What Are the Benefits of Amazon Prime Membership?

If you’re anything like me, Amazon’s extensive marketplace is your go-to for quick deliveries. Who doesn’t love receiving a shiny new product at their doorstep within 24 hours, especially when it’s a last-minute tech gift? While frequent online shoppers already know about Amazon Prime, it’s important to explore the full spectrum of services included in the monthly subscription fee. There’s a good chance you might be missing out on some fantastic extra benefits.

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What is Amazon Prime?

Amazon Prime is Amazon’s central subscription service that offers enhanced shipping options when you shop on their website or mobile app. It provides various ways to get your items quickly, such as same-day or next-day delivery, as well as the convenience of choosing a specific day of the week for delivery.

Amazon Prime Membership Benefits

If you decide to sign up for Amazon Prime, here’s a quick breakdown of what you can expect:

Quick deliveries: Enjoy unlimited one-day and same-day shipping for eligible items. Additionally, there is a grocery delivery service called Amazon Fresh that offers free deliveries from nearby supermarkets if your order exceeds £40.
Prime Video: Gain access to Prime Video, a streaming service that lets you watch and download movies, TV shows, and live sporting events on your phone or tablet.
Prime Photos: Take advantage of unlimited photo storage using Amazon Cloud Drive to securely save or back up your favorite images.
Amazon Music for Prime: Access Amazon’s music streaming service, which provides ad-free listening to over 100 million songs.
Prime Reading: Borrow books and magazines from the Prime Reading catalogue to read on your smartphone, tablet, or Kindle. You also get early access to download a new book every month from Kindle First, free of charge.
Prime Early Access: Get up to 30 minutes of early access to Lightning Deals on the main marketplace.
Prime Day: Gain full access to all the exclusive deals during Amazon Prime Day, an annual shopping event held around July.
Prime Student: Students in higher education can enjoy a 50% discount on Amazon Prime after the six-month trial ends.
Prime Gaming: If you love gaming on a PC, Prime Gaming offers free titles, in-game content, and a monthly Twitch channel subscription.
Prime Discounts: Unlock discounts on various Amazon services, including two free audiobooks on Audible through a 30-day trial, a discounted Amazon Kids+ subscription for £3.99 per month, and Amazon Music Unlimited for £8.99 per month.

READ What is Amazon Fresh and How Does it Work?

How Much Does Amazon Prime Cost?

There are two main Prime tiers available: £8.99 per month or £95 per year. If you only want access to Prime Video, you can opt for the £5.99 per month plan. Students are eligible for a six-month free trial of Prime, followed by half-price subscription fees: £4.49 per month or £47.49 per year. Students also receive up to 10% off selected textbooks.

How Can I Get Amazon Prime for Free?

If you’re unsure whether Prime is right for you, the best way to find out is by signing up for the 30-day free trial. This trial is available to anyone who hasn’t been a Prime member in the past year (limited to one free trial every 12 months). Simply visit the Amazon website, click “Start My Free Trial,” and follow the step-by-step instructions. Remember to have your card details ready, and be aware that if you forget to cancel before the trial ends, you’ll automatically transfer to the monthly subscription.

Types of Amazon Prime Deliveries

One of the major perks of Prime is speedy delivery. Here are the different types of non-standard deliveries available:

One-day delivery: The default free delivery option for Prime members, delivering your order to your doorstep one day after dispatch (cutoff times apply).
Same-day delivery: Orders placed before 12:00 pm noon (or 1 pm in Scotland) in eligible postcodes can be delivered on the same day.
Amazon Day delivery: Select a specific day of the week that suits you and add more items to your order until that day at no extra cost.
Amazon Pickup: Choose to have your order delivered to an Amazon Pickup location, which are yellow self-service lockers often found at shops and supermarkets.

What is Amazon Prime Video?

Amazon Prime Video is a popular streaming platform, similar to Netflix or Disney+. It allows you to browse and watch an extensive library of movies, TV shows, and documentaries on your TV, tablet, or smartphone. Prime Video offers a wide range of original content for adults, including shows like Bosch, The Rig, The Rings of Power, Reacher, and movies like The Covenant and Creed III. Additionally, it features family-friendly shows such as Peppa Pig and Dora the Explorer. Annual sports events, football, and tennis are increasingly available. The ad-supported channel Freevee, owned by Amazon, is also accessible, even to non-Prime members.

