Do you still want your Prime Membership after news Amazon is putting the price up?
As you may have heard, Amazon Prime subscription prices are set to rise on 15 September 2022, from £7.99 to £8.99 if you pay monthly or from £79 to £95 annually. This is the first time Amazon has increased the prices since 2014, and yet another price hike we have faced this year.
The price increase has angered many users, considering it has come in the midst of the national cost of living crisis, with lots of people choosing to cancel their subscription. But is the subscription still worth having?
What you get
- Prime Delivery: The main benefit of a Prime membership is the fast free delivery with no minimum purchase on products sold and shipped by Amazon (or by third party sellers that are fulfilled by Amazon). One thing to know is that you can share this with a person of your choice — good for couples or house mates. To do this, simply go to the bottom of the registration page and select “Share your Amazon Prime delivery benefit”. This feature is only accessible from a computer.
- Prime Video: Much like Netflix, Prime Video gives you access to a large catalogue of films, series and documentaries, which can satisfy all your binge-watching viewing needs. There are some real gems on there too, like Reservoir Dogs and the new The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power series.
- Amazon Music Prime: Music lovers rejoice — with more than two million tracks on its music streaming platform, Prime can compete with the likes of Spotify, Deezer and Apple Music. There is also a premium service called Prime Music Unlimited, which is £8.99 per month for access to 90 millions songs.
- Prime Reading: Who remembers when Amazon was known simply for its free book delivery? The e-commerce giant has adapted perfectly to our consumption habits (as well as to the laws aimed at reducing its competition with independent bookstores) and now offers a rich ebook and magazine library via Kindle.
- Prime Gaming: Exclusive content, free games and a subscription to the Twitch channel of your choice are the main advantages of the platform dedicated to the world of video games.
- Plus other benefits like Unlimited photo storage on Amazon Photos, a year subscription to Deliveroo free delivery (minimum spend applies), Prime Day, and more.
How to get it for less
If you act quickly, and get your subscription before Sunday 14 September, then you can still get the annual subscription for £79. After that it will go up 20% to £95 per year, which is still cheaper than the monthly price (works out at £7.90 per month).
Monthly subscribers can’t do this, as the price will automatically increase from £7.99 to £8.99 if you pay by direct debit. This works out at £108 per year.
Students can get the subscription for less, but will still see a rise in price. Monthly Amazon Prime Student subscribers prices rise from £3.99 a month to £4.49 a month, and
Annual Amazon Prime Student subscribers rise from £39.49 a year to £47.49 a year.
According to Amazon, the price hikes are due to increased inflation and operating costs, which might be understandable in this climate. However, it comes as no surprise that with a profit increase of almost 57% in 2021, Amazon continues to consolidate its status as a global e-commerce colossus.
How to cancel
In other news, due to action from the European Commission over concerns Amazon wasn’t complying with EU consumer protection rules, it is now slightly easier to cancel your subscription. Fewer clicks needed, basically, less “are you sure?”
Amazon representatives stated, it is always looking to “improve the customer experience”, which is what it is doing after some “constructive dialogue” with the European Commission. Anyway, here’s how to do it…
Using a web browser
From the Amazon homepage, select Account & Lists > Your Prime Membership > End membership (the initial steps haven’t changed). At this point, you’ll be shown a list of your current benefits. To proceed, click Continue to cancel and, finally, the End On… button to confirm the cancellation.
Using the Amazon app
Select Your account > Account Settings > Prime Membership > Manage membership > End membership. Again, you’ll be shown the benefits – tap Continue to cancel and then the End On… button to finish.
They still make you go through a lot of steps in my opinion, but that’s it. You are no longer a Prime member.
