shipping, free same-day delivery, free release-date delivery and free no-rush shipping.
Prime members are also able to order through other retailers’ websites using payment and shipping options that are available on Amazon in their Buy with Prime program they launched earlier this year.
Amazon Prime Deals and Discounts
Subscribers are eligible for early access to Prime Day and will be able to avail deals faster than non-prime members.
Prime Family members are also eligible for 15% off on certain products from baby registries and up to 20% off on baby diapers and food.
GrubHub+ Access with Prime Membership
Prime users in over 4000 cities in the US can avail free delivery on orders over $12. This service can be canceled and Amazon will charge users $10 per month for GrubHub+ access after their first year of Prime membership.
Prime Membership Offers Access to Multiple Entertainment Channels
Prime members are given access to a wide range of Amazon entertainment platforms such as Prime video, Prime music, Prime gaming and more. Here’s all the entertainment related services available with Amazon Prime membership.
Prime Video – Users can stream unlimited content such as movies and TV shows for free. Non-prime members can also use Prime Video by paying $9 a month.
Amazon Channels – Showtime and STARZ network channels are available at a discounted price of $5 and $15 each that can be watched via the Prime Video app
Prime Music – There are over 2 million unlimited ad-free songs and radio stations available via the Prime Music app.
Prime Gaming – Members get access to free games and channel subscriptions on Twitch TV each month.
Prime Reading – Prime members also get access to thousands of books, magazines and other reading materials on Kindle or Fire tablet and via the Kindle app.
Additional Prime Membership Benefits
Prime members are also guaranteed a couple of other benefits that they can take advantage of while carrying out their daily activities.
Amazon Photos – Prime members are given unlimited photo storage space and up to 5GB video storage on Amazon Drive.
Audible Premium – Members will also receive free access to all audio-books, podcasts and originals on Audible and subscribers get to keep one premium title of their choice.
Try before you Buy – Subscribers get 7 days to try clothes and shoes at home. Members can also pay an additional membership fee to receive monthly styling service.
Amazon Essentials – You will get access to Amazon daily essentials and receive free delivery on all orders irrespective of the order value.
Try Before you Buy – An added feature of Amazon Prime is that when you’re checking out clothes or apparel you’re able to opt for the try before you buy feature and you can choose up to 8 items and have them sent to your home to try. You will only be billed for those clothes that you keep and not the one’s you return to Amazon.
Schedule Multiple Deliveries on Amazon Day – Another advantage of Amazon Prime is that Prime members have the option to schedule all their deliveries and have it all at once on Amazon Day. This means that you can choose between Monday to Saturday to have your orders delivered and a plus point of this is that even if you’ve placed an order for Amazon Day, you are allowed to choose different shipping methods for the rest of your orders and you will not have to rely only on Amazon Day to have them delivered.
Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card – You will get an option to avail the Amazon Prime Rewards credit card and this offer is exclusive to Prime members. The card gets you 5% cashback on all Amazon purchases, 2% at restaurants and gas stations and 1% cashback on every other purchase made with the card.
No Rush Shipping Rewards – There’s an option to save more on shipping costs by selecting no rush shipping. The order will be delayed by a couple of days, but when it’s delivered your Amazon account will be credited with points that you can use on our future purchases, to download music and more.
Amazon Pharmacy – Finally, Prime members get access to fast delivery of medicines on Amazon Pharmacy and additional discounts up to 25%.
Why Should You Avoid Amazon Prime
Personally, Amazon Prime is a decent buy, but if you don’t think that you’re going to use all their services then you can definitely opt for another service.
However, if you’re unsure whether Prime is right for you, sign up for their 30-day trial and check what they have to offer, you just might end up purchasing their prime membership plan.
It’s also good to know that if you’re a paid member and if you have not utilized any of the Prime benefits then you can request Amazon to cancel your membership and receive a full refund.
Amazon vs Aliexpress – Know the difference.
Pros and Cons of Amazon Prime
| Pros | Cons |
| Free gaming content and e-books | Ideal only for shopaholics |
| Free fast delivery | Membership plan is auto-renewed |
| Access to Prime video | Benefits are limited to Amazon and its apps |
| Access to early offers and deals | Not good for local economy due to the fast delivery timelines |
| Regular discounts available to Prime members | |
| Groceries and medicines at a discount |
How to Sign Up for Amazon Prime?
- Sign in to your basic Amazon account.
- Click on your account icon on the top right
- Click Prime Membership from the drop down menu.
- Now, select Start your free trial, and make sure to opt for the six-month option if you’re verifiably a student.
- Select the type of Prime membership you want.
- Enter the credit or debit card info when prompted.
- Confirm your billing and shipping address
- Enjoy Amazon Prime
How to Cancel the Amazon Prime Free Trial?
If you’re trying out Amazon Prime for the first time, you can cancel the subscription without any charges. To do this,
- Login to your Amazon Prime account
- Navigate to the Account and then click on the Your Prime Membership section
- Now tap on Account and List and then select Manage Membership on the following page.
- Click Cancel your Account on the top right-hand side of the screen.
Members who cancel their trial account within the 30-days will not be charged for Amazon Prime.
However, failing to cancel within this time frame will result in your account automatically getting upgraded to Prime and the full charge of the selected plan will be collected.
FAQ’s
Is it worth it to pay $139 for Amazon Prime?
Considering everything it comes with, paying $139 for Amazon Prime for a yearly subscription is a really good deal and one that you should not pass up.
Can I get Amazon Prime for free?
Yes, there are two ways you can get Amazon Prime for free. If you’re signing up for Prime for the first time then you will receive a 30-days free trial and you’ll be able to use all the Prime benefits during this period and the second method is by signing up to a broadband provider or network service provider and getting Amazon Prime for free.
Does Amazon Prime have a seniors discount?
Yes, Amazon Prime does have a senior citizen discount that brings the membership costs down to $6.99 per month, down by $8 from $14.99.
Can I use Prime Video on my TV?
Yes, you will be able to use Prime video on your TV, Android and even iOS devices. Prime video is also available to download on gaming consoles like the PlayStation and Xbox as well as Windows and Mac laptops.
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