READ What it Takes to Sell on Amazon in 2023

Can I Watch Live Sports on Amazon Prime?

Yes, Amazon Prime now offers a growing number of mainstream sporting events. While not yet a regular schedule like those provided by Sky or BT Sports, Amazon is acquiring more rights to show live sports such as NFL, ATP World Tour, and the Premier League. This sets them apart from the competition and allows you to access sporting events during your free trial.

Is Audible Free with Amazon Prime?

While Audible provides access to a vast library of audiobook content, it doesn’t come with your Prime membership for free. Audible subscription fees are currently £7.99 per month or £69.99 per year. However, as a Prime member, you can enjoy a benefit: two free book downloads during the 30-day free trial, one more than what non-Prime users receive.

Does Prime Include Kindle Unlimited?

Unfortunately, Prime membership doesn’t include Kindle Unlimited, Amazon’s library of over a million Kindle titles. However, Prime members can still enjoy Prime Reading, a lighter version of Kindle Unlimited. Prime Reading allows you to borrow up to 10 titles at a time from a curated selection of more than a thousand ebooks, magazines, and comics. Some titles also include Audible narration. It’s a great option for casual readers looking for diverse content.

Does Amazon Prime Include Music?

If you own an Echo Dot or another smart speaker and have a Prime membership, you can enjoy music streaming through Amazon Music Prime. It offers ad-free music and podcasts, although playlist shuffling is the only mode available. If you’re looking for unlimited listening, high-resolution audio, and the ability to skip tracks, Amazon Music Unlimited is the premium tier. Prime members can subscribe to Amazon Music Unlimited at a discounted rate of £8.99 per month instead of £10.99.

Is Amazon Kids+ Included with Prime UK?

While Amazon Kids+ provides an extensive library of age-appropriate books, TV shows, apps, and games for smartphones, Kindles, and tablets, it is not included in your Prime membership. However, Prime members can claim a 50% discount on the subscription. The usual monthly price of £6.99 becomes £3.99, and the annual fee of £68 reduces to £38. Unsure about subscribing? Take advantage of the one-month free trial.

READ Is Marquee Network On Amazon Prime?

What is Amazon Prime Day?

Amazon Prime Day is a highly anticipated two-day shopping event exclusive to Prime members. It offers significant discounts and price cuts across various categories, including tech, home, fashion, and grooming. To access these deals, you need to be an Amazon Prime member or sign up for the free trial.

Can I Share My Amazon Prime Benefits?

Unlike some services that are restricting sharing options, Amazon allows you to share certain Prime benefits with family members through Amazon Household. As long as each adult has their own Amazon account, you can enter their information in the “Share your Prime Benefits” section of the settings. Once the invitee accepts the invitation and agrees to link payment methods, both adults can enjoy benefits like fast deliveries, Amazon Fresh, Prime Video, and Prime Reading. Amazon Household accommodates up to two adults (18+) and four children. The adults can also share digital content like ebooks, apps, and games with the children and access child moderation tools. It’s important to note that Amazon Household works as long as the adult accounts are located in the same country, even if they don’t share the same address.

How Can I Get Amazon Prime Student?

If you’re a student or have a family member currently in higher education in the UK, Amazon Prime Student offers substantial benefits. It starts with a six-month free trial and continues with a 50% discount on the regular monthly or annual subscription fees (£4.49 per month and £47.49 per year instead of £8.99 and £95). This student package provides all the standard Prime benefits, including access to Prime Video, Music Prime, photo storage, and fast deliveries. Additionally, students can take advantage of exclusive offers, such as up to 10% off selected textbooks.

Is Amazon Prime Worth It in the UK?

Subscription service fatigue is common in 2023, but Amazon Prime remains a solid investment for regular Amazon users. Fast deliveries and Prime Day discounts alone make it worthwhile for frequent shoppers. Add to that the extensive content library on Prime Video, the music and ebook selection, and the available discounts on related Amazon services, and it becomes clear that Prime offers excellent value for its price. While access to premium services like Audible, Kindle Unlimited, and Kids+ are not included in the base membership, discounted options are available. Utilizing the free trial is always a smart move. Despite being an established subscription service, Prime still remains one of the heavy hitters in the market.