Amazon Prime (not the standalone Amazon Prime Video subscription) will be raising its membership rates tomorrow, on February 18. This is the first price hike the online retail service has implemented since 2018. Amazon attributes the price increase to growing wages and transportation costs.
Amazon Prime subscribers enjoy two-day free shipping on eligible Amazon purchases, access to Amazon Prime Video and Amazon Music Prime along with deals at Whole Foods, and early access to Prime Day deals.
The Amazon Prime subscription used to cost $119 annually or $12.99 per month, but now new members will be charged $20 more at $139 for annual or $2 more at $14.99/ month. Current members will see the higher price reflected around March 25, or whenever their membership renews.
Luckily the standalone Amazon Prime Video subscription will not change in price and still be $8.99/month. However, if you wanted to enjoy all the other benefits that come with Amazon Prime, here are “hacks” you could try to save some money for at least a year.
1. Upgrade from Monthly to Annual Plan
If you’re currently a monthly Amazon Prime subscriber, now is the perfect time to switch to the annual membership: You’ll avoid those higher monthly fees for the whole year, and save even more money on top of that.
2. Buy a Gift Subscription…For Yourself
Although you can’t avoid the price hike forever, you can put it off another year. If you buy a gift subscription to Amazon Prime for $119, you can activate it once your current membership expires. Then you’ll have 365 days to enjoy a slightly less expensive subscription and continue getting access to Amazon Prime Video, Whole Foods deals, free Kindle books, Amazon Prime Music, and more. Also, don’t forget to disable auto-renew on your current subscription after purchase.
Also, if you are a student (or know one), you can get Prime Student for $6.49 per month before the price change on February 18. After the price hike, the monthly membership will increase to $7.49 per month and the annual membership will increase to $69 per year.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 10,000+ movies, TV shows, and Prime Originals like “The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power,” “Jack Ryan,” “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” “The Boys,” and more. Subscribers can also add third-party services like Max, Showtime, STARZ, and dozens more with Amazon Prime Video Channels. Prime Video also offers exclusive live access to NFL Thursday Night Football.