Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year if you pay upfront

Amazon Prime is a paid membership that bundles shipping, video streaming, music, and other services into one subscription. The monthly option costs $14.99. If you pay for a full year at once, it costs $139 — which works out to about $11.58 per month if you do the math, so the annual plan saves you money if you know you'll keep it for 12 months.

These prices are current as of 2024, but Amazon raises them periodically. The last increase happened in September 2023, when the monthly price went from $14.99 to $14.99 (it stayed the same) and the annual price went from $139 to $139 (also unchanged). Before that, prices had risen in 2022. If you have an active membership, Amazon will email you before any price change takes effect.

There is also a student version called Prime Student that costs $7.49 per month or $69 per year. You need a valid .edu email address or a student ID from a school that participates in the program. Prime Student includes the same shipping and streaming benefits as regular Prime.

Key Takeaways

  • Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year, with the annual plan saving you money if you keep the membership for the full 12 months.
  • Prime Student offers the same benefits for $7.49 per month or $69 per year if you have a valid student email address.
  • The membership includes two-day shipping on most items, Prime Video streaming, Prime Music, and other perks like Prime Reading and exclusive deals.
  • You can cancel anytime, and if you cancel mid-month on a monthly plan, you keep access through the end of that billing period.
  • Some people use Prime for one specific benefit (like video streaming) and find the cost worth it; others use multiple features and feel they get more value.

What's included in the membership beyond shipping

The $14.99 or $139 gets you more than fast delivery. Prime Video is a streaming service with movies, TV shows, and original series included at no extra cost. Prime Music gives you access to a library of songs you can stream ad-free. Prime Reading lets you borrow ebooks and magazines from a rotating collection each month.

You also get exclusive deals during Prime Day (usually in July) and early access to other sales. Members can use Prime Photos to store unlimited photos in the cloud. There's a shopping benefit called Subscribe & Save that gives you a discount (usually 5 to 20 percent) if you set up automatic deliveries of items like groceries or household supplies.

The shipping benefit itself is broader than "two-day delivery." Most items ship free with two-day delivery, but some ship faster (one-day or same-day in certain areas), and some items don't may have access to for Prime shipping at all — the listing will say so before you buy.

How to decide if Prime is worth your money

The real question is whether you'll use enough of these features to justify the cost. If you order from Amazon once a month and watch Prime Video regularly, you're probably getting value. If you order once a year and never watch the streaming service, you're paying for something you don't use.

One way to test it: sign up for a month at $14.99 and track what you actually use. Do you watch Prime Video? Do you take advantage of Subscribe & Save discounts? Do you use Prime Reading? After 30 days, you'll have real data instead of guessing.

Keep in mind that the shipping benefit only saves you money if you would otherwise pay for shipping. If you shop at stores near you or use other retailers that offer free shipping, Prime's delivery speed might not matter to you. The video streaming is the second-biggest draw for most people — if you already subscribe to Netflix, Disney+, or other services, adding Prime Video might feel redundant.

How to cancel if you change your mind

You can cancel Prime anytime through your Amazon account settings. Go to "Your Account," then "Memberships and Subscriptions," then "Prime Membership." Click "End Membership" and Amazon will ask you to confirm. You'll keep access through the end of your current billing period — if you're on a monthly plan and cancel on the 15th, you keep Prime through the end of that month.

Amazon will sometimes offer you a discount to stay (like a month at half price). You can take it or decline and cancel anyway. There's no penalty for canceling, and you can rejoin anytime.

Prime membership for people on a tight budget

If the full price feels like too much, Prime Student is the cheapest official option at $7.49 per month. Some people share a Prime account with family members — Amazon allows this through "Amazon Household," which lets up to two adults and four teens use the same membership and share payment methods. This splits the cost between people, though Amazon's terms say the account should be for people living in the same household.

Another option is to use Prime Video separately. You can subscribe to Prime Video without buying the full Prime membership for $14.99 per month (or $139 per year). This gets you the streaming service and some of the other perks, but not the shipping benefit. It's useful if shipping speed doesn't matter to you but you want to watch the shows.

What happens to your membership if Amazon changes the price

Amazon notifies members by email before a price increase takes effect. If you're on a monthly plan, the new price applies to your next billing date. If you're on an annual plan, the new price applies when your current year expires and you renew.

You have the option to cancel before the new price kicks in if you don't want to pay more. Some people do this and rejoin later if the price feels more reasonable, or they switch to Prime Video only. There's no lock-in period — the price increase doesn't trap you into the membership.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a free trial of Prime?

Amazon occasionally offers a 30-day free trial to new members, but this is not always available. Check your Amazon account to see if you're may be able to access. If you sign up for the trial and don't cancel before 30 days, you'll be charged the full membership price.

Does Prime membership include free returns?

Prime members get free returns on most items, and returns are processed faster than for non-members. You can return items at Amazon lockers, Whole Foods stores, or by mail depending on the item. The return window is usually 30 days from delivery.

What's the difference between Prime Video and Prime membership?

Prime Video is just the streaming service ($14.99 per month or $139 per year). Full Prime membership includes Prime Video plus shipping, Prime Music, Prime Reading, and other benefits. Prime Video alone is cheaper if you only want the shows and movies.

Do I have to use Prime shipping to make the membership worth it?

No. Some people keep Prime mainly for the video streaming or the Subscribe & Save discounts on groceries. Others use it for the combination of features. The value depends on what you actually use, not on using every feature.

Can I pause my Prime membership instead of canceling?

Amazon doesn't have an official pause feature, but you can cancel and rejoin anytime. If you think you'll want Prime again in a few months, canceling and restarting is simpler than keeping an unused subscription.