Amazon Prime started in 2005 as a simple fast-shipping subscription. Twenty years later, it has expanded into one of the most wide-ranging membership programs available, covering shopping, streaming, healthcare, grocery delivery, and more.
If you have been a Prime member for a while, there is a good chance you are not using everything your membership includes. And if you are considering signing up, this guide covers everything you get, what it costs, and who it is best suited for.
Table of Contents
- What is Amazon Prime?
- How Much Does Amazon Prime Cost?
- Shipping Benefits
- Streaming Benefits
- Shopping Benefits
- Healthcare Benefits
- Reading and Gaming Benefits
- Storage and Household Sharing
- Is Amazon Prime Worth It?
What is Amazon Prime?
Amazon Prime is a paid membership program that bundles fast shipping with a growing set of services including video and music streaming, grocery delivery, pharmacy discounts, and more. Members pay a flat annual or monthly fee and get access to all included benefits automatically.
It is available in the US and in over 25 countries worldwide, though the specific benefits and pricing vary by region. This guide focuses on the US membership.
How Much Does Amazon Prime Cost?
- Annual plan: $139 per year (works out to about $11.58 per month)
- Monthly plan: $14.99 per month
- Prime Student: $7.49 per month or $69 per year for students aged 18 to 24. Includes a free six-month trial.
- Prime Access: $6.99 per month for customers on qualifying government assistance programs such as Medicaid or SNAP.
- Prime Video only: $8.99 per month if you only want the streaming service without the rest of the membership benefits.
| All new members get a free 30-day trial. Students get a free six-month trial.You can cancel any time before the trial ends and will not be charged. |
Shipping Benefits
Shipping is still the core reason most people sign up, and it has gotten significantly faster than when Prime launched.
Free One-Day and Same-Day Delivery
Millions of items are now eligible for free one-day delivery with no minimum order size. In eligible zip codes, same-day delivery is available on orders placed before noon, with delivery by 9 PM the same day including Sundays.
Free Two-Day Shipping
The original Prime benefit. Still available on hundreds of millions of items across all product categories.
Free Two-Hour Grocery Delivery
Prime members get free two-hour delivery from Whole Foods Market and Amazon Fresh on orders that meet the minimum threshold. This is one of the most underused Prime benefits, especially for members who live near a Whole Foods.
No-Rush Shipping Rewards
When you do not need something urgently, you can choose No-Rush Shipping at checkout and earn a small reward credit on your order. Amazon applies the reward automatically to your account for use on future purchases.
Free Release-Date Delivery
When you pre-order eligible items such as books, games, or electronics, Prime members receive free delivery on the exact release date at no extra charge.
Streaming Benefits
Prime Video
Prime Video is Amazon’s streaming platform with a large catalog of movies, TV series, and Amazon Original content. Notable originals include The Boys, Reacher, The Rings of Power, and Fallout. The service also supports add-on channels such as HBO, Paramount+, and AMC+ for an additional monthly fee.
Prime Music
Prime members get access to over 100 million songs ad-free, plus thousands of playlists and radio stations. Prime Music is included with membership. Amazon Music Unlimited, which offers a wider and more curated catalog, is available at a discounted rate for Prime members on top of the base plan.
Amazon Music Unlimited Discount
Prime members pay a reduced rate for Amazon Music Unlimited compared to non-members. It offers a broader catalog and better audio quality options including lossless and spatial audio.
Twitch Prime (Prime Gaming)
Prime members get a free monthly Twitch channel subscription, exclusive in-game content and loot for popular games, and free games to claim and keep every month. This benefit is accessed through Prime Gaming, formerly known as Twitch Prime.
Shopping Benefits
Prime Day and Exclusive Sales Events
Prime members get access to Amazon’s biggest sales events of the year, including Prime Day in July and the Fall Prime Day event in October. During these events, tens of thousands of products go on sale exclusively for Prime members, often at the deepest discounts Amazon offers all year.
Prime Early Access to Lightning Deals
On regular days, Prime members get 30-minute early access to Lightning Deals before they open to the general public. Lightning Deals sell out fast, so this head start is genuinely useful for high-demand products.
5% Back with the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Card
Prime members who hold the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Card earn 5% back on all Amazon.com and Whole Foods purchases, plus rewards on purchases at other retailers. The card has no annual fee beyond your Prime membership.
Whole Foods Discounts
Prime members receive exclusive weekly discounts at Whole Foods Market, an additional 10% off hundreds of sale items, and special deals available only through the Amazon app in-store.
Fuel Savings
Prime members save $0.10 per gallon at participating bp, Amoco, and ampm gas stations across the US. Amazon estimates this can add up to around $70 in annual savings for a typical driver.
Healthcare Benefits
Healthcare is one of the newer areas where Amazon has significantly expanded Prime’s value.
Prime Rx
Prime members save up to 80% on generic medications and up to 40% on brand-name drugs at over 60,000 retail pharmacies across the US, including Amazon Pharmacy. In many cases the Prime Rx price is lower than what members would pay using insurance.
Amazon Pharmacy Free Delivery
Prime members get free delivery on all prescription orders from Amazon Pharmacy nationwide, often arriving within two days.
One Medical Discount
Prime members can join One Medical, a primary care service with same-day and next-day appointments, for $9 per month instead of the standard $199 annual fee. Additional family members pay $6 per month each up to six total.
Reading and Gaming Benefits
Prime Reading
Access to a rotating catalog of books, magazines, comics, and short reads that you can borrow and read on any Kindle device, the Kindle app, or a web browser. The catalog changes monthly and includes both popular titles and Amazon exclusives.
Amazon First Reads
Every month, Prime members can download one new book for free before its official release date, chosen from a curated selection of upcoming titles. You can also buy additional First Reads picks at a discount.
Prime Gaming
As mentioned above, Prime Gaming includes a free Twitch channel subscription, free monthly games to claim and keep, and exclusive in-game content for titles like League of Legends, FIFA, Apex Legends, and others. The free games are yours to keep as long as you claimed them while a Prime member.
Storage and Household Sharing
Amazon Photos
Prime members get unlimited full-resolution photo storage in Amazon Photos, plus 5 GB of video storage. Photos can be backed up automatically from your phone and accessed from any device. You can also share a Family Vault with up to five family members.
Amazon Household
One Prime membership can be shared with one other adult in the same household. Both adults get access to the full Prime shipping benefits and can share digital content including Kindle books, audiobooks, and Prime Gaming. Children under 18 in the household can also be added.
Is Amazon Prime Worth It?
At $139 per year, Prime breaks even quickly for regular Amazon shoppers. If you order online even a few times a month, the shipping savings alone typically cover the membership cost. The streaming, pharmacy, and grocery benefits on top of that make it straightforward value for most households.
Prime makes the most sense if you:
- Shop on Amazon regularly, at least a few times a month
- Use or want to use a streaming service and do not already pay for one
- Buy groceries online or near a Whole Foods
- Fill prescriptions regularly and want to reduce pharmacy costs
- Have a household that can share the membership across multiple people
If you only shop on Amazon occasionally and do not use streaming services, the monthly plan at $14.99 lets you subscribe when you need it and cancel between shopping periods. The Student and Prime Access plans offer the same benefits at a significantly lower cost for eligible members.
