What is Amazon Prime and What Benefits Do You Get?

Almost every Internet user knows about Amazon Prime’s free shipping benefits, but it is far more than just that. Fast delivery gets the product to you as quickly as possible. Streaming movies, TV shows, and music is just a few clicks away. Exclusive Prime deals save you even more. You also get to choose a free book every month from First Reads. The list goes on! This article breaks down the details for you, showing the various benefits of an Amazon Prime membership to help you decide if it’s worthwhile.

What’s Included in Amazon Prime?

Prime Benefit #1: Fast and Free Shipping

While regular Amazon users have limits on free shipping opportunities, Prime members get free delivery all the time. The shipping options available depend on your zip code. Amazon provides the associated delivery options in your cart.

As an Amazon Prime member, you receive the following shipping choices (subject to your zip code and products ordered):

• FREE Two-Day Shipping
• FREE Same-Day Delivery: Order it today and get it today
• FREE Prime Now: Get 2-Hour Delivery on thousands of items
• FREE Release-Date Delivery: Get preorder items delivered on their release date
• FREE No-Rush Shipping: Usually not the desired option but gives you rewards for future purchases in return for your generosity
• Amazon Day: Set a specific day for weekly deliveries on any items you order

Prime Benefit #2: Amazon Prime Movies, TV Shows, and Music

Amazon offers Prime Video streaming services to everyone at $12.99 per month, but Prime members enjoy their favorite movies and TV shows for FREE.

You can watch or download titles for offline viewing from anywhere and on multiple devices, such as the Fire TV Stick, tablets, smart TVs, game consoles, mobile phones, and laptops.

Prime Music is also included FREE with a Prime membership but not available to non-Prime customers. You get unlimited, ad-free listening of more than two million songs alongside unlimited skips and downloading abilities to the Amazon app.

Prime members also get a discount (just $7.99 per month or $79 per year compared to $9.99 per month) on Prime Music’s notably better counterpart, Amazon Music Unlimited, which boasts a much more extensive library of 40 million songs compared to Prime Music’s two million.

Prime Benefit #3: FREE Private Reading Collection from Prime Reading

Prime members get access to Prime Reading, which offers unlimited access to more than 1,000 eBooks, magazines, and comics.

You don’t even need to purchase an eBook reader since the materials are all available with Amazon’s free Kindle apps for Android and iOS.

Prime Benefit #4: Free Books from First Reads

Amazon’s First Reads is part of the Kindle eBooks store and provides exclusive pricing on editor picks and early access books each month. Prime customers receive one FREE book every month they’re a member.

Prime Benefit #5: “First in Line” Shopping

While regular Amazon customers have to wait for pre-orders to ship or special promo days to order, Prime members get the priority that ensures their chances of getting products before they sell out. The best example of this scenario is Lightning Deals, giving Prime members access thirty minutes before opening the shop to the public.

Prime Benefit #6: Exclusive Deals

Prime Day offers a full 24 hours’ worth of deals that include significant discounts and great products, only available to Prime members. This opportunity gives you the chance to get what others get but with more savings and better chances of getting what you want. Of course, you also get FREE shipping!

Prime Benefit #7: Other Benefits

Aside from FREE and discounted streaming entertainment, fast and free shipping, free books, and priority shopping, Prime members get many other perks and advantages over regular shoppers.

Additional benefits of Amazon Prime include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Dash buttons: Easy reordering of your favorite products (uses Prime shipping)
• Amazon Fresh: Fast and free grocery delivery( (subject to location)
• Amazon Household: Share qualifying Prime benefits with adults, teens, or children in the household
• Amazon Photos: Secured, unlimited storage in Amazon Drive for you and family members in your Family Vault
• Amazon Channels: Integrated HBO, SHOWTIME and STARZ subscriptions access to enhance your streaming entertainment options
• Exclusive Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card: No annual fee or foreign transaction fees, plus 5% cashback on Amazon purchases, 2% at drug stores, gas stations, and restaurants, and 1% on everything else
• Amazon Prime Wardrobe: Try before you buy (up to 7 days) on eligible items and pay for what you keep
• Amazon Completion Discount: 20% off select baby supplies (diapers, baby food, etc.) and 15% off select items from your Amazon Baby Registry.
• Plus much more!

You also get ad-free viewing, an exclusive chat badge, and a monthly subscription to Twitch. While shopping, your membership grants you exclusive discounts on orders for collectors’ editions and pre-orders on video games.

Is Amazon Prime Worth It?

Amazon Prime is designed to be affordable, and it’s optimized to provide benefits that outweigh the costs. If the features you use are minimal, it may not be the right option for you. However, most Prime members feel they benefit greatly from the service.

How Much Does Amazon Prime Cost?

Amazon Prime starts with a 30-day trial, so you can test out all the benefits it provides. After that, it costs $12.99 per month. Discounts are available with limitations.

Amazon Prime Subscription Costs include:

• $12.99 per month standard or $119 ($36.88 less) per year billed annually
• $6.49 per month or $59 per year ($18.88 less) for students
• $5.99 per month (up to 4 years) for EBT and Medicaid recipients

How to Cancel Amazon Prime

If you didn’t want to continue Prime after your free trial but missed the deadline, you can cancel Amazon Prime membership on the Manage Prime Membership page. As long as you haven’t used your Prime benefits, you can get a full refund. If you have a Prime membership through a third-party, Amazon says to contact the provider directly to check the rates and manage your membership.