12 Reasons Amazon Prime Is Worth the Extra Cost

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The current cost of Amazon Prime is $14.99 if you pay every month, or $139 per year, and Prime Video membership is $8.99. You might be trying to save money and think canceling Amazon Prime is an easy solution. After all, are you really watching that many Prime shows? The thing is, Amazon Prime offers a ton of benefits that you might be overlooking — or didn’t even know about when you signed up. Here are some things to consider before you hit the cancel button on your Amazon Prime subscription.

Expedited Delivery

One of the best perks of Amazon Prime is the fast and free delivery that’s available on millions of products. Some items even offer free same-day or next-day delivery for when you need items right away. You also have the option to pick up deliveries from nearby Amazon pickup locations if that’s easier for you. 

Exclusive Prime Deals

Amazon offers Prime members exclusive deals every day. These prices can range up to 50% off the normal price. There are new items offered daily, so no matter what you’re looking for, Amazon is sure to offer it at a discounted rate if you’re a Prime member. 

Ability To Download Movies and Shows To Watch Later

About to go on a long flight? Going somewhere with unreliable Wi-Fi? With Prime, you can download select movies and shows to your device so you have them for later, no internet connection required. To download something from Amazon Prime onto your device, you’ll need a Fire tablet, or the Prime Video app for iOS, Android, macOS or Windows 10.

Big Deals on Prime Day 

Prime Day is usually technically two days long and offers deep discounts that only Amazon Prime members can access. The event typically happens twice a year. Another perk of being a Prime member is that you’ll get early access to these sales, so you can snag some of the top deals before they sell out.  

You Can Share Your Prime Benefits 

Here’s a cool perk: Prime members can share certain benefits with another person. You just have to add them to your Amazon Household, then you’ll both have access to Prime benefits.

Free Media Storage

Amazon Prime offers you the ability to be extra safe with your favorite photos and videos. Every member gets 5 GB free for full-resolution photos and videos, then it’s $1.99 a month after that for 100GB. You can access all your media across any device that can access Amazon Prime and grant access to others in private groups. From here, you can also order prints to be made of your images. You can even use your photos as your Echo Show home screen and Fire TV screensaver.

You Can Read Books for Free

With an Amazon Prime membership, you have access to Prime Reading, which gives you unlimited access to a rotating catalog of ebooks and audiobooks. You also have access to select magazines and comic books. Prime Reading materials are available on any device. 

Free Prime Music Subscription

As a perk of having an Amazon Prime membership, you have access to Amazon Prime Music. This includes access to 100 million songs and an array of podcasts without having to listen to ads. You also get recommended new music and podcasts based on what you already listen to. 

Access to Prime Gaming

Love video games? You’re in luck since your Prime Membership comes with access to tons of exclusive content for your favorite games, a rotating collection of free PC games and a free Twitch channel subscription that you can change every month if you want to. You also receive free two-day shipping on all official Twitch merchandise purchased in the United States. 

Save at Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh Stores

As a Prime member, you can order groceries to be delivered the day you order them (within two hours of placing the order) from Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh. On top of that, you’ll save 10% on certain items at each of the stores just for being an Amazon Prime member.

Government Assistance Recipients Can Save on Membership Costs

If you receive EBT, Medicaid or other government assistance, you might qualify for an Amazon Prime membership that only costs $6.99 a month.

You Can Save Money If You’re a Student

If you’re looking to save cash on your membership and you’re enrolled in classes right now, you might qualify for Amazon Student. This will save you a lot on Amazon Prime. Students get Amazon Prime for $7.49 a month, or just $69 a year. That’s less than half the normal price.

